Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-12-30


at as early day as your valuable time will
allow.
+ We are, respectfully, your Excellency's
most obedient servants,
w. ID. NJ. HOWARD,
C. V. GILLESPIE,
JAMES c. WARD,
To his Excellency, Col r. B. Mason,
Governor of California.
lHEApQU'Rs TENTH MILITARY DEPART,
MONTEREY, California, July 81. ls4S.
GENTLEMEN: Yourcommunicaton of the
22d, together with its enclosure has been
duly received.
| will instruct the collector at San Fran
cisco to receive gold dust in payment of
duties at the custom-house, with the priyi-
lege reserved TO the payer OF redeeming one
half 10y payment TO the collector in gold or
silver coin, any time within ninety days, and
the other half by like payment any time
within one hundred and eighty days. This,
however, is to be a mere temporary ar
rangement, owing to the present scarcity of
coin in the country.
1t would give me pleasure to comply full
ly with the wishes expressed by the public
meeting held at San Francisco on the night
of 21st instant, by making the whole re-
deemable in one hundred and eighty days
but it would have the effect of entirely cut
ting off the receipt of any available funds in
the custom-house for six months to come.
That is longer time than it will be pru-
dent to dry up the only source of revenue
that the country affords, and would be too
wide departure from my Instructions,
which are very positive to collect the duties
E" exclusively in gold and silver conn.," be-
fore the goods, wares, OF merchandise leave
the custody of the collector, or in other
words, before they are suffered to go INTO
market. | am willing to allow the goods to
go at once into the market and to wait three
and six months for the duties, although
am ordered to COLLECT them in cash, provided
the gold dust is taken at low rate enough
to make it certain that the merchant Will re-
dee it at the stipulated time, and II he
does not, that there will be no doubt that
the duties can be realized at once by putting
it up ut auction, if the money be imnedi-
ately required. You will readily perceive
the situation in which am placed. A large
amount of dnties will be received at San
Francisco. Should some ten or twenty
thousand dollars of this gold dust received
at the tom-house-reckoning at the rate
per ounce at which it will be receiyed-fail
should be forced by the want of funds to
throw suddenly this large amount into mar
ket, to be sold for cash, and 1t should not
bring that sum, |, at once, become and am
held personally and individually responsible
and accountable to the Department at
Washington for the loss sustained in conse-
quence of the departure from my orders and
Instructions.
am very sure that none of the merchants
of your town would desire to see me as
sumo a risk of becoming pecuniarIly invol-
we'd by departing from my instructions tor
their accommodation and therefore feel,
by departing from my orders an thlsInstance,
in permitting goods, wares, aud merchan-
disc to go at once into the market, and walt
ing three and six months before the duties
can be realized, that the precautions take
to guard both the public and myself from
any loss are not unreasonable or greater
than he occasion calls for.
shall strongly recommend in my first
communication to the Department the inn
mediate establishment of a mint IN Upper
California. am, respectfully, your obedi-
ent servant, X. Is. MASON,
Col. LIST Dragons, Gov. California.
To w. ID. NJ. Howard, G. V. Gillespie,
Jas. G. w ard, San Francisco, California.
RECLAMATION.
Head Quarters Tenth Military Depart'nt,
MoETEREY, California, July 20, '4o.
Whereas many citizens have gone to the
gold mines OF the Sacramento without ma
king proper provisions for the families they
have left behind them and whereas many
soldiers, tempted by the flatiering prospect
of sudden wealth, have deserted their col
ors To 90 to the same region, regardless oil
their oaths and obligations TO the Govern
ment, endangeriDg the safety OF the garrI-
sons, and thereby the tranquility OF the
country, it is made known that, unless fam
lilies are guarded and provided for by their
natural protectors, and unless Citizens lend
their aid to prevent assertions from the gar
rsons of the country, the military force
now in California will be concentrated IN
the gold region, to the exclusion OF all un-
licensed persons.
Persons employed at the mines are re-
minded that up TO this time they have en-
joyed the high privilege of digging gold on
Government land without charge and with
out hIndrance. In return for this privilege,
they are bound TO assist ~ experimenting
deserters, and 10 giving notice To the nearest
military officer where any are concealed.