The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1849-02-06
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEED
SATURDAY, Feb 8

The Senate was not in session
HOUSE. Mr. stephens offered resolution in.
curing of the President, II there exists proto-
col signed by Messrs Sewer and Clifford and the
Mexican minister Rosas, declaring that the
amendments of the United States Senate to the
treaty were matters formal merely and not affect
ing the substance of the treaty. II the protocol
does exist, Mr. Stephens contends that it annulS
the treaty.
In committee Of the Whole, sundry private bills
were considered. After agreeing to FIVE, the
committee rose.
Mr. Tompkins presented the remonstranee of
LycthIyn, the Cherokee chief, against the bill
now pending, uniting all tribes of Indians under
one government
~ A letter is published in the Honolulu
Friend, from California, which it is said may be-
relied on, to give correct view. being from an
individual we'll acquainted with the progress Of
the country for the last l3 months. We give the
following extract:
"The moral condition of the country was bad
enough before the gold discoveries-it is now in a
state ofperfect chaos, and what lit will be is known
only to Omniscience-thought the slightest touch
OF sagscity will enable any one 10 see that the
gold mines are destined to make matters worse
rather than better. The whole attention of the
population for the last six months has been oc.
cupied with gold There are no schools nor any
prospect of any for the present The inhabitants
are unsettled-many families will winter at the
mines-a wretched place it will be for quarters
at that season-and it will be long time before
any thing like settled state of society is known
here.
My own business OF surveying, like all others
was knocked in the head last spring. So in sheer
self defence, was obliged to turn digger nv
self. A small pinch OF the virgin metal send
you as a sample of my diggins You will see
thatit is in water-worn Humps like pebbles, al
most every piece OF it giving evidence that it has
lost its original size and form from long attrition
through the agency of water. Itoccurs in every
variety OF magnitude from almost invisible dust.
and little flattened scales like faxseed up to Jumps
OF the size send you, and in many parts Of the
mines to pieces as large as pigeons and puIlets'
eggs, though the larger pieces usually more
or less lntermixed with quartz, which was the
original gusge or velnstone through which the
gold was interspesed
found digging gold by no means the enchant-
ing employment many might dream it to be: but
matter-ot fact, back-achng, wearisome work
most nearly resembling, for all the world, the
heavy toll of multitude OF Paddles excavatiug
canal, or mil-race.
There is much sickness, chiefly in the vicinity
OF the Tulae marshes at Suffers and in the val
lies OF the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers.
into which the streams empty, on the upper wa.
tiers of which the gold is found
Some who recently went up the Sacremanto
River, came back week afterwards well stored
wthstever and ague if not with gold. MANY who
come will make money, doubtless, but some will
make themselves sick, and perhaps, make them
selves poorer than ever-if they Go not make
shipwreck OF good morals, and die, like some al
ready, as the fool dieth, in revelng and drunk
enness. Ii any man is doing toIorable busi-
ness at the Islands, let him stick to it. He will
ten chances to one, be better off in the end. If
he can get more gold here, he will also have tie
fork over more gold here for the means of subsis.
tence. AT the mines have seen sugar, coffee.
butter, hams, potatoes, and other articles, selling
for 81 pound; molasses, So per gallon; flour 80
to 40 cents per pound; beet 25 cents, often twice
that; common woollen blankets sell from so to
$lOO-among the Indians still higher-other ar.
ticles of clothing three or four times their ordi
nary prices. Goods OF all sorts are high. Real
estate in San Francisco has risen greatly: A lot
which a year ago cost $4OO, and year before
that, $l5, was sold few days ago for SIC, 900,
though only so yards square, and entirely unoc.
cupied What this state OF things is coming to,
who can tell