Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-01-31
Distress in the Geld Region.


The Boston Post receives from Mr.. J.
Parker, the following extract of letter
from his brother at San Francisco. Its
statements have on air of exageration, yet
there may be truth in them. The lack of
provisions. however, will probably be tenn.
porary-as very large cargoes have gone
out:
"a state Of distress and suffering pre-
walls here, suct as the world probably never
before saw. People were so eager TO get
gold that they only thought how to get
here. Thousands upon thousands have
rushed here, bringing no provisions with
them, trusting wholly for their supplies
from what could be obtained here. There
was none raised here. All rushed to the
mines. The supply brought from abroad
is nearly exhausted, and hundreds have al
ready died, and thousands more will die
from starvation, and by the hand Of each
other. Sickness RACES as famine increas-
es,-and men have become demons goaded
| to insanity by hunger, and if you have any
regard for brother for Gods sake ship
me some provisions to San Francisco as
soon as possible, or die OF sturvatior.'
O. The Legislature Of Pennsylvania
passed bill unanimously, allowing to the
widow of the late Gov. SKUNK, the bal
ance of the years salary of her deceased
husband from the time of his death to the
10Th inst, amounting to 1851. Governo,
johnson promptly signed the bill without
hesitation.
WlscoNsIN.-We find some extracts
from the fate message Of Gov. Dewey to
the Legislature of Wisconsin, in our ex.
changes, from which we copy some ex.
tracts. 1t is spoken Of as very able doc.
ument, full Of interesting statistical infor.
nation.
The following are portion Of his re-
marks On the stHomestead exemption law
of the last session:
"I trust that this humane provision will
| forever remain on our statute book; il
throws the mantle of protection around the
| unfortunate, and shIelds them from unjust
oppression; its tendency is 10 elevate the
moral and social conditions Of the people
would suggest as matters Of detail in car
rying out the measure, that the person
wishing to avail himself Of it, should make
selection of his homestead, and have the
same described and appraised in a manner
to be defined by law, which selection, de-
scription, and appraisal he should cause te
be recorded in the Office Of Register o
Deeds of the proper county.
"These details would prevent fraud ant
make definite what is now uncertain
On the Land question the Goyerno
speaks as follows:
"The present manner of disposing of tn
| National domain in unlimited quantitie
has become q striking evil in many part
of our State. individuals, and some ar
not even citizens or residents of the U. S
have purchased large quantities of the bes
lands, and the settlement Of the country ha
been thereby greatly retarded. Settler
have been compelled to pay an advanced
price for their homes, and TO increase By
their labor the value of the wild lands o
non-residents, without any corresponding
benefit to the holders, and the investment
in many cases is Improbable. To show
the extent to which this monopoly of tn.
public domain reaches, / would state tha
in one coun,y,a single individual who is no
even resident of the Union, hold upwards
of 10000 acres, entered in the early set
tlement of the State. Such monopolie.
are truly great evils, and inducement.
should not be held out by enlightened anc
free governments to create them. The
propriety of representing this subject te
Congress and urging it to restrict the dis
position of the public lands to actual set
tiers in limited quantities is respectfully
recommended for your action"