The Arkansas banner., 1849-01-16
wM. V. yooRHlEs, Esq.
California--A Mint XVanted--Thc Army
 and Navy Deserted.

lGtAiAEOEUtu--A RAIHt tNdHtCV--AH Army
 and Navy Deserted.
 The Philadel ,hia North American publishes a let ter from Monterey, California which we infer from the initials, was written by Rev, Walter Colton, the alcalde of that city. His suggestion in refer ence to a mint deserving of the immediate at- tention of Congress.
 There are now about 5000 persons at work in the mines. They average, st the very lowest com putation, ounce per day each man. This makes an aggregate of more than million a month, and this quantity will be doubled in three months This gold now goes 10 MaZatan, Peru and Chill where it is coined and becomes part of the currency of those countries. IL is lost to the metallic basis of our circulating medium. Itcan be secured to us only by mint, and one should be sent out here forthwith There is at present very little coin in California, and the consequences Is, this grain gold is sold here for s 0 the ounce. It has bee n assayed by a competent person, aud proved to be 32 I-2 carats good. It must therefore, be worth at our mint nearly double what 1t IS sold for here 1 This monstrons sacrifice is made by Americans by poor emgrants, and can be saved from it only by mint. and the gold can be saved to us as d nation, and incorporated with our metallic currency only by mint. Therefore. scnd us a mint and the sooner the better Take one of your hints that is standing nearly idle anl good assayer, and honest treasurer, and send them 10 Chagres, oyer the Isthmus to Panama, and then to Monterey and we wiIl coin gold enough for yoa to pay the Mexi- can
 IL IS impossible 10 procure labor at any price The offer of BIO day would not detain any one 1 from the mines. The consequence is our fields are without farmers, our shops without mechanics forts without soldiers, our ships without sail lors.
 The pay of soldier, exclusive of his provisions and clothes, is about S3 per month One of them | got furough for twenty days from Col Mason went to the mlnes. spent six days in going and as many in returning, leaving eight for work there l and brought back with him SS00, just about whut l be wondered at then, that they desert doubt if there will be, by the time this letter reaches you. fifty soldiers nj sl the military posts in California They will be in the mines; and if you send the few 1 that remain to bring them back, they will them selves go to digging gold.
 Nor does tho navy fare whit better. Let man ! of war anchor in our harbor tomorrow and in three weeks she would hardly have men enough to get her to sea. Seamen who have been on this station five yesrss and who have S410 or S5aO due them, forfeit the whole and escape to the mines. 1 The only way merchant vessels gets 10 sea is 10 give the men strong Interest in the voyage TLnre is discipline except what they choose to establish among themselves for the lime being is q ock of the walk.
 The Isaac Walton, naval store-ship. has inst arrived here from New York, and it is calculated that it will cost as much to discharge her as the whold price of her freight around Cape Horn h. deed, she cannot discharge without the cid of one f national ships, and the result wilt he the loss of some hundred soldiers. It is in vain to talk about sentries, the seutries will run. The only remedy s 10 cut off all connection with tho shore; and in tha, case man-of- war might well be in the midst of the Pacific as on the coast. But enough of this.