Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1849-08-06
RICH MOND, VA
Monday Morning, August 9th, 1049
The Caliimnaa Question.

We find as we anticipated, that the Washington
Union, leads off, and the rest of the Democratic
press will doubtless follow, in condemning the adj
ministraton for establishing cioa gopermanenin Ca
lifornia, thing, which it is said, the Wings bitterly
assaled Mr. Polk for doing The cases are vastly
different Mr. Polk, illegally, by virtue of his mill
tary authority undertook to set up In California and
New Mexico civil governments not founded on the
local laws, but, as he avowed in his message to
Congress- assmiated sto the free institutions Of our
oaon country" The territories were declared whilst
the war continued to be parts OF the United States,
and the inhabitants were ordered to take the oath OF
allegiance, and threatened with the punishment OF
traitors if they resisted our authority. The admin
israton of General Taylor the other hand, called
upon to act whilst California is positively ours, as
sumes not particle of civil authority it, but,
following the precedent established in the case OF
Louisiana, has determined to enforce the laws and
institutions which existed when the territory was ac-
CURED by the treaty with Mexico, so far as they are
consistent with the federal constitution and the pub
lie treaties By one of these laws, the military
commandant in the province was eT ot1cto governor,
and Gen Riley being the person whom this law
would designate, has properly assumed the guber-
material duties The President has asserted no
prerogative whatever, but has expressly, in Gen.
Rilevs instructions, disclamed doing So He has
simply acted in conformity with his duty, as estab-
lished by the Louisiana precedent, assuming no
higher responsibility than that from which he will
never shrink, the responsibility of doing right.
The settled law, governing the case, has been
thus explicitly laid down, by the Supreme Court of
the United States, in Stroller Lucas, az Peters
Reports, 4lo):
"By the law OF nations, nights % property prQ
teced even in the OF conquered country, and held
sacred and uvioable when is ceded by treaty with or
without anv stipulation to such effect and the Iaaos,
whether writing evidenced by the usage and estons
of the conquered coded country remain IN force una
altered By the ne10 souerefgn
1t will be seem by the letter from California, which
we publish to-day, that whatever complaint General
Taylors political adversaries on this side OF the
continent may make against him. the people Of Calf
tornia have gladly accepted his interposon in their
behalf. And, seeing that the proceedings OF Gov
Riley are likely produce satisfactory and honor
able settlement of the vexed question OF territorial
slavery, the Southern people should certainly be
slow to blame the administration for wisely promo
ting SO benefcent a result.
Heauu and Light Rails--Richmond and Danuatie
Railroad.
We see that large contract for the rails OF the
York and Cumberland Railroad, in Pennsylvania,
has Just been negotiated, at the remarkably low
price of forty dollars to We are fully persuaded
that railroad companies in Virginia ought to avail
themselves of the present low price ofron to secure
the heavy T or U rail for their tracks. The Dan
lor al, chacoa railS oh
TO complete its road to the Staunton river, OF about
100 miles The rails for the IL miles to the coal
pits, are of the heavy kind but the rest are the old
fiat bar. Cannot the Directors take measures at
once to purchase the remainder OF their rails of the
heavy class BY SO doing, they would have more
than so miles of the road constructed with heavy
rails They could put these rails on the lower dlyl-
sion and thus make the improvement worth at least
twice as much to the stockholders and the public as
il would be with the light rail- We believe that the
heavy superstructure at present prices will not cost
materially more than the light supersrncture at the
prices paid for the rails bought When tits cons
dered that by giving permanent character to the
lower division of the road, it would stand greatly
better chance of securing connexlon with
Lynchburg, we do not think the Directory ought to
hesitate to adopt the measure suggested. We be-
ieve the State and the stockholders would be salts
fed of the wisdom their doing so.
We take the following from the Fayetteville IN.
CO Observer:
The WILMINGTON RAIL RoAp-We learn from the
WILMINGTON papers that DR. A. De Rosset, Jr has
ceeded i negotiating the bonds OF that company Eng
land for 900 tons of # iron, which will be sufficient to
Law in the most substantial manner upwards OF 10 miles
of The road This is subject OF rejoicing to all friends OF
the road, fthe town. and OF the State
DR. De Rosset returned in the Europa, which arrived at
New York on Friday last.
The price Of this iron was $42 ton
ARREST OF MR.. DENNY
The following appears IN the washington Republic,
Friday last:
THE ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIvE THOUSAND DOLLAR
nrEAIrA r1nN-We learn from the PennSutpanian that