The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent. (Port Gibson, Claiborne Co., Miss.) 1848-18??, 1850-04-19

A recent letter in the journal Of Commerce,
furnishes the following items concerning the
quartz mountains:
Hitherto, and for years to come, the gold
hunters will content themselves with working
the diluvial earth, for dust and small pieces of
gold, which have been torn from the hills and
mountains by the torrents and rains. The gold
undoubtedly was originally inlbedded in the
quartz rock, OF which there are literally moun-
tains. Ranges of mountains and hills of au-
riferous quartz extend the whole length of the
Sierra Nevada. From these quartz rocks, Mr..
Wright, the member of Congress elect from
California, has brought most interesting speci<
mems;
One of his specimens, which he considers
very interesting, is piece of quartz chipped
rudely off from some exposed rock; and which
bears unmistakable marks of time 1t is moss
covered, and has been exposed to rains and
storms for ages. 1t chiefly consists of solid
gold embedded in the quar;z adhering to them,
and which, of course, were detached by time
and torrents from the mountain mass.
Another set of specimens consists Of quartz,
in which minute particles of gold are distinct
iy visible to the eye. These are very rich in
their product.
The next class of specimens consists of the
ordinary white and grey quartz, of which there
are mountains in California, and in which no
gold is very apparent to the eye, but which
Yields eleven dollars and half in gold to four
pounds of rock.
This has been tested by experiment, and
saw ball of gold extracted from four pounds
Of the quartz, and worh Sll so.
The gold mountains and placers in Califor-
mia are all public property, except Col. Fre-
mont's mine, which is on a corner of the range
and laps on to it. This mine is his own prop
erty All or nearly all the rest belong to the
United States, and are the most valuable ofall
the public property. Col. Fremont's mine is
very rich.
When Congress is in humor to resume
legislation, it is probable that their attention
will be turned to the regulation, by law, of
this property,-its sale or lease. Mr.. Benton
has project in view, and Mr.. Douglass and
others; and the California members have plans
and viewsson the subject.
The EPRosPEcT.--We inquired yesterday. with
some anxiety, of several gentlemen in Con-
gress, who have the best opportunity of ascer-
tanning the sentiments of both Houses. Four
of these gentlemen (and one of them is
Whig,) concur in the hope and belief that the
! question will be fairly settled, (n all its phra-
ses,) if all ultraisms are avoided, if no new is
sues be made, and the subject be approached
with good disposition to adjust it. The ba-
sis of accommodation, even, is specified as one
which is likely to be adopted. We forbear GO
ing into any specifications If such basis be
proposed. (and it rejects the Wilmot Proviso,
or any similar restriction upon the territorial
governments it is calculated that in the House
of Representatives there are twenty-four Gf
not twenty-eight0 Democrats from the nom
slaveholding States who will go for it; and that
these may be sufficient, without counting any
Northern Wing, to carry the measure of amity
and peace ,'along with the Southernvote Gem
eral Foote declared the other day, on the floor,
that he was satisfied satisfactory basis of
compromise would carry one hundred and eigh-
teen votes in the House. We have no hesita-
ton in saying, that when such a-measure is
carried, every man who fayors it will be
hailed as the benefactor of his country.
Washington Union, March l7th.