The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-02-12

on the ground before daylight and the string Of
applicants, at each window, amounts TO an hum
bred or more before the office opens. The crowd
increases throughout the day. the late arrivals be-
ing Obliged TO stand several hours in the ranks be-
fore their turn. Places near the window have been
sold to impatient individuals for much as TWEEN
y-fye dollars. The box delivery, for the first two
or three days, was nearly equally thronged. This
state of things will probably continue, with little
amelioration, till within week of the next mail
arrival, when it will be renewed.
The mail brought by the Oregon was contained
in sepsnfy-tco bags, and numbered IS, 900 letters,
besides an immense amount of newspapers-double
the size of any single mail which was ever received
in New York! The bags were taken to the Office
on Saturday night, after dark. On Sunday a par
tial box delivery, amounting to 1900 letters,
made; on Monday similar delivery; and on
Tuesday at noon, the entire mail having been dis
tributed, the general delivery commenced. Mr..
Moore the indefatigable postmaster and his clerks,
worked day and night, without rest or respite, to
accomplish this labor. The arrival and departure
OF the steamers, at nearly the same period render
the duties OF the office unusually severe The for
warding of letters, in accordance with the thou
sands of orders, sent in from all parts of the mines
IA post Office feature peculiar to California alone
could of itself, suffice for the constant employment
of eight ten clerks. The necessity of special pro-
vision for all government service in California
whether civil, military, naval--is daily becom-
ing more and more evident. Through the want Of
it all departments are most embarrassngy cramp-
ed, and unless some relief be speedily extended,
their administration must become impossible.
From the Alta California
The RECENT MURDER.--In populous place like
San Francisco, and where the inhabitants are of so
mixed character, from all quarters of the globe,
it is remarkable fact that there has been SO small
an amount of crime. We believe it to be unparal-
leled in the annals of any new country. No city in
the United States can boast clean criminal cal
endar in the same space OF time as can we in a
country which has been stigmatzed as destitute of
" law and order"
The mischief has arisen in the present instance
from the pernicious habit, which has already OBJ
tanned to an alarming extent, of carrying con-
cealed responsibilities and pistols. II is prac
tice which should never be tolerated in any COM
munty, and the instances where necessity demands
it are few and far between-t pertains only to the
bravo and hired assassin, who, thank Heaven,
find no haven under our skies. Society rebels at
this pernicious custom, and has united in an ex-
preston of adherence at the vile and cowardly
practice. In the United States the laws are most
rigorous In this respect, and heavy fines are i'm
posed upon those who carry concealed weapons. II
s urged that in new country it is necessary for
the protection of the peaceabe citizen from the
coward and the bully, but we deem the argument
fallacieus in the extreme. The peaceable man
| never thrusts bowie knife in his girdle, a
volver in his pocket; 1t is the coward the bully
mostly who docs it, and who, for some fancied
slight whips out his instrument Of death, and is
ready to use it upon the most trivial provocation.
II 1t 10 contended that it is necessary to carry arms,
iel tieIi pc wofu opeuiy, anu lev every IHdn 30
about armed cap-a-pie;' but the necessity does
not exist, and the man who would belt his pistol or
knife about him would but excite the rdcule Of his
| fellows. We hope that before the evil which has
already made itself manifest shall produce still
more disastrous results, some measures may be
taken to prevent this abhorred practice.
| RoBBERIEs ON THE IsTHMUs.--We are informed
| by passengers who came by the last steamer, that
| the natives on the Isthmus have not maintained
their character for honesty, which their distin-
| gushing trait when the immigration across the
| lsthmus first commenced. They have ceased to
consider honesty polite principle, and have re-
Gently committed several robberies. One gentle
man was stripped of considerable amount of mo-
ney. He was with others in a canoe, managed by
natives, who made fast to bank at a certain poiRt
of the river, went up to hut returned soon after
| accompanied by number of others, and robbed
the Americans of all their valuable property. We
also learn that box of gold dust, shippedby the
October steamer, by mercantile house here, was
opened, and five hundred ounces distracted. II il
supposed to have been stolen upon the Isthmus; but
we are inclined to think that no native performed
the job. We think it would DO well for persons
crossing the lsthmus at this time with any consid
cradle amount of money, TO provide themselves
with arms, as they might be necessary.