The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-09-22
Y OF WASHINGTON SUNDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 22 1850

nothing 70 say but am certain that competent person
will not hold the Office in either district when there IL
more money 70 be made by engaging in other business
Mr. WAtTCOMB. Mr.. President, think we are
likely TO lose sight OF the fact that the prices OF living IN
California must continue to diminish with the onward
progress OF The settlement of that country When that
country was irs settled, and il discovered that il
contained dePosites Of god the prices became enormously
high They went almost beyond the fables OF romance
But already the prices OF many articles Of necessity OF
comfort, and OF luxury much lower than they
In short lime am confident the prices will be as low
they are in the mineral districts OF the old settled parts
OF Sonth America, where we have no examples OF such
vaganty high salaries And nasmuch as the saa.
es proposed be given 10 these Judges are 10 remain
the for life, and after wards change them,
II appears to me iudicous, and think we had better
BY the committee, and add 10 that afterwards il necessary,
accordlng % the exgences Of the circumstances.
Mr.. FREMONT Mr. President, wish to make q
Few remarks IN reply 10 the honorable senator from ind
ana. think we have reason to believe that the con-
dilion of things In California will change supposed by
the senator All thai we hear, and every fact that has
come 10 ns mp To this tme 10 assure us that the
doh Of things i'll not alter except lar 10 make gold
more abundant and therefore TO increase the price Of abo
and ever, thing else l. like all other senators, have had
great deal OF officially n forming any opinion upon this
matter. aud desire TO submit to the consideration OF the
Senate few facts upon which have been endeayoring
TO form my opinion.
We cannot make fair estimate OF the wealth OF Cali
fornia by looking al the mines and pacers they
now worked The mines can be made TO yield much
skiliul manner desire 10 make few statements, in
order show that these mines OF extraordinary rich
ness. and probably nexhaustiole. As ! make these
statements with view Of influencing The action OF the
Senate respecting the question now under discussion,
make them upon my responsibility, and endorse the
statements which am about 10 read from letters which
The gold producing regions OF California OF which we
have any certain knowledge. extend from about IS de
from the head Of party which recently went to the des
ert country which lies beyond the frontiers OF California
He went there with mining party. The point OF his
letter TO which wish 10 call attention is that the gold
rock" as il is called there in weighing
several ions. nearly upon the surface. and that the fur
,her they penetrated into the mine the valuable it
proved TO be and the conclusion resulting from their
animation Is, thai these mines are inexhaushb!e.
have here another letter. furnished TO me by Mr. Cur
iis, agenileman well known in New York and in San
Francisco. He is al present, and has been Tor eight
months. in the city OF San Francisco, partner in
OF the most respectable houses in that country for assay
ing gold, The assayers in better position know
the quantity of gold found the rock than be in
this.counry. He says:
There l. beginning TO rage quite extensively fever for
vein INNINGS and we have no hesitation IN saying there
wl be astonishing Juror the subject We, course,
have better opportunity than oher parties OF obtain
ing ntegense on the subject having some three
or Or Tour essays 10 make daily, on various ores
The more we operate the more are we convinced that the
i've made an assay Of the ore OF The Mariposa mine.
now being worked by Mes.rs Palmer Cook, ~ 10 with a
Mr. Wright is conueeied,p aud find tue average yield
from Doingsto be W cents per pou.d avcrtuIoi, and
pound, additional. oher assay. have made exhibit
results from from various sections Of couiry rang
@ nc so 10 bs dew s,. @ ~ 'Psa
laksn within two miles Of San Francisco find laid
gold TO the amount OF ten cents per pound !"
Now, sir, wherever we make any calculation based
upon data, il better than supposon Gentlemen
who suppose that the condition oi things will alter 10
Calorala-that the gold will give out and that prices
will fal-cannot base their opinions upon correct data
The statement OF the letter is TO be relied Tar
goes II shows the common yield Of The country and the
"A xipi1 9TH baS hapn nd
know with certainly that these rocks extend three hun
dred and fifty four hundred miles We have positive
information TO that effect
Now upon this positive information wish 10 estimate
the of gold that would be obtained by such ope
ralons are carried by English mining company
now engaged in Bazi and there is doubt but that
companies OF equal il not greater force will be formed for
carrying operations in California This mining
pany has made its twentieth report and their work has
comes up 70 The ist Of March Of be present year Il Is
stated that during the year preceding the LIST oil March
they crushed and took the gold from 900 tons Of rock
Now, sir, taking the average yield OF the mines now
worked in California, and estimating the amount that
would be yielded by the operations OF such company in
California we find that 1t would be sl7oOoo,oo 10
such country that what signifies 30 900 The salary
of udgei What have stated Is from positive data.
far as goes; aud from all researches that have been
made IN that country IL appears TO he the average yield
These statements facts and in this condition OF affairs
ia California, certainly ZOO year little enough for
Judge am in favor Of giving each Of them that amount
and move, sur that the blanks be filled with 80 900 for
the southern as well as the northern district
The PRESIDENT. The question will be taken on
each separately
Mr. EWING Mr.. President, rise 10 state one fact
coming within my know ledge, in corroboraon OF
The views suggested by the senator from California lMr
FREMONT. IN relation to the quantity Of gold deposited
that country young man sent me about one hundred
pounds OF the dug Of OF the pacefs
IN the dry diggngs lie stood by and saw il shoveled
out tie also sent me some specimens OF quartz aI the
same time He stated TO IN his lelier that, while he
was seeing this hundred pounds of earth dug out, his
friend who with him pcke out with his knife from
an adjoining rock some specimens, which he also sent
me- amounting n value 10 about dollar and half
sent few pounds Of this earth, IN which could no
gold TO the mint The director reported 10 that il
yielded about ten doll ,rs and fly TO the hundred
pounds by washing and tina, IL required other process
tnan that 10 procure the gold from IT, The remainder Of
this earth kept until the young gentleman returned He
took IT. and washed IT. and got out oi II little
dollars o gold by washing IL; thus corresponding very
nearly with the estimate made BY the director OF the
mint hundred pounds OF earth, therefore, Il was
dus out of the placer, worth something than
ten doIars do not know whether the earth that was
sent TO me was better nan what usually found in that
country lie young man passing through the coun
try merely looking at IT, and coming to one OF the pla
he concluded he would take specimen there and
leced have no doubt tha il was iar sample oi the
gold producing capacity of California
The question was then taken on the amendment 10 hk
the salary OF the Judge for the northern district AT
thousand dollars, and division il was ost-ayes 8,
noes not counted
The question then stated on the amendment to fix
the salary OF the Judge ol the southern district al six
Mr.. DAYTON Mr. President | would suggest that
that amendment would certainly be much objec
tionable than the other one
Mr.. FREMONT | withdraw the motion respecting