The organizer., 1850-01-05


been taken to organize the custom
house at that and other places men
toned in that act. At the earliest pc
riod practicable, the collector proceed
ed over land, but adviees have no
yet been received ofhiS arrival at Sa
Francisco. Meanwhile, il is under
stood that the customs have contin
ued TO be collected there by officer
acting under the military authority
as they were during the administra
tion Of my predecessor. 1t would,
think, be exPedient to confirm the col
leclions thus made, and direct th'
avails, after such allowances as Con
gress may think fit TO authorize, Il
be expended within that Territory, oil
to be paid into the Treasury for the
purpose of making appropriations
for the improvement Of its rivers and
harbors.
A party engaged in the Coast Sur
vey was dispatched to Oregon in
January last. According to the lat
est adyiceS, they had not left Callfor-
MIA, and directions have been given to
them, as soon as they shall have fixed
on tho cites Of the 9 light houses and
the buoys authorised to be construct
ed and placed in Oregon, to proceed
without delay to make reconnaissance
of the most important points on the
coast of California, and especially to
examine and determine on sites for
the light house on that coast-the
speedy erection Of which is urgently
demanded by our rapidly increasing
commerce.
have transferred the Indian agen-
cies fromupper Missouri aud Council
Bluffs to Santa Fe aud Salt Lake, and
have caused TO be appointed sub
agents in the valley OF the Gila, Sac>
ramento and San Joaquin rivers
Further legal provisions will be ne
cessary for the effective and success
ful extension of our system of Indian
intercourse over The new territory.
! recommend the establishment of
a Branch Mint in California, as il
will, in my opinion, afford important
facilities to those engaged in mining,
as well as the Government, in the dis
position of the mineral lands.
| also recommend that commissions
be organized by Congress TO examine
and decide upon the validity ofthe
present subsisting land titles in Calf /
fornia and New Mexico. and that pro-
vision be made for the establishment
of the office Of Surveyor General in
New Mexico, California and Oregon,
and for surveying and bringing into
market the public lands in these Ter.
ritories. These lands, remote in po-
sition and difficult of access, ought to
be disposed of on terms liberal to all,
but especially to early emigrants.
In order that the situation and char
acter of the principle mineral depos-
it's in California may be ascertained,
recommend that geological and
expedition should be
with the surveys, and that
the mineral lands be divided into
small lots suited for mining, and De
disposed of by sale or lease, so as to
give our citizens an opportunity OF
a permanent right ofpro-
perty i'm the soil, and which would
seem to be as important as 10
The success Of mining as Of agricul-
iural pursuits.
The great mineral wealth Of Cal
fornia, and the advantages which its
Dorts and harbOrs. and those Of Ore.
yon, afford TO commerce, especially
With the Islands OF the Pacific and In
dian ocans, and the poPulous regions
Of Eastern Asia, make il certain that
here will arise. in few years, large
and prosperous communication on
,ur Western coast. il, therefore, be-
comes important that line of COM
the best aud most expe-
iitious which the nature of the conn~
iry would admit, should be opened,
within the territory Of the United
States, from the navigable waters oi
he Atlantic, or the Gulf of Mexico,
10 the Pacific. Opinions as ELECTED
and expressed by two large and re.
spectable conventions lately assem-
bled at ST. Louis and Memphis, point
10 a railroad as that which, If practic-
able. would best meet the wishes and
wants Of the country; but, while this,
II in successful operation, would be
work Of great National importance,
and ola value to this country which
Il would be difficult 10 estimate, u
ought also 10 be regarded as an IN
ofvsst magnitude and ex-
pense, and one which must, If IL be