The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-03-11
DOUBLE SHEET.
ADDITIONAL NEWS FROM THR GOLD DfGGlyGs.
Our Calirornl. Correspondence.

SAN Francisco, January 81, 1850.
'Stya~ge Seasons Governmental AfaTs-Do'ngso of
the L<gisatuye Redemption of Gold Tokens
Drirs~g ost Fwcgweys-Ertent OF Squatting-
Wonderful 0roscth of San francisco Theatres
and Civil,sation going up-New papers Peso-
nal Movements More Gold in Prospect than ever
-Levees being Buat.
Twas in hopes, when last wrote you, that our long
and severe winter had well nigh come to a close !;
but the rains have been descending since then with
fourlold vigor, and the streets are knee-deep with
mud. The oldest inhabitant'' is puzzled to know
what this winter means. II commenced month
earlier than it was ever known to before has been
more severe than ever, and seems moi at all IN
clined to hold up. Patience, however, must me-
cessarly soon introduce to the spring, and with
1.-THE gentle breezes," which are said to blow
over this Italian climate, when the heteroge-
San Francisco, will scatter in all directions, par
ticularly to the mining regions north Of US.
The governmental affairs of our new State are
progressing smoothly. The bill authorizing loan
by the State, was not responded to, however, by
any OF our California capitalists on the day when
proposals were to be received and we shall either
be Obliged to negotiate loan In some of the East
em States, or, what Is more probable, a scrip will
be issued upon the credit of the State, to be re-
deemed when a revenue shall have been raised by
taxation. A bill has been introduced into the
SENATE " wheh S! & Passed dampsr
capitalists. You are aware that the larger por-
tlon of the coin now In circulation In San Fran
cisco is coin made here by private individuals,
who purchased the dust at fifteen dollars per ounce,
and profess give the full weight of gold in their
coin, without alloy. From the first Issue of these
tokens, the Custom House and Post Office autho-
rites have both refuses to receive them but IN
the absence OF other coin when they were first put
in circulation, they generally passed current
In the community. Latter.y, however, as Ameri-
can coin has become more abundant, many of the
merchants have refused To receive them, and they
have become perfect drug in the market. Their
lssuers have, IN many cases, refused TO redeem
them, and there Is now great difficulty IN using
them.
The bill introduced into the Senate by Hon. s.
E. Woodwork, of Monterey, provides, that the
,ssuers Of these tokens sh all be obliged to redeem
them within days after the passage of the
act, and that thereafter such tokens shall be deem
ed as countertsits, and subject the makers of them
to punishment counierielters. | very much
doubt whether this bill will pass, there are many
strong Influences brought to scar upon the Legisla-
fure, by the capitalists who have issued these
cokens.
series of instructions to our Sesssators and Re.
presentailyes has also peen introduced. RECON-
merdirg me expulsion of all other than citizens of
sde United States IRON the mining region, protest.
Eng against the future sale OF these lands, request
ing that the Exemption laws OF the United States
rnRy be extended over California, and also calling
for the establishment of branch mint in San
Francisco.
The expulsion of foreigners from the mines, ow-
ever Just 1t may appear, would be matter OF great
difficulty, and would lead TO almost Interm,nabe
guerrilla warfare. They can never be elected by
regular soldiery, Tor the that the climate Of
the mining region has such peculiar effect on
soldiers, that when they reach there. the majority
Of them "beat their swords into" crowblrs and
their beyonets into pickaxes, IL could only be
done by the miners themselves turalng out en-
nasse and driving the the point of the
hayonet. IL Is moreover very questionable whether
the policy would be good TIE gold Dig
gnGe are not so nch now. that the gners carry
soh very large fortunes, bur, the contrary leave
by far the larger portion OF what they do dig with
the American traders and gamblers, by them to be
circulated throughout the whole community.
Inc sxte eason OF the pre-smp'Ion law over CALI
tornia, Is at the present time IN itter Of greater
dmpo.tance TO our new State, than any other mea-
sure which Congress could adopt for our benefit.
There are now In this community hundreds OF peo-
pie who anxious to settle Ia The county, tor the
purpose of cultIvating the sol and would do so i'm
mediately, and thus comm-uce the permanent
settlement OF this territory oy aa American popi-
cation, were they assured that tn-y would be pro-
saev<ed In their pre- emptlon rights. Simultaneous
ly with the extension Of the pre-cmption laws over
us, the survey Of lands would settle of the
yexed questions in regard TO what are and what are
not government lands S4aaitng Is nov belag
conducted at hsp-hazard all over the State. La
Sacramento City, previous TO the overflow. a
equatung operation commenced upon town lots,
and has not yet entirely ceased.
1ne question in connection with this subject,
.vhich will be most difficult to decide, 10, in whom
consists the right OF properly to the immense tracts
OF land attached 20 the missions OF Ctliornl-
whether IN the church, the Indian tribes, or the
general government. These lands the most
valuable u any in the cou6tfy, and If declared GO
vernment land, and brought lnto market, will be
speedily located As ths Is matter OF the greatest
interest, rtend in my next TO furnish you with an
accurate history of the mission lands, from the
time OF the viceroys to the present. At the mission
of Dolores, located In a beautiful valley within
three miles OF San Ffaacisco. large number of
persons have located, and commenced the cutiva-
tion of the soil, with the hope OF establishing pre-
emption claim. One genips went so far as 20
"squst" with all his baggage ia the church itself,
using the altar Tor his bed, and refused 70 leave
until he ives ejccted by legal process. The gs-
vemment should speedily attend to this matter,
and, as II is their policy to settle California with a
permanent population, extend every facility to the
sgriculfurist.
The establishment of branch mint il a matter
Of too PLAIN necessity TO require any argument, aud
il is a disgrace TO the home government that II has
not previously been attended to
Throughout the whole rainy weather, san Fran
cisco has been growing rapidly ever. Wilhrn
the past month, some two hundred houses have
been erected, and the town ~ daily changing its
form. We are, IN fact, beginning 20 enjoy some
of the comforts Of a city, aud nov lack Only the
Legislative charter. which we will probably soon
have, to make us a sizeabe little city. With our
growth, we are introducing the pleasures and
smusements which always spring up IN civilized
life. Masquerade balls occur almost nightly, and
the late olympic Circus has just been converted
into thsstre, which opens onight with "Othello"
and Bachelors Buttons" by a company OF con.
siderable merit, from Sydney, New South Wales:
Another neat little theatre, called the National, VIII
open in a lew days with a French vaudeville and
an American company. SO, you see, the vacuum
we have 90 long felt-the lack of amusement-is
about to be filed. A large and splendid theatre
was to have been erected on Portsmouth Square,
under the auspices Of Col II. T. Myers, man who
has created no little excitement in this community
as = large operator upon small capital, and who
finally closed his accounts with our keen citizens,
sew Gays slsce, by absquatuating," on a visit
10 ms durky majesty, King ksmahamsha, taking
with him, among other items, a thousand dollars
belonging 70 the poor relief fund Of this town, OF
which he was the treasurer A reward of a thou.
sand dcllsrr has been offered for his arrest
The custom house 10 about being removed from
the osd soooe building on the Square, TO large
rumosed s the post Office sto be located IN the old
custom house. This would be verv desirahle