The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-04-09

Hon. H. Dc Kings AoPoES On AAS'
punrIc DoMAiN.--Mcst Of the land fit for cul-
,ivatiop South Of latitude 800 and West of the
valleys Of the Sacramento and San Joaquin is
claimed nnder Mexican grants. On most of these
grants the metals and minerals are reserved for
Government. The conditions of many of them
have never been complied with. In Others the
boundaries are two or three times larger than the
grants.
The treaty with Mexico cedes to the United States
all the rights she had in the public lands and mines
1t embraced not only all the lands which had not
been granted by Mexico, but all the reserved NINE
rails and metals; and all reversionary rights, etc.
A board Of commissioners is recommended TO in.
vestgae and adjust these titles and confirm or re-
iect them by decree, or report their awards to
Congress for final action.
The lands in the Northern part Of the Territory,
North Of 800, have not been explored or granted,
and are supposed to contain an area Of twenty mil.
lions Of acres, But few grants have heen made in
the valley of the Sacramento and San joaquin,
embracing an area Of fifteen millions and belongs
mostly to Government There are other parts of
the new State where the lands are not granted l
do not speak Of the gold region, embracing some
FIVE hundred miles long and sixty miles broad on
the foot hills Of the Sierra Nevada, in connection
with the public domain.
The survey of the public lands on system suited
to the country is of great Importance But the
Mexican grants and surveys running in all direc-
tons, will render system of surveys by parallels
of latitude, etc., impracticabe.
system Of drainage and of irrigation is abso-
utey necessary to give value TO the great plain of
the Sacramento and San Joaquin. This can be
done by laying out canals and drains at suitable
distances and in proper directions, and by leaving
wide margins to the rivers, that they may have
plenty of room to increase their channels when
their waters shall be confined within them by en-
bankments.
COMMERCIAL REsoUcEs.-The commercial re-
sources of California are at present founded entire
ly on her metallic sDedlh, her vast mineral trea.
sures remaining undeveloped, and her fertile soil
almost wholly neglected, which will continue to be
the case long collecting gold is more profitable
Gold is the product Of the country and is i'm
mediately available, in an uncoiued state, for all
the purposes of exchange. 1t is not there as in
other countries, where gold buys or is exchanged
for the productions and manufactures There gold
not only supplies the medium Of domestic trade
but of foreign commerce." The commerce of Cali
fornia with the world is examined and set forth.
Almost every article now exported to California
finds ready market; and the establishment of a
mint will bring there also the silver bullion, amount.
ing to ten millions per annum, from the west coast
Of Mexico and perhaps ultimately from Chill and
Peru, to be assayed and coined ''This tendency
in the course of trade, it would seem, must make
San Francisco warehouse for the supply, to GER
tain extent, of all the ports in the Pacific, Ameri-
can, Asatic, and the Islands,
He then goes into an extensive inquiry respecting
the trade minds" currents etc., and the length
and time necessary to make voyages from the At
lantic to the Pacific shores and from different places
TO San Francisco.
"Gold dust is worth but $l7 per ounce in Chill,
and $l6 at the United States mint If, therefore a
merchant of Valparaiso has 10000 ounces of gold
in San Francisco, received in payment for lumber,
barley, -four, or other produce, and desires an in
voice of goods from the United States or Europe,
he will gain $4,000 at the outset by sending his
gold to New York, besides saving something on the
freight and insurance, and at least one months
interest"
Important as the commerce of the Pacific un.
doubleday is, and will be to California, it cannot
now, nor will it ever, compare in magnitude and
value to the domestic trade between her and the
older States of the Union. Two years ago Cali
fornia did not contain probably more than Is, 900
psOple." Notwithstanding the great distances emf
grants have 10 travel to reach the Territory, more
than 100000 have overcome all difficulties and
spread themselves over hills and plains They
have been supplied from distances as great as those
they have passed, with not only the necessaries
and comforts but even the Injuries of life Houses
have been imported from China, Chill, and the At.
lantic States of the Union. "These wants and
supplies will continue as long as emigration con-
tinues to flow into the country and labor EMPLOYED
in collecting gold shall be more profitable than its
application to agriculture, the mechanic arts, and
the great variety of pursuits in other civilized COM
munities.''
This may be shown by mentioning the price of a
few articles. Last summer and autumn lumber sold
in San francisco at $500 and $500 per thousand
feet, and at Stockton and Sacramento Civ at $500
and $780,. AT these prices it could be made in the
Territory, and many persons were engaged in the
business. Recently it has fallen to $75 per thou
sand at San Francisco AT this price it cannot be
made where labor is worth SO or $l5 Der dav.
Lumber can be had in our lumber markets at Sl6
and transported TO San Francisco for 1924 per thou
sand-costing $40 when it gets there. This price
would cause the California manufacture to cease at
present 1t is probable that the demand for ten
years to come will not be less than twenty millions
of feet per annum, which, at $40 per thousand,
will be s., 900 ,OO0''
When California comes to have population of
600, which she will have before the close of the
present year, she will require near half million of
barrels of flour from some country, and none can
supply it as good and cheap as the old States of
the Union. Including freight and insurance, this
may be set down at S5,00O,0OO The article of
clothing, allowing $40 to each person, would be
81, 10000.
1.-THE balance of our synopsis of Mr. Kings re-.
port, which we had intended TO publish to-day, is
unavodably deferred another dayl
MEssRs. BENTON AND FooTE-IHe Compro-
mise Question, stc.-The Washington correspon-
dent Of the Philadelphia Ledger, in letter of date
the 2sth ut., says: I'm spite of the hundred tee-
graphic and other rumors that Mr.. Foote and Mr.
Benton were about to fight duel, no challenge has
as yet passed between them, though it is not i'm
probable hostile collision may take place sooner
OF later. Mr.. FOote has consulted his friends, but
will not act in the premises till the great questions
now agitatlng the country are definitely settled
he has again moved for his committee of thirteen,
and has made it the order of the day for Wednesday
next | have no doubt the committee will be APP
pointed and report the same bills as reported BY