The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-04-01
xHn WONDER OF The AGE.
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THE RICHES OF CALF ORNlA.
h Il r o r =
HON. THOMAS BUTLER KING.
WASHINGTON. March 22 1880


CISCO the iouith DAY OF June.
The steamer in which took passage was the
6Tet conveying that reached California with intel
heeDee OF the Inauguration of President Taylor
and the appointment ut his cabnrI. and that Con-
gIt RS hao failed 10 aud the executive IN providing
a government for the people OF that territory.
The greatest anxiety was naturally felt aud mani
feett Ia ascertain the cause OF this neglect the
part OF the government ot the United States, and
what sieps duly III themselves required them To
take, IN The painful and embarrassing position in
which they were placed, for their protection and
welfare
A bret sketch Of their condition will explain the
cause OF this anxiety
Tn. discovery OF The gold mines had attracted
very large numoer # citiz.ns ot the United States
Ia that ternioTy, who had nrver been accustomed
10 any other than American Law. ADMINISTERED by
American courts. There they found th.ir rights
Of properly and person subject 10 the uncertain,
and frequently most oppre ssive, operation OF laws
written IN language they did not understand,
and founded on principles, 10 MANY RESPECTS. new
TO ihtm They conn lain-d that the alcaldes, or
judges (mCst OF whom had been appointed or elect
ed b. lore lhe lmmgrston hid comm snced), wer.
not lawyers by education or profession; aud, being
Americans, they were, of coufse, unacqualnted
with the laws OF Mexico, or the principles OF the
evil law on which they are founded
As our own laws, except tor the collection Of
revenue, the ,rans emission If ihe mails. and -sr,b-
bshment Of poet offices, had not been extended over
that tcIltoy the laws Ui MeAIco AZ tney existed
the clusion Of hr trtap OF Guadalupe Hlda-
GO, regulating The relations OF the inhabitants OF
California wIIb each Other c-ssarily remained IN
trre; ye, mere was not single volume contain
ing those laws, as far as know or believe, IN the
Whole territory, except, perhaps, IN The Governor
Office, al Monterey,
The magistrates. therefore, could not procure
them, aud the aCIninist lion OF Justice was neces-
sarily, MS unequal and ilncluating the opinions
OF The Judges were conflicting ana variable.
Thee were no tee-bls Ia regulate costs, aud
tquepiy, the most cruel eXactIons, in many
lhstsbcts, were practs,d d.
The Creates confusion prevailed respe citing titles
Ia properly. and the decision oil SUITS Involving the
N ost important rights, and Very large sums OF
n,obty, de, ended upon he dictum of the Ju tge.
The sal. Ut The territory 10y Mexico 10 the United
Sstes had Il. cessarlly cut oil or dissolved the laws
regulating Ihe granling procuring. titles To land
and, as cur own laDo.laws mad not been extended
ever n, the people were compelled 10 receive such
Il les as were offered 10 them, without the means
o. ssceria DDg whether they were valid or not.
Litigation was so exp nsive and preca.ious, that
ipJnsnce end oppression were frequently endured,
fSlhtT Than re- SORT to so uncertain ii remedy.
Towns sDd cities were sprlngIng into existence
many OF Them without charters any legal right
To Organize municipal authorizes, or TO tax prop
ertl or thr citizens. Tor The est bshme nj OF police,
the .Iec ION Of prisons, providing any Of those
means for The protection of lie and property Which
ale 20 necessary in all civil communities, and es-
Peeaily among people mostly strangers TO each
oh.r
Nearly one million and half OF dollars had
been paid mo the custom houses, as duties on I'M
ported gooos, before our revenue laws had been
planned bitterly that they were thus heavily taxed
without b, ing provided with government tor their
protection. or laws which they could understand,
or above The light 10 be represented In the coun-
CHI al The natIop.
hllr arxIously waiting the action OF Congress,
orpr,ss,d aid embarrassed by ihs state Of ALA rs,
and feeling he pressing necessity OF applying such
rmtdIes W, re- in rh,ir power, ant circumstances
8 em' d Ia justly, they rrso,td 10 substitute laws
Of her own Tor The existing system. and Ia estab
Ish iounals Tor their pro per and faithful admins
uunon.
In obedience, therefore, to the extraordinary
exgencIts Of their condition. the people Of the city
OF San Francisco elected members to form a Lee
giskture, aid clothed them with iull powers TO
p1ss laws
The commuI ites of Sonoma and of Sacramento
Cur tllowtd The example.
Thus were three legislative bodies organized;
The i've most d tant being only one hundred and
th,I mi's apart.
O,h-i movsu,. nls Of the kind were threatened,
and doubtless would have followed in other Sec
tiors ~ tie Territory, had they not been arrested
ty The formation Of n Stale government.
While the people OF California were looking to
Congress ioI territorial government, 1t was quite
eNlot ni that such an orkahlzaiion wds daily be-
e"nln9 l. IS suicd Ia their condition, which was
tnn'tly different from that Of any OF the terrte-
Ties out 81 which the new States Of the Union had
b, IN foimsd.
These territories had been at frs, slowly and
eparsey peoPed by d few huAers and iarmers,
" ho penetrated the wilderness, or traversed the
prsirits IN search ct game or new home; and,
when thus gradually their populauoa warranted II,
a povernm, ut was provided for them. They, how
ever, hrd no ioieigu commerce, nor any thing be-
yond The ordinary pursuits Ut agriculture aud the
vsfious bfaDthts ol busiBrfg which usually accom-
rnby II, TO induce immigration within their bo ders.
Several ears ere required give them sufficient
population and wealth To place ihrm IN a condition
90 require, or enable then 10 support, State go
veIbm,Bt
Not TO with California. The discovery OF the
vast mel alc and mineral wealth in her mountains
Ia r.. h.
months, more than one hundred thousand people;
nnt ktensiye commerce had sprung up with China,
the ports OF Mexico on the Pacific, Chli, aud Aus
nslia.
Hundreds Of vessels from the Atlantic ports Of
the Union, fItIghied with our manufactures and
agricultural products, aud allied with our fellow
ciuzens. had ausv,d, or were on their passage
Ton. Cane HON; r, that In toe month OF June
las there were more than three s.nndIed gong
vessels In the port Of San Frencisco.
California has n border on the Pacific 81 ten de.
erets at latitude, and several important harbors
v Oh have never been surveyed; nor IS there q
buoy, b, aeon, light house, or fortlicaiioo, on
the whole coat
There ave no docks for the repair OF national or
mercantile yess'ls BeHier than New YORK, aols-
trcr Of some twenty thousand mts round Cape
Horn.
All these ihings. together with the proper rrqu-
lsii' ne Of The geld region, the quicksilver mines,
the survey and dIspositOn OF the public lands, the
adjustment a land titles, the establishment Of a
m,ni anc 81 marine hospitals, required the imme-
diats io'm nation of more perfect civil govern
nitni thsn California then had, and the fostering
Gaze a. Cont ress and the Executive.
California had, ~ n were by magic, become q
Stat. of great wealth and power. One short year
hsd gwen her a commrrcisl Importance but little
inferior to that oi the most powerful Of the old
States. She had psssed her minority at single
bound. and might justly be regarded as fully enii'
isc to ske her place as an equal among her sisters
of The Union.
When. therefore. the reality became known to
the people Of that Territory that the government
had Gone nothing to relieve them from the evils
and endorsements under which they were suffer
ing, and seeing DO probability Of any change on
the subject hioh divided Congress, they adopted,
with most unsxsmpled unsnimity and prompti-
tude, the only course which lay open to them-thc
mms diste formation OF a State government.
They were induced to take this step not only for
zoe feuson that u promised the most speedy rene
oy ior present difficulties, but because the great
and fspidp growing interests OF the Territory de- |