Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1850-04-16
Abstract Of the California Report of Hon.
Il. Butler King.
WAsaiNeroS, March %, 1860.

WAsaiSeToN, March %, 1850.
SIR: In obedience 10 your ins ruciions, da-
ted the Sd Of April last, proceeded to Cali
ifornia by the way of the lsthmus of Panama
and arrived at San Francisco OH the fourth
! day of June.
The sale OF the territory by Mexico 10 the
United States had necessarily cut of or dis
solved the laws regulating the granting OF
procuring of titles To land; and, as our own
land laws had not been extended over il, the
| people were compelled 10 receive such titles
as were offered TO them, without the means
OF ascertainng whether they were valid or
not.
Towns and cities were springng into ex-
istence-many of them without charters or
any legal right 10 organize municipal author
tiles, or to tax property or the eitzens. for
establishment of police, the erection Of pris-
ons, or providing any Of those means for the
protection of life and property which are so
necessary in all civil communities, and es-
pecially among people mostly strangers to
each other
Nearly one million and half of dollars had
been paid into the custom houses, as duties
on imported goods, before our revenue laws
had been extended over the country; and the
people complained bitterly that they were
thus heavily taxed without being provided
with d government for their protection, or
laws which they could understand, or allow
ed the right to be represented in the coun-
ellis Of the nation.
In obedience, therefore. to the extruordi-
nary exigencies of their condition, the peo-
pie of the city of San Froncisco elected
members 10 form Legislature and clothed
them with full powers to pass laws.
The communities of Sonoma and Sacra-
mento City followed the example.
Thus were three legislative bodies organ
lied, the two most distant being only one
hundred and thirty miles apart.
Other movements of the kind were threat
ened, and doubtless would have followed in
other sections of the Territory, had they not
been arrested by the formation of State
government.
California has border on the Pacific OF
ten degrees of latitude, and several impor-
tant harbors which have never been survey
ed nor is there a buoy, a lighthouse, or
fortlfcation, on the whole coast.
California had, as it were by magic, be-
come State of great wealth and power -
One short year had given her commercial
Importance but little inferior to that Of the
most powerful of the old States. She had
passed her minority at single bound and
might justly be regarded as fully entitled to
take her place as an equal among her sisters
of the Union.
AS already stated, arrived at San Fran
cisco on the morning of the forth Of June.
The staemer in which was passenger
did not stop Montery; therefore did not
see Gen. Riley, nor had | any communica-
tion with him until the middle of the month
-. l..
days after my arrival his proclamation cal
ling a convention TO form State COnven-
tion dated the third Of June, was received.
The people acted in compliance with what
they believed to be the views of Congress.
and confornably to the recommendations of
the proclamation: and proceeded on the day
appoitned, TO elect members to a convention,
to be regularly submitted to the people for
their ratification or rejection, and, if approred,
to be presented to Congress, with a prayer
for the admission of California, as a State,
into the Union.
had no secret Instructions verbal or writ
ten, from the President, or any one else, what
to say to the people of California on the sub
lect Of slavery; nor was it ever limited or in
timated to me that was expected to attempt
to influence their action in the slightest de-
gree on the subject. That never did, the
people of California will bear me witness.
In that Territory there was none of the ma
chinery of party or Of press, and it is even
more absurd to suppose that any secret iaGu-
eaces, for or against slavery, could have been
used there, than it would be to believe that
they could be successfully employed in Mary
land or Georgia.
| therefore declare all assertions and in
situations, that was secretly instructed TO,
or that did in any way, attempt 10 influence
the people Of California TO exclude slavery
from their territory, to be without foundation.
The election of delegates to the conven-
ton proceeded regularly in pursuance of the
proposed mode of holding it, and, as far as
ain informed, no questions were asked wheth
or a candidate was a Wing or Democrat,
or whether he was from the North or the
South. The only object seemed to be, to
find competent men, who were willing TO
make the sacrifice of time which their duties
would require.
Some iutimatons or assertions, as am in
formed, have been thrown out that the South
was not fully represented in the convention.
| am told by two of the members of Congress
elect from California, who were members of
the conv ention, that, of the 81 delegates des
ignated in General Rley's proclamation, l6
were from slaveholding, 10 from the nom
slavehold!ng States, aud II who were eiti
zens of California underline Mexican Govern
nent; and that 10 Of those | came from dis
tricts below 80 deg. 30 min. So that there
were in the convention 90 ofthe 81 members
from the slaveholding States, and from place,
south of tho Missouri compromise line.
1t appears on the journal of the convention,
that the clause in the convention excluding
slavery, passed unanimously.
now proceed to give you the result OF my
injuries, observations, and reflections, re-
spectnQ the population, climate, soil, produo-
tions---the general character of grants of land
from Mexico-the extent and condition of
the public domain the commercial resources
and prospects-the mineral and metslic
wealth of California
POPULATION.
Humboldt, in his essay on New Spain.
staets tho population of Upper California, in
1920, to have consisted Of