Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-02-28
THE CALIFORNIA MEMORIAL.

THE CALIFORNIA MEMORIAL
TO he honorable the Senate and House Of Rpresenavesc
The United States Of america IN Congress assembled:
The memorial of Convention Of citizens of the State
of California, visit to the Atlantic States held
ia Browns Hotel in the City Of Washington unanimous
ly adopted, respectfully represents:
That the disposition to be made by Congress of the pub
lie lands in California is subject of vital interest
citizens, and justly claims very large share of public at
tenton well considerable anxiety The soil and ci
mate is unsurpassed in adaptation to every variety Of
agricultural production The natural grasses and grain,
the vast extent OF mountain slopes capable of sustain
ing throughout the entire year nnumerable herds Of
horses CATTLE and sheep without the labor and expense
in other States of procuring proyender for their
tenance in season. presents of the many anomalies
of the West OF the latter ANIMAL it may be conf
IDENTIFY asserted that sufficient Of them may be raised to
supply the demand for wool throughout whole
try 1t is not deemed oyerestmate to state that there
at present two hundred and fifty thousand consumers
of these products very large proportion of whom
and must continue in increased numbers to be
engaged in mining pursuits This state of facts when
contemplated in all their details submit should claim
from Congress an enlarged and liberal policy disposng
of the public domain Already thousands Of our fellow
citizens who have emgraed hither from the agricultural
portions Of the Union well as from other like parts of
the world, finding it congenal to their habits and
inclinaons and demanded by the necessities of the min
ing population than the increase have
resumed their former ayocation, and making improve
ments and cultvatng the SOIL though wholly unproyided
for and unprotected by law.
California from her geographical and peculiar position,
with reference to other portions of the civilized world
must rely exclusively than any other State upon
teemng millions that must by inevitable destiny and with
in incredibly short space Of time people the shores Of
the Pacific within the limits Of the United States.
The act of Congress extending the laws Of the United
States California has failed in its intent with regard
to this particular interest nasmuch does not confer
the benefits of existing land laws and itdid those
in force are to great extent nappcabe in their pro-
visions to the exgencies of citizens they having been
enacted with reference to entirely different state OF
things than found to exist coast that it is
indispensable to the wellbeing of population that
Congress should enact such laws this subject in regard
to donation and pre- -empon privileges they may in
their wisdom deem best adapted to peculiar circum
stances also to provide for vigorous prosecution
of the public surveys in view of the pressing demands of
settlement which exceeds in rapdty of occupancy and
extent of territory thing Of the kind yet known
in any State of the conderacy since the foundation of
the Government
We also ask that liberal grants of land be made to the
various literary and benevolent institutions of the State
for university and primary schools for the insane deaf
and dumb and for the blind place the foot
ing at least in this respect with the older States and
affecting the interests of the entire Unon and each and
all of the States composing t the right of way and ade
quate pecuniary aid in the opening and construction of
national highway between the Pacific and Atlantic
Your memoralists next claim attention to the mineral
wealth of that extraordinary and wonderful country
thought of the gold region, and in all probability
time may eapse before the other minerals known to exist
there will offer sufficient inducements to distant capital
lists for investments it may not however be irrelevant to
state that silver, copper, ron lead COAL cinnabar and
sulphur have been discovered in various parts of Cafor
na and with every indication Of being extensively dius-
ed She abounds also in MARBLE granite freesone sand
tone slate me and cement all of which have been pro-
nounced by competent judges Of superior quality In
addition to these elements of her future greatness for the
construction of magnificent cities she also possesses in
every direction the finest clay for the making of brick
As yet her minerals remain comparatively neglected if
except the quicksilver mines of Santa Clara, which will
certainly prove the richest in the world and the partial
working of the silver at Los Angeles and Sonora But
there exist doubt that these of limitabe
wealth will long be suffered to lie buried in the earth
when the of California Loudly demand that she
should have the and benefit Of such powerful aids to
her onward progress and of thus rendering herself indie
pendent of supplies from distances great that they
only be procured at immense cost Leaving this ques
ton, however, to be solved by time and the well known
enterprise of the American character your memoriasts
would conne their present remarks to the products OF the
gold Mines whether be derived from the pacers the
river BEDS the Cayota Dggngs, the quartz veins.
To enter into general statistics this subject would
far exceed the limits of this memorial volume would
be required to mpart all the necessary information Let
therefore suffice say that the yield of gold dust from
these different sources instead of diminishing will steadi
y increase each succeeding year. and that the supply
from the god-bearng quartz alone may with perfect
dor be pronounced nexhaustble Since the first disco
very of gold in California, than three hundred mil
lions have literally dug of the earth by the abo
rious toll Of the Woodworking MINER unaided by machi
merry, except Of the rudest description. What them may
be expected the annual product when science Skill
and the apowerul assistance Of shall be brought
bear thoroughly and systematically in mining opera
tons? We reply twenty-five millions per month, three
hundred millions per annum Nor is this vision
airy chimerical calculation without any basis upon
which to in three years hence the aurferous quartz
will yield upwards of two hundred millions of that amount
while individual labor in the various diggngs spoken Of
will amply supply the remainder; for the truth Of this
however let look TO figures and facts otherwise
what state might be considered vain assertion In
the Of that time is estimated judging by what
has been already done that there viii be at least FIVE hum
dred mills erected throughout the length and breadth Of
the quartz region which is known extend for upwards
Of six hundred miles along the range Of the Sierra Neva
da As il win obviously be for the interest Of oil engaged
in such operations to have powerful machinery construct
ed of the best kind and extensive SCALE and
improvements for reducing the TO four-like powder
ed it is reasonable to calculate that each Of these mills
will average twenty-five tons per day, the yield from
which, allowing only minimum rate of three cents to the
pound will be hundred and fifty thousand dollars
two hundred and twenty-five millions per annum, reck
onng three hundred working days to the year. In de-
ference to the opinions of scientific men, Of distinguished
chemists and Of practical smelters who have tested the
in large quantities sent from California both here and
to Europe it should be stated that they average the
amount of gold which be extracted from ton of
quartz much higher and that with the aid Of science
in amalgamating smelling several millions more might
be added to the annual product few statistics this
point not be uninterestng tending to prove the
wonderful mnuteness with which the gold is difused
throughout the quartz and the immense yield which may
yet be anticipated from that source.
The " London Times" and London News" both have
olo1