The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-02
California News.
The Picayunc gives the following item, Of

The Picayunc gives the following items Of
news:
No one can tell VINO is governor of Cafor
MIA, who is mayor of San Francisco, where the
seat of government is at San Jose or at Vale
10, what set Of claimants has the best right to
upward of half dozen contested seats in the
next Legislature, or what party has the best title
to the municipal government Of San Francisco
With regard to the governorship, there is lit
tie doubt but gross fraud has been committed
with the ballot box in several counties,-and
although it may be difficult if not Impossible, TO
prove it legally, it is not the less fact, from the
investigation recently made, that Major Reading
received majority Of all the votes cast for gov
ernor at the late election.
AS to the mayoraty, majority of the SUI
pre- Court, to the astonishment Of the legal
profession and tie citizens generally, have lately
decided that DR.. Harris was the mayor of San
Francisco since September last, although Capt.
BRENNAN has been acting in that capacity.
The location of the seat of Cover ment is in
voved in as deep MYSTERY as ever-the partsans
of San Jose and Vallejo sparing no exertion on
either side to secure it, On tt G. Doth ult,
meeting, consisting of forty-one members elect
to the legislature, was held in San Francisco
for the purpose of consulting together as to the
place where the next Legislature should be held
when the question was decided in favor of
Vallejo, by majority Of % to l3 But as the
" hole meeting did not con ii uts one-half ofthe
members of the legislature, it is impossible, of
course, to consider that vote as setting the ques
ton mt rest
The claimants to contested seats In the legis-
ature must, Of course, await the action of that
body upon their respective cases. !.
In the city OF San Francisco we have now two
sets of civic rulers in full blast. The gentlemen
elected in September were sworn in on Mon
day last, the 29th ult., by Mayor Harris and
they held their first meeting on the same even
ing The gentlemen who have hitherto admin
stercd the municipal government with such
credit to themselves and such advantage to the
city, WILL of course, adopt every legal and con-
stitutional meaps in their power to resist these
pretensions; and they depend for success on the
char ge which is to. take place In the constin.
ton Of the Supreme Berch, at the next term, by
the substitution of Chief Justice Solomon Hey
denGeilt for Chi, ,Jasticc Hastings, the gentle
man whose decision in the case of Harris Us.
Drenham has lately excited 80 much astonish-
ment.
The Democratic party are torn under BY
discussions, and, from the luminosity exhibited
on. both sides, there is little prospect OF a union
among them. One portion, who come princi
pally from New York, were anxious TO have q
preponderance for their section by the choice of
delegates to State convention, to be held
shortly, for the appointment of delegates to the
Democratic National Convention and for the
nomination of candidates for electors of Presi-
dent and Vice Prssident--while the other party,
who hail from the more Southern States, were
Influenced by similar motives Both parties are
unyielding and both will send delegates to the
State convention,
The atmosphere itself has symp ,thzed, in
some degree with the stormy spirits who have
agtated the political world since the departure
of the last steamer For the las: len days the
rain has fallen almost every day and night, and
we have had two or three very severe south
eastern gales, accompanied. on pne or two occa-
Sious, with hail, thunder and lightning Two
or three slight shocks of an earthquake, which
lasted for few seconds, have been felt IN San
Francisco.
The news from the mines Is encouraging, the
yield in the placer diggngs being very bonntiful
since the rain set in
The survey ofthe railroad from San Francisco
to San Jose has been completed. Its total cost
is estimated at S1,bS9,l26 II. We fear that
considerable time will elapse before tho work
can be commenced No further steps, that We