The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-11-24
From hs Philadelphia American and Gazette.
The California Mint,

affecting the immediate interests and financial
condition OF a great and growing city like San
Francisco. as well rs its relations Of trade with
other cities some Difference should be exhibited to
authenticated facts, and particular violence ght
be reserved for the more appropriate sphere Of an
elcctioneering canvass. We had occasion re-
Gently, for the information and satisfaction of our
commercial readers, TO notice an extraordinary
excitement in San Francisco, occasloned by an
order from the Treasury Department, refusing the
Issues Of the United States assay office in payment
for custom house duties. As the Secretary Of the
Treasury was most unwarrantably censured for
the performance of duty specially directed by
law, 1t became necessary to show that the odun
and the responsibility of the obnoxious law origi
mated and rested entirely with the Democratic
Senators and members who represent the
State Of California in Congress. The Union has
attempted lame and impotent oeiviSSs Of an act
entirely indefensibe upon any public ground, and
in its zeal to serve political! friends has committed
the slight ndscretion Of fabricating justification
which, In every essential paftic ulaf, cont aoiots
that made by the parties implicated, to the people
Of California .5.. . Xxx. 80.
AZ this subject is one of much moment to the
commercial community OF the Atlantic, and is soon
likely to engage the attention OF Congress, we
propose to trace the course of legislation in regard
to it, and to offer soire practical suggestions An
with authority to use the stamp of the United
States, and an assayer WIS appointed on behalf of
| the Government. This office was created in con-
sequence OF the failure to obtain branch mint and
tariff OF charges for assaying was adopted by the
Secretary Of the Treasury corresponding to that
established by the Legislature Of California. In
the circumstances Of that new State two years go
the charge of ~ per cent. for assaying may have
been reasonab BILE enough. At the present time il is
too high and the contractors, consulting their
interests, by consulting the prevailing sentiment
as wellas by avaiiing themselves of the improve
ments and advantages in machinery since then,
have wisely reduced the rates, graduating them
from to per cent, the latter being the rate for
$50 gold pieces. -.
When, therefore, the Union endeavors to break
the fall Of Mr. Gwin and his colleagues, by assum-
ing that their offensive movement on the last night
of the last session-which has reused all this ex.
citement-was designed frou, any pee uliar regard
for the miners, or from any sincere desire to reduce
the cost of assaying, it proceeds upon false premi
ses, and necessarily reaches unjust conclusions
The owners of the assay office had interest in
reducing the rates, whenever. increased facilities
and the economy derived from experience enabled
them to do SO; because they thus precIuded compe
| ttion and secured to themselves all the resulting
benefits OF public confidence and favor. As the
ingots issued by the assay Office were found to pro-
duce their full nominal value at the mint here
when converted into coin, Mr.. Corwin authorize
them to be received in California in payment of
public dues, az an accommodation to the merchants
there.
This expedient furnished legal currency which
was much needed, and benefited the miners ma
terally, as gold dust became Immediately en-
HANGED one dollar ounce. This difference Of
value, when applied to the aggregate production
| Of gold, amounted TO four millions Of dollars an.
nuaiiy, and was almost entirely in favor of the
miners. If the assay office had not been a public
benefit il it had not increased the facilities OF com
| merce and augmented the value of gold, it would
not have been employed or countenanced. The
people of California had the same, and even better
opportunities of shippin gold dust to the Atlantic
States than they had previously enjoyed. No OBJ
legation of law required them to submit to the pro-
cess of assay, and in resorng to it they considered
their own pockets
The pretext which is conveniently set up Of
superior regard for the interests of the miners of
California sanctoning a movement which at
one blow might have deprived them Of four mil.
lions of annual profit, is of those straws at
which drowning politicians are apt to snatch.
When Madame Roland was passing the statue of
Liberty, on her way to execution, she exclaimed,
" Oh Liberty, how many crimes are committed in
thy name'' In these times when party is to be
served or personal hostility Is to be gratifed the
interess of the people" is the only professed cause
of action agitation.
The merchants Of San Francisco md the miners
of California satisfied with the treasury regu-
lation allowing the ingots of the assay Office to be
received for Iubiic debts They established legal
standard of value, and currency sufficient Tor
the ordinary requirements Of commerce. But the
California delegation in Congress, desiring to re-
commend themselves to their constituents, must
have n branch mint at San Francisco, and an act
was passed in June last authorizing such an inst.
tuition. Strange to say, however, no appropriation
was made in the law. and none granted until
the expiring hours o! the session, and then it was
wholly inadequate to the purposes contemplated.
Fortunately for California, and for all connected
with 1t by commerce, n proposition to abolish the
assay ofhce-lmmedlately emana,ing, we I'M
derstand, from California Senator-was post
poned until the projected mint should commence
ts Issues. IL the design to crush the assay office
had succeeded something in the shape of revo
luton have occurred ErDn
as the mint could not have been established within
n year, "a there was no coin to pay current duties
aud the ingots were discredited, how could the
venue laws be enforced! Even in the present state
CT things, we have seen that Mr.. Collector King
compelled to suspend his instructions prohibit
ing the receipt of ingots and to refuse the execu
ton Of posit i've law of Congress. The Democratic
Senators and members from California have en-
deavored to extenuate their conduct in the matter
by pretending that the branch mint might have
been put in operation with the assistance of the
Secretary OF the Treasury. 1t has already been
shown that the appropriation for this object was
postponed more than two months and u half after
the passage of the bill authorizing it.
Mr.. Corwin, in anticipation of proper appro
priation had plans prepared which turned to DC
valueless, when the of s 300 900 was granted
being only about one third OF that contemplated as
necessary He was required also to advertise for
sixty days, including California, before entering
into any contract; thus practically consuming four
months after the adjournment of Congress BET, re
he could take the first effective step towards the
exten uaon the part of the offending delegation
is 30 transparent, as to provoke ridcule at their
expense.
With the reasons which induced the California
members to take this false and injurious step, we
have no concern. IL is public question, and in
that relation only can il be discussed in our col
uinns, though various causes have been assigned
and personal motives have been nscribed On the
last hight Of the late session, an amendment was
made to the Civil and Diplomatic Appropriation
bill, directing the Secretary of the Treasury to
contract with the proprietors oil or more assay
ing establishments in California, for the assaying
of gold at a rate not exceeding one per cent, and
prohibiting the issues of the present assay office
from being received in payment OF dues to the
United States.
This is the substance Of the clause which has
made go much sensation in California. The pre-
scription Of some per cent" was intended as a
cover to the blow aimed at the existing assay Of
flee by the atfecaton Of an impracticable econo-
my. Gold cannot be nssayed and q currency fixed
and stamped at that rate. All efforts to procure
responsible contractors on such terms have failed
and must continue TO fail, until larger improve
ments In machinery are introduced into Cniifor.
na or science and mechanical skill have much
deprecated. Under this express Injunction of
law, directed, as may be clearly seen, at paricu-
lar object, the Sec etary of the Treasury had mn