Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-02-19
CALIFORNIA INTELLIGENCE.

The latest dates from San Francisco are to the
18th of January The Legislature of the State met
on the Sd, but had done no business of moment.
The message Of Gov BIoLER enters minutey into the
financial affairs of the State To lessen its expenses the
Governor recommends that the State Constitution be
changed in several particulars One amendment proposes
that biennial instead Of annual sessions of the Legislature
shall be held such sessions being limited to ninety days
duration. 1t is further proposed to abolish the office of
Superintendent Of Public Instruction Surveyor General
Superintendent of Public Buildings State Prison nspec
tors and to limit the Judicial Districts to eight instead
of eleven present constituted Reduction of sala
ries is also recommended, well modification of our
hospital laws. The Governor supposes, if his sugges
tons be acted upon that annual saving the Treasury
of S5l2 700 can be made The San Francisco Wing says
The document is conclusive on one point viz that
under the present state Of affairs and with the present
management of our State Government we are surely and
rapidly advancing to condition of irretrevable bank
ruptcy The startling fact is made to appear that
expenditures exceed our receipts nearly 100000 per
annum. Our lresent civil, debt is shown to be
1888 213 the debt is SIT 1907 making the entire
debt of the State So, l59, 403"
The Governor also suggests that Congress should be
memoriazed the subject of the agricultural lands of
the State.
Two-thirds of these lands he says claimed under
Mexican and Spanish grants the validity Of which yet
tive, sand should be repealed The claims should be
brought directly into the United States District Court in
stead of being to the crcuitous proceedings
the Board Of Commissioners at present The Governor
also calls the attention of the Legislature to the import
Of agriculture to the State and that
effort be made to obtain the passage of law Congress
donating the public lands in limited quantities to acua
settlers He further recommends that effort should b.
made to reclaim the swamp lands belonging to the State
and to the possession in fee simple to those VIII
have settled upon them.
/ Movements have been made in both branches of thu
Legislature tending relieve the people of California
from speculatons in articles of prime necessity Com
mttees have been instructed to inquire into the
the present high price of ou and to report bills to
vent monopoly in that article.
The Alta California says that the old project of call
ing constitutional convention is the tapis
The ostensble object lit says as set forth by the
Executive in his message is to abolish certain Offices
ated by the constitution The real end is the abrogaton
antavery clause and the division of the State
The first if aims at the accomplishment of any definite
object contempates the introduction Of slavery herea
scheme which all whose inteects not couded by
prejudice know to be the widest and most chmercal
entertained by intelligent AS for the division
of the State after than years Investigation,
discover plausible for it, The advocates of
the have yet shown what to be gained
by it, in political financial point of view. But the
business of the session will turn upon the constitutional
convention which will most probably be called The in
tended changes, however, will not be effected when is
called"
Mr.. BEALE, Indian Agent, in his visit the Tulare
country had been successful in his negotiations with the
Indians He has restored peace and satisfaction the
savages, who will ng to work for their support
now that they see they are compelled to do So
The latest intelligence from the Southern mines re-
presents great improvement in the weather and the
winds The extreme srngency in the provision market
was relaxing supplies come in and there good
prospect that the end another fortnight would find the
mining population prosperous and happy.
The Sacramento Union is unable to estimate the damage
sustained by those engaged in farming and tockrasnt
in the Sacramento and Joaquin valleys, by the world
water" which their surface, but thinks thu
work Of destruction has been nearly complete Thousand
of head of stock including horses mules cattle, sheep
and hogs have been drowned in many instances houses
washed away; hundreds of tons of hay destroyed i'm
provements Of all kinds, including growing vegetable
crops either totally destroyed rendered nearly value
less by the length of time they have been submerged
From all parts of the interior have melancholy
Of the suffering and destruction caused by the lat
freshets.
The advces from Los Angeles are to the lst Of Janus
~. The Star Of that date says that the United State
survey was preceding fayoraby the base line being
ready completed seventy miles will probably touc
the four miles north Of Los Angeles Nj
GRAY is following Col WASHINGTON and is surveying
range Of townships
There present thirty churches in San Francisco
This is about to each thousand inhabitants and which
judging from other cities, is perhaps about fair aver
age The Methodsts have four the Epscopalians Pres
byterans, and Baptsts, two each the Congregational
lists, Roman Catholics, Swedenborgians, and Welsh
each In addition to these, there is church in Spring
Valley, where ministers Of the various denominations off
cae and there is also Unitarian congregation in the
city whose pastor has recently been removed by the hand
/ Of death