The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-29
The News.

The News.
The steamship Star OF the West arrived yesterday
morning from San Juan, bringing us two weeks
later intelligence from California and dates from
San Francisco to the lst instant The news found
detailed in our columns, is more than ordinarily in
teresting, and in some respects important High
prices continued for all descriptions of provisions and
the scarcity of the common necessaries of life in the
interior, and among the mining population, was
bordering upon famine, and had caused consider
able excitement and alarm. Tremendous freshets had
occurred in all the rivers and streams in the State,
which inundated every town along their banks, and
completely oyerfowed all the lands in the vallies des
troying great amount of property carrying away
bridges rendering ferries impossible, breaking up
the roads, and cutting ofor time all intercourse be-
tween the miners, and the sources from whence they
obtained their stocks of provisions. Great suffering
among the gold diggers was the consequence, and
we have to record some instances where unfortunate
Individuals actually persisted from hunger On the
recedng of the waters the miners found less comfort
than they might have expected, the cost of trans
portation being so great that few pounds Of pro-
visions almost demanded corresponding number Of
ounces from their piles. We shall painfully wait the
arrival Of the next to chronicle the effect which
the enormous prices Of provisions has produced in the
mines The United States Land Commissioners sitting
IN San Francisco have confirmed the title of Colonel
Fremont to the Mariposas grant, which comprises
ten square leagues Of land and embraces valua
BILE gold discoveries. The shipment Of treasure was
not large by the last steamer from San Francisco
by the previous ones but, nevertheless, it was of
sufficient amount-being upwards of 81 500 0oO-to
prove that the mines of California are far from being
exhausted, more particularly when we take into con-
deration that the present has been the most
unfavorable for mining operations that has yet
been experienced. The smallpox had broken out in
some portions Of the country but the danger of the
disease spreading had created no alarm. Snow had
fallen to great depth upon and in the vicinity of
the mountains, causing numerous ayalancbes from
the hilsdes, and the breaking in of roofs OF houses
The severity Of the winter is greater than has yet
been known, The news contains interesting items
from almost every portion Of the State, and will re.
ward perusal.
A despatch from New Orleans appended to the
California news, states that the Georgia is on her
way to this city with tso millions and half in gold
dust and that the Panama has arrived there with
half million. If correct there must have been
about twelve hundred thousand dollars in the hands
., the passengers who left San Francisco on the l.t
inst.
By 'gay of California we have received some late
and very interesting news concerning the state OF a
fairs in the Hawaiian kingdom, the missionary move
ments in Micronesia and the operations Of the French
in Oceanica. The Governor Of the latter place was
about sending an armed corvette to the Navigator
Islands for the purpose az Is alleged Of Furnishing
the natives for their insults to the French traders aud
missionaries The letter from Mr.. Clark, Of the
Micronesian missionaries, contains much gratifying
information. Commerce and religion are accom-
plishing wonders in the way of ciyizing the hitherto
almost unknown natives Of the numerous islands
which dot the surface of the Pacific, and il viii not
be long before our people viii become as familiar
with them as they now are with the aborigines Of
California, who, six years ago, were entire strangers,
except to the few who travelled for information or
adventure
We are in receipt Of a file Of papers from Rio dc
Janeiro up to the 9Th Of December. The news gene
rally is devoid Of interest The dread Of the accom-
plishment by the United States, of our manifest
destiny" has even extended to the empire Of Brazil
and the CorTeio Merc0nR publishes an article ent
tied The Destnies Of America, in which are fore
Swallowed the conquests Of this republic, and the eX
tension Of its dominion over the whole continent,
from the Gulf Of st. Lawrence to Cape Horn. We
will try to make room for translation Of this Curious
and interesting article in Mondays HERALD.
The steamship Falcon, which reached New Orleans
yesterday, brought bearer Of important dispatches
from Lima, and Col Totten, OF the engineer corps Of
the Panama railway.
Yesterday being the regular day set apart for The
consideration Of private bills bat rtle other busi
ness was attended to In either branch Of Congress.
The Special Committee Of the Senate reported an
entirely new bill, substitute f)r the various pro.
iects hitherto advanced FOR the construction 81 a
raroad to the Paciac This indicates that Senators
are going TO work in earnest upon this important
question. They cannot commence too soon. Mr..
Mace rebuked the members Of tic House for their
unavoidable inaltouton to business, BY stating
that lie wished 10 he discharged from further duty
as one The Committee on Claims, for The reason
that that body bad prepared vast number q bill'
notwithstanding which the committee bad only been
called on on.e % report during the pas: and present