Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-09-10
CALIFORNIA.

The last arrival from San Francisco brings dates fifteen
days later The general news is usual dggings
discovered; rumors Of still fortunate the
mines generally productive and the usual sprinking OF
assassinations and ynchings
These matters of course but there had also been
developed IN the working of the California society some
thing not quite SO commonplace as these. The squat
ers nave made new assertion OF the socialist principle,
that property is robbery rather which amounts to the
same thing that robbery the best way Of getting pro-
perry All around San Francisco itself the squaters
serted the right to take possession of all lots actually
occupied In one case the sheriff. in attempting to dis
possess one OF them fired and seriously wounded
lie hredin RETURN and fatally wounded the squatter Al
the last dates the nruders temporarily put down
IN the immediate vicinity Of San Francisco. But the
Alta California says:
In several of the agricultural districts the agrarians
are still supreme In many instances the old ranchcros
have been completely stripped of all their possessions,
the squaters not leaving them even their gardens orch
ards or yards The herds sometimes driven from the
ranches sometimes seized upon and slaughtered sold
by the squaters and sometimes the compel
led TO pay for the grazing of their cattle upon their
lands ands Of which they have held quiet and peaceabe
ever since the Spanish settlement of the terri
tory For all these wrongs and outrages there appears
to be remedy in the State and the sufferers have lit
tie or no hope OF relief except from the General Govern
ment."
How the General Government is to grant relief to cti
zens of State for injuries their property committed
by other citizens of the State it passes compre
hension to understand. The squatters the people
there, anu the laws which they acknowledge constitute
the social compact The supreme right of squatters at
the foundation OF the State sovereignty o. California If
it shall be found inconsistent with the of pro-
pery and the peaceabe existence Of communities it
law Of their ordanng, and as they sowed must
they reap.
But the highest judicial authorities of the State have
just made decision which is in singular accordance
with the action of the squaters The Supreme Court
decided says the Alta California; . that the mines of gold
and other precious metals Of California the exclusive
property of this State that the United States have
interest in them and cannot exercise any jurisdiction
them The decision does not include the lands
tanning the minerals but only the minerals themselves.
Ii this opinion of the court becomes established law,
which think it will not, it will prove of immense adj
vantage to the State by making the mines Of
revenue which they be long they
cognsed the property Of the General Government"
The decision is based upon the old menarchical prnci
pie that mines of precious metals belong to the King But
the principle maintained that all public lands be-
longed to the King So if the State takes the mines by
right of sovereignty it should take also the lands But
in the United States the mines and public lands have been
held by the General Government by any prerogative
of sovereignty but by simple propretorship and the
sale of tract of land is disposal of every thing-soi
mines, and all. But the Californans will claim the
public lands before long, and before long also will dis
that there is such thing private property
der the protection of the law.-Charleston Mercury.