New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-11-28
CALIFORNIA.
From Our Own Correspondent

From Our Own CoHespop1ent
SAN FRAScIsco Wednesday, Nov. l, 1854
The principal topic of conversation during the week
has be- the prose cu,ioD OF the late City Treasurer
Hamilton Bowie, on cnarge Of embezIlement Our
ing Bosies ter Of office the Council sold large
amount Of slip property for about 81 900 900 Bowie
had prev iouy been rem-s in attending to the duties
ofhis Office and bad been presented by several Grand
Juries for neglect OF duty and mseas snce; and the
Council mist1usting him, refused TO place the pro-
ceeds of the sale in bis hands. The only pay Of the
Office il a commission on the receipts and dsburse-
ments Of the Office, and to force the payment Of these
funds to him he refused TO enter upon the booss the
transactions of the office refus to give up the books
and papers OF the office at the expiration of his term
and carried away the warrants received by him; aud
these warrants be has Lot cenctled as required 10
do by custom His object was 10 force tue city 10
brig n civil suit az aintt bin.
But Mayor Webb determined 10 try more efec-
tive method He Instituted crimi0al prosecution
in the preliminary examination OF which more than
week bar been consumeo and enough has been
brought TO light TO convict Bowie lie had at the
beg ginning Of the ut about $500 900 city funds in his
posse ssoD. Some of this he had pledged a. Adams n
Co.'S Barking House for private losn Of 81 600.
which plecge was rede emed after the beginning Of
the suit partly by the note of third person. secured
by a mortgage. Bowie had attemeted TO pledge q
large quantity OF scrip besides, but It was not proved
that he had rsised money just after he had been at
tempting to effect a loan on scrip. dis friends are
meBing strenuous efforts TO place hs accounts with
the city the square, but there arr serious arear
ages yet TO be accounted for. About $500 900 have
been paid over the city since the suit began buts
the sta of the accounts is not Known becspse
Bowie refuses TO produce the books of the Office He
has been sent to The Court Of Sessions aad think
ihere il little reason to doubt that he will be
vcted of entertainment The punishment is i'm
pfisoDment in the State Prison for not less than
nor more than ten years.
BY the former steamer YOU received news Of the
arrest Of Smyth Clarke, lae Mayors Clerk, on a
charge of eihbe zZement. He had 10 his possession
$500 OoO Of the funds which the Council refused to
place in Bowies hands. OF that $500 600 all is Sc
curec except about 500 0o0 which ia missing bat Will
he maid out Of private pockets Clarke will probab
| be discharged. Mr.. j. X West, the leading member
Of the last Common Council, and man of very ine
abilities as n public man, failed on the sd to the
amount Of $50 600 under circumstances exceedingly
oisctedtsble TO him Thus you see that our city will
maintain her reputation by some means or other. OF
! Meigs nothing further bad been heard
Our New-England Mayor, Webb, ex-Mayor OF
| Salem has put himself in good way 10 be popular
by iDsutrg the pr Osecuton against Bowie and Clark
whereby the payment of 500 600 10 the proper Off
! cials has been enforced, ard II is very doubtful
whether the funds would have been received other
wise. But Oh the other hand the Mayor injured him
self by refusing 10 confirm tive policemen bee cause
they we're foreigners by birth. They appointed
by the Council and were the only foreigners among
sixty five poiJtmeDts but il is said they OBJ
jectionable for apart from their birth. The
Cour cilmeD, although owing their election 10 the
Know Noihipls di-ike the action Of the Mayor, and
the Board Of Assistants has passed an ordinance to
withdraw from the Mayor the power to reject the ap-
pointments of policemen.
You sill no doubt publish the speech of Gen Mil
Ter H. b. NJ. Consul at Honolulu, ia regard to the
project of annexation The speech is not known to
be authentic but is probably very nearly if not quite
correctly reported. Some Of our papers exhibit a
vast amount of Indignation Miller for spe liking so
plainly Of American institu lens. but il must be
membered that III remarks were not intended for
the public ear; and be who turns dropper has
no right TO expect to hear good spoken Of himself
The following is the sssessed value Of some Of our
best buildings Independent of land and location the
actual market value is in cases nearly if not
quite Nv ice as much a. the assessed.