The daily union., 1854-11-25
49,. CISCO.

I .----f ~--1 CISCO.
Mr. EDITOR: read with pleasure your recent defence o.
Senator Gwin as regards his official generally in
the Senate which You did him than simple jus
tice Dr. Gwin s most formidable rival to the
democratic asprants in California for his seat in the Sen
ate each OF whom seems to think his chance would
be certain could Dr. Gwin be removed from his path and
hence they all appear to unite in pouring out the yias OF
their wrath upon his head perceive that they not at
all scrupuous either to the mode or the subject Of their
attacks as friend in California has sent the Stockton
Argus of East October containing most virulcnt assault
Dr. Gwin the signature OF "lnteror ON the sub
ect of the mint at San Francisco.
If the head of the Treasury Department deserves
credit for any of his official acts than another il
is for the he adopted regards the branch mint at
San Francisco which has been attended with such emf
practical success and with such obvious and great
benefits to the whole community in California; and if
Interor asserts this result aided brought about
by the advice or influence of DR. Gwir then instead OF
being denounced for it. he is justly entitled the thanks
and gratitude of his constituents and if he bad done moth
ing else for them this of itself should give him very
high claim for being retained their representative the
floor Of the Senate
The appropriation of 100000 was by every
one at all conversant with the subject being entirely in
adequate for such mint with the necessary machinery
&C. us California ought 10 have and justly entitled to
but all efforts failed to procure larger the depart
ment was obliged make it's plans and specifications
the limited scale required by the action Of Congress.
Under the proposals that invited by public adver-
tsemen eighteen or twenty bids were received and
the award for the contract made to the lowest bidder
for about $240000 Obstacles of serious nature pre-
sened themselves to the execution of this contract and the
successful bidder either IN consequence Of these obstacles
other causes transferred and assigned his contract to
the propretors of the assay office in California end it
under the peculiar circumstances of the that the de-
pament listened to the proposals of the said propreors
that off, ~,
tons alterations, and enlargement should be made suita-
bic for the purposes of mint and the whole gs of the
attack Dx Gwn by Interior" is because he asserts
that plan adopted " consequence OF his Dr Gs ad
vice and influence.
Among the obstacles that presented to the execution
of the the fact that Congress had made APP
preparation given any authority procure for site
ard the proposals invited and the awarded
only fos the building and machinery Congress had ad
iourned for nine monts, March to December j and
when the period for reassembing arrived there
probability of the appropriation bills passing until late in
the session. and in fact they did not pass until August in
the present year. If the department had waited for the ac
ton of Congress t5e work the foundations of the mint
might possibly have been conDeced about this time with
but little probability that it could have been pat pto opera
ton during the term of tho present administration The
contract awarded OF assigned to the propreors of the
say Office only required the building and machinery But
in their proposals the department they agreed to add
the site for the building wiaom any additional charge
thus removing that insuperable obstacle to the com
mepcement of the work for at least eighteen months
of requiring would otherwise have been the
case two three years at least to complete the contract
they stipulated deliver the whole estabilhment in
plee working order, in nine months. This contract has
been completed in the most satisfactory manner and the
mint San Francisco has been pronounced by competent
judges be the most complete though, of course not the
largest establishment of the kind 10 the United States if
,Ix:vnrx ,ur rx AZ
tails the best and most expensive kind and the
capacity of the works nstead Of being limited agrecably
to the of Congress and Of the contract to the coinage
of thirty millions of dollars in gold per annnm is capable of