Washington sentinel., 1854-04-28
CALIFORNIA NEWS BY TIL z
ILLINOIS.
From the AHA California. Aprl

T. \ IL Il q MA ~ w IL N ~
| ILLINOIS.
| From the Alta California, 44prR l.
| San Francisco.-The most important event Of
| the fortnight has been the trial of H. L. Watkins,
| the flibuster associate of Walker in getting up
| the Sonora expedition. The trial began on the
| GOTH and occupied four days. Four or five promi-
nent merchants of the city were upon the jury.
j The United States district attorney lnge, was
alone for the prosecution; the defence had lour
attorneys, among whom was Gov. Foote. Seven
/ teen witnesses were sworn, of whom five went
| as fbusters in The Caroline and three IN the
!, Anita. The evidence went TO show that Watkins
| aided in placing arms on board the Caroline at
night; that he promised 10 pay Tor Damage cone
| by the Caroline party; that he made speech to
! the Anita party in the Columbia engine-house IN
/ this city the night the vessel sailed that IN this
1 speech he spoke as their leader, told them they
would 60 10 aid Walker; that he bad examined
| the yesse, and found her seaworlhy; and that he
had ninety days provisions on board that he sent
\ arms and ammunition ON boasd that night; that
| he was recognised as the leader the Anita !;
that he with his men Joined Walker immediately
1 upon landing at Ensenadai that he was recog-
| nised as vice-presdent there; and that his de-
cared intention in coming back To- the city was to
| raise men and money to return again TO walkers
| aid The arguments and charge 10 the jury oc-
cuped twelve hours. The jury were out twelve
hours and brought in verdict OF guilty. with
| recommendation 10 mercy.
| Sentence has not been pronounced Among
Il
| the witnesses were two who had been robbed,
and all the flibusters questioned on the point
testified that private property was taken with no
sparing hand
The Challenge the vessel chartered under the
/ Mexican consul to take eight hundred FIenchmen
| and Germans 10 Guaymas, was stopped on the
| I'D by the United States marshal, for the reason
| that she was about TO carry too many passengers
| for her measurement. She was stopped second
time on the Goth. The alleged reason for prevent
| ing her departure was mere pretence since It is
! well known that the law limiting the number OF
passengers on vessels is very frequently violated
in this harbor, without any interference OF the au-
| thorities.
The Challenge was Hbeed by the United States
district attorney, and seized by the United mar
| sha on the 3lst, for having too many passengers
and too many berths.
| On the 3lst the Mexican consul at this port
| Senor Luis del Vale was arrested by the United
| States marshal, for ensting soldiers to go 10
| Mexico, which act is declared TO be misde-
meanor by sec. I'd of the law of 1918.
| The affidavit, under which Del Vale was ar
| rested made by two Frenchmen, who chartered
the Challenge and had contracted to take the
soldiers TO Guaymas, at Sf2 each, states that Del
Vale desired them 10 engage men on the condi-
| ton of enlistng one year in the Mexican army,
and that they had done So Senor del Vale was
| released on the bail of $4,000.
| The United States land commissioners have
| appointed two commissioners to aid in taking tes-
| timony.
The following is tke affidavit on which Del Vale
| was arrested:
U. S. COMMISSIONER OFFICE,
San Francisco, March 81, 1854
| On the 3lst day of March, A. d. 1854, personal
| ly appeared before me Jasper J. Papy, United
States commissioner for the northern district OF
| California, Hector Chauviteau and Gi Is. Cavalier,
who being duly sworn say that on the 4th day OF
March, 1854, at San Francisco, California, they
| made a contract with Luis del Vale, to furnish
transportation for about one thousand men, 10 be
4 sent TO Sonora in the republic OF Mexico that
| subsequently thereto, to wit, on the 9th or 9th
1 day Of March, SAID Luis del Vale requested us
| to enlist the said men in the Mexican army,
| which we did accordingly, and made out list OF
1 men as he requested He instructed us 10 inform
each man that he must enlist in the army OF
Mexico for one year. receive pay as soldiers, and
upon this condition they were TO have their pas
sage free of charge, which we did accordingly.
]. b. Z. CAVALIER,
! III. CHAUvITEAU.
Sworn to before me this 3lst day Of March,
/ 1854. ]. j. Parry, U. S. Commissioner.
The act charged in this indictment to have been
committed by Senor del Vale, is violation OF sec
| ton of the law Of 1878, as follows:
If any person shall, within the territory or Jurs-
dcton OF the United States, enlist or enter him
! self or hire retain another person TO enlist or
enter himself, or go beyond the limits or Iuris-
dclion Of the United States, with intent to be en-
! listed or entered in the service of any foreign
prince, State, colony, district or people, as sol-
| der a marine, or seaman, on board OF any vessel
of war, letter Of marquee or prlvateer, every per-
| son so offending shall be guilty of q high misde-
| meanor, and be fined not exceeding one thousand
dollars, and imprisoned not exceeding three years.
! Senor del Vale gave bail in the sum OF $4,000,
| and is at liberty. His will probably be ex-
| amined into in the early part of next week.
| We have heard two theories in regard TO the
| motives of the Mexican government, in instruct
| ing its consul to send those men. One theory is,
| that the Mexican government had received in
/ formation that French expedition to take Sono-
| ra was being organized here; that the majority of
| the adventures were men who had been uniortu-
| nate in the mines, and We're less desrous 10 fight
| than TO obtain employment and that if they were
offered free passage TO Sonora, and grants Of
| land when arrived there, they would desert their
| fbustering project and that the Mexican consul
did offer free passage and grants OF land, but
| nothing more.
The second theory is, and it is the more plausi-
| bic one, that the Mexican consul sought 10 send
| men TO Guaymas TO enter the Mexican army, with
the main purpose of fighting either the Apaches
l or the fbusters. Ii this be true, Senior del Vale
has violated the plain letter of the law. The
| American government is under especial moral OBJ
| legations TO lend It's aid 10 put down both the
| Apaches and the filibusters; but Senor del Vale
i was commencing the wrong way. However,
| whatever he did was under instructions from his
| government.
4 There is no good reason 10 doubt that the Mexi-
| can consul did receive instructions 10 send 1000
men 10 Guaymas, and that he did prepare to do
/ so. Since he has admitted these facts, and there
| is plenty OF other evidences 10 establish them,
| whether there was any enlistment is doubtful.
| Certainly very few, if any, of those proposing TO
60 enlisted and the majority, if not ALL deny
having made any express or implied agreement TO
| enlist in the Mexican army.
On the 18th the assembly passed a bill to extend
till April 1855, the law about 10 expire authoriz-
ing persons claiming slaves brought 10 this State
previous to the admission, (9th September, lS50,i
| 10 seize the slaves, take them before magistrate
or Judge, who, upon receiving satisfactory evil
dencc that the slaves Were brought hithcr previous
TO the admission, shall give certificate 10 that
effect to the claimant, and the victim may be taken
by force out of the State. He is not allowed bail,
an attorney TO defend him, time TO prepare for
trial, jury, nor an appeal and ho5c0S corpus
would be Intellectual, only it happens that the law
| is and always has been unconstitutional.
Lieut.. Whipple, Of the United States Pacific sur