Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-02-11

A letter has also been received at the depart
ment, per the st. Louis, from Commodore Con-
mover of the African squadron. He says:
81 regret to report another instance OF unwar-
rantable interference, by q British Cruiser, with
vessel bearing the American flag, In the case of
the American ship Thomas Watson, lately taken
restored to her owners
81 have ordered Commander Of the
Sincennes, to stop at Sierra Leone on his way
down the coast to Investigate the facts of the
case and report them to the Department. On my
passage from Monrovia to this place, l met with
Commodore Wise, the senior officer in the CON-
mand of III. b. M. squadron on that part Of the
coast, who assured me that this case had been re-
ported to his government, and that the officer
who made the capture would probably be de-
prived of his commando
Commodore c. states that he has been obliged
to order a medical survey on Rev. C. Newell,
chaplain, who returns home in the St. Louis
and he asks that another chaplain may be sent
out. He notices that he has received COM
munication from Lieut.. Werden, announcing
the arrival of that officer at Madeira, where he
has been obliged to remain in consequence of
sanitary regulation of the port of Porto
Grande, preventing the Brazil steamer landing
passengers there during the continuance of the
yellow fever at Lisbon
After notifying the Department of his re-
ceipt of dispatches from the Department, un-
der date of the Both December, ordering the
st. Louis home, Com. C. announces his pur-
pose of sailing to Madeira in a few days, to
procure money, which it is impossible, he says,
to procure at Port Praya to any amount; and
also to give the officers and crew attached to
the ship an opportunity to recruit, in obedience
to the sanitary regulations of the Department,
after long continuance in the facilitating
climate of the Cape de Verde Islands and the
African coast -
CALIFORNIA MEXICAN LAND TIrLEs-THR
CAMEL ExPERINENr-THE MINERAL WEALTH
OF ARIzoNA-SHIP BUILDING IN PUGErs
SouND.-The following interesting letter to the
Star will be read with great pleasure, we know,
by all in Congress as we'll as the public at
large:
MONTEREY. Cal, Dec 20, 1857
Editor Washington Star:
hope something may be done this winter by
Congress to give the people Of our State some
su bstantial, reliable and useful knowledge on
the situation and status of the Mexican land
claims. iou can have no idea, unless you get
right in ameng the people, the farming and stoc
people, Of the injury the uncertainty of titles Is
doing to the morals of our society and the mo-
gfess of our material interests 1t is distressing
thrsadbare 1t would De better for CONGRESS to %
throw the whole matter into the State courts, I'd
to donate all Unit, d States rights TO California
or else there will be cad or stop to waste and
litigation.
As to the matter Of the camels It. Beale has
come out, | think, as ! predicted, triumphant
California and New Mexico are the yerv Countries
for the camel, and their extreme usefulness will
not be self-evident under twenty wears By their
means, subsistence, stores and minerals can be
N al
cheapness. j predict they will beat wagons
horses, and mules, to pieces.
As to the Southern route, the Mormon imbrOg-
lilo and the richness of the Alta Pimeria (ATi.
Zona,) has shut up the mouths of the 0Sac
Union mer-f the Black Republicans This
winters SHOWS and rains will freeze and dissolve
their pragmatic nonsense. look in ten wears to
see PImeria sending 50 millions of silver Der An
mum into the commerce of the world. Arizona
Is richer in silver than Sonora the Jesuit, wrote
this in 100. Our northern country is also rich
IN IN silver, lead and copper. The Mormons get
the lead from the ground by cartfulls, 10 make
into bullets against Uncle S3m-this is fact
they discovered the lead mine (fusible lead ore)
last June j have samples, one of which send
town, and assays 500 silver TO the ton as friend
informs me. Ii is taken from the surface of the
ground. "
1 hope Government will buld some vessels for
revenue or war purposes, in Puget Sound That
is very valuable territory-it ought to be en-
couraged and stimulated in every way so as to
help California as well as Washington, as they
VIII draw their capital from San Francisco
would II not be well to offer contract to get ont
spars and masts for the United States i'm Puget,s
sound and establish something of young rataI
depot there. They have an awful quantity Of C 3D.
fish d'mac kerel up there and valuable shin ti,,
Ders, night on the shores of the inlets aud bays
The United States officers oug ht 10 send to Wash
lngton samples OF the different thinkers of Puget
Sound, so as to inform the Government PUGET
Sound Is grand country for naval docks and
ship building. *s*
AN ARMY RETIRED LIsr.-Below will be
found another communication--anda very in
teresting one, indeed-urging the necessity for
compliance on the part of Congress with the
official recommendations in favor of making
retired list of officers of the Army of the United
States:
LEAvENwoRTH, X. T., Jan. %, 1885,
Editor Washington Star:
Although the commanding General of our
Army, the Secretary Of War and the President
nave each recommended an increase of the repu
lar Army, and the pressing demands from Florida,
Stah, California, Texas, Washington, Oregon,
New Mexico, Arizona, Dacotah, Kansas &c ;
exhibit sufficient proof that an increase is neces
sary, still Congress has not been made sensible
OF the Tact III Congress does not deem il necps.
say give an increase, IL should at least render
emcient what troops we have, by making re-
tired list" Gen. MacOmb, Gen Scott several
Secretaries Of War and several Presidents have
recommended such a step. These recommended
IONS stretch through number of years and
although several bills have been reported vet Our
required law. WIN 'N'
General Scott said: "There are some forty mr.
nrty omcers Of the Army rendered non effective
ny Inc lnhrmities Of aye by wounds or chronic
diseases, who should be placed upon a retired
Secretary Davis raid: Z" | have so often brouo ht
Forward the necessity of provision by which dis
abied of1cers should be retired from active ser
vice, that l should be deferred from again reppat
ing II, but from the conviction that Il is indis-
Pensable to the efficiency CT the N.Y. and that
each year but renders greater the injury to the
pubic service resulting from the want of the
measures heretofore recommended -
president Pierce said: % Legislation has been
recommended by me on previous occasions to
cure defects in the organization and to Incl
tue emciency OF the Army, and further obserya.
uoh mas but served to confirm me In the views
tnen expressed, and to enforce on INV mind the
conviction that such measures are not oply proper
but necessary fNf~'
Certainly, here we have strong and plain Ian
guage from those whose connection with and
management of the Army should convince anv
unbiased mind that the good of the service de-
nanos legislation. few years since a commits
sion sat in England, and had the subject OF mill
Iay promotion before IL, and report states that a
made recommendation that "D,iliforv oofr-r,