, 1862-03-20

The steamship Sierra Nsradd With dates and
mai from San Francis to the lst March. arrived
IN 'lhur>tny. sailed for BClErghan Iay to land
some mules, and is uuN on her way to Portland,
Oregon, by wsy r' Victoria, Vancouver Island.
The mails for the General Distributing UIiice at
Port loNnSend were on boarh directed to Ore
gon. and have not vet been regularly soaked and
dragglei through the mud of an overland and
canoe journey. Twelve hundred miles, more or
less must our letters and papers be carried after
having be- II in the steamer within less number
Of wards OF their destination, before the henghted
heathrn in these unknown lin San Frauci>co) re-
gions can commune with the rest Of mankind
This condition Of things las existed fully as long
as can reflect credit upon the intelligence Of the
Accrr ditcd Officials, and much longer than our
citizens have heen disposed to submit without
grumhllng. Tits morning, March sth, boat
arrived from up.SOnnd bringing an overland nail
from San Francisco Of Nov 23d 1861. We shall
make no extracts from this arrival, having later
news from California and the East by way Of
China and the Sandwich Islands.
A weekly steamer from San Francisco to Vic
toria, with which latter place we are in almost
daily communication, offers facilities for the trans
mission Of mails for Puget Sound and we believe
a proper representation to Postmaster Parker at
San Francisco, would secure the advantages to US.
The above is from the NorthWest Of the Sth
inst. II is plain statement Of facts, and should
not be without effect in the right quarter, though
we despair Of an immediate reform.
AS showing why subscribers and others, who
have remitted large sums Of money to the East
for newspapers and periodicals, do not receive
the mail matter for which they have paid in ad-
vance, we copy the following IRON the Sacramento
UHiOn. Eastern journals which have circulated
on the Pacific coast will perhaps deem the subject
Of sufficient interest, pecuniarily and otherwise,
to agitate little after this expose. It has been
matter Of surprise and source Of complaint
with many, says the Union, that newspapers sent
to and firm the Eastern States SO often iail to
reach their place Of destination. The following
extract, received in Sacramento q day or two
since, and dated Ruby Valley, Jan. II, 1862,
will shed some light on the subject. II is written
by a member Of the 2 Regiment California Cav.
airy, in the company Of Capt Mclean, stationed
at that point:
ave have plenty Of newspapers here The
had roads and the want Of horses and coaches
to convey the mail through to California, render
" ueCeNshTy UT ule hluti OOmpuUy 10 nave uttniSt
all the newspaper mail slowed away in the diffrr.
ent stations between here and Salt Lake. All we
have % do is to open canvas mail bag and help
ourselves The mail agents don't care; why
should wee have, myself fOr the last few days,
been passing away the time in reading papers
published al over the Northern States We take
them by the half bushel. The Overland Mail IL
humbug, so far as carrying papSrs and letters
through punctiially 10 the winter is concerned !;
At least Il is 50 with their present facilities"
So Il seems the sacred character which once
attached 70 the mails no longer exists. Any
body Is nov at liberty TO help himself BY the half
busheI, 70 property the theit Of which, in ether
times and other places, was deemed crime only
% be sxpiaied on the gallowA Blu. we should
not forget that thisis progressive age, and this
Dissertation Of the mails Is only the frst step In
the march toward the principle Of an equal dis
iributiOn Of property" How long would this be
tolerated under any othes government