THE GOLD MANIA—BEWARE. (From the Leeds Mercury.)

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 363, 6 October 1849, Page 3

THE GOLD MANIA— BEWARE. (From the Leeds Mercury.)

To those who are not old enough to recollect the mining mania of 1824 and 1825, and who may be allured by the very "promising" prospectuses which Californian mining companies have already begun to circulate, we should recommend the peruial of the article " Mining Companies" in M'Culloch's Commercial Dictionary. They will there find a full and de« tailed expo:ition of the dire results of " an infatuation hanlly second to that which led to the South Sea and Mississippi schemes." Even was the gold region of California all that fancy paints it, the expense of dutant management, the semi -barbarous condition of the inhabitants, the absence of settled government and the bigh price o£ labour, would render tne investment of capital in any mine or mines to be worked there, the most hazardous of experiments. It is related by Chevalier that the Real Desmonte Company requiied armed forces for the transportation of the ore from the mine to its place of destination, and tint the miners were exposed to the mrudcrous attacks of banditti. A share in this company's atock, which formerly was .£1,350, may now be purchased for the very moderate 6iim of five shillings. The capitalist classes, however, are not the only parties who need to be warned against the lisks of California. It is fearful to contemplate the sufferings that are in sore for the private adventurers who can just scrape together jCIOJ to carry them to the valley of the Sacramento. The bones of thousands of these deluded creatures are doomed to mix with the gold dust of the plains : alieady there are more dcathi than burials among the gold finders, and murder and rapine diversify the progress of acquirement. Tho gold fever in California may number as m*ny victims as the cholera ! To all, we «ay, Beware ! !

Sir James Brook, the Rajah of Sarawak, has written home recommending to the Government certain econ« omical reforms, including the reduction of l)U owri salary to the extent of j£4oO per annum.

Rejoicings at Castmcfin.— Oa the evening of Wednesday, the 4th inst., Mr. Nicholas Simmt, the youngest son of Mr. William Simms, of the above place, returned home from Auckland, New Zealand, after an absence of eight years from hit native town. No sooner had the news of his auival been made, known to the inhabitants, than they resolved to testify their joy on the occasion, which they accordingly did by lighting tar barrels, beating of drums, firing shoti, &c. A movement so unexpected had the effect of causing a great nutnbei of young men from the country for two miles round to hurry into the village, all of whom on learning the cause, partook of the general joy, by joining the merry throng, while the loud and reiterated cheen of the immense multitude, mngled with the petls of the market-house bell, floated on the breeze along the valley of the Fin, and acroi* the surrounding hills for a considerable diitance. The newly arrival stranger was taken quite by surpriie by this unexpected and simultaneous movement ; but he was still more to when be found himielf hoisted upon the shoulders of a few of his companion*, and borne in triumph through the town. Mr. Simms evinced his gratitude to his kindhearted neighbours of every denomination* by opening four of the principal public-houiei where they were plentifully regaled, and the happy crowd did nut separate till daybreak next morning, wheu they all returned peaceably to their respective homes,—Londonderry Standard, April 1 2.

jYncu " on Tkansportation. — Mr. Punch vcv idav ho louied 'be Home Secretary with an audier.i l Sir Ueorge Grey came to consult Mr. Punch a§ to tn'e most ehgihle method of disposing of rogues ann iinf.es. He saiii he wai completely puzzled to "kacT. what to do witn them. To maintain them at bom. .vas out of he quettion. You could not, consistently with humanity, treat them worse than pau-ps-s Mr. Punch agreed that you coulti not. On the oh<r lund, it was iniquitous to put the poor on a level with felons. In this opinion also Mr. Punch coinrided. Our colonies objected to the reception of convio's ; and there f'j no knowing where to send them. You could not I ung them off now-n-days as you diil foj"" rly ; besides, that plon was found not to aniwer. *' ; hat was !o be. done ? Hereupon Mr* Punch scratc hod his head ; hut the Minister desiring him not to «'. i that, but to spe i\ out if he bad huj thing to say, Jl;\ lunch nt ot.ee declared that if he were in the place uf Gotci 1 menr, toe should s-nd the rascals to C ill ornia— he meant, of course, those only who weie "ttcrly incorrigible. Punch explained to Sir Geoige Grey, that confirmed villains are a sort of human rubbish, which no respectable colony would like to have ihot upon its territories. California, he suid, was a sort of Neman's Land, nnd such rubbish mi^ht lawfully be shot there. It might seem strange to send criminals to the gold diggings by way of punishment. But they would not cc obliged to work like slaves for ever} morsel of food. Not a bit nor a sup was to be had fo; love, and could only be got for a great deal of money. The life wou'd be as hard ab that of Norfolk Itldnri, and the rorapany not much better. Thr gold geekei;. iivod inhouily fear of each oilier. The hand ofevtry man was ngninit his neighbours throat. Here was starvation, hard labour, and constant tenor. Added to th • , there were the pangs of frequent disappointment ; for all was not gold that glittered : and iron pyrites was offn mistaken for the precious metal. Furthermore, there were the chances of being ccalped, and the probability of being desiroyed by ff.Ter. Send a convict to California, and he would not be likely ever to return and trouble you. The Soveleignof Tartarus, had not amove wretched place in his dominions ; nor even, perhaps, had the potentate who owns Sibena. Yes Punch would certainly transport all desperate offenders — none others— to the Moimon digging?. The Home becretary thought there vras a great dual in the luggestion of Mr. Punch, und would not say that he had no intention, at some period which mght be more or less distant, of founding thereon a ceitain proposal, which he might not impossibly submit to the House of Cuminoni.— P unch

The number of vessels already cleared from the United States ports at California is set down at 270 with 27,341 passengers, about two-thirds of whom want by way of Cape Horn. The value of the men enslaved in the United Slatei has bern estiniHied by an American Senator at 1,000,000,000 dollars ; or, about »trlg.