NEW CITIES AND TOWNS. {From the Alta California, Thursday, February 21.)

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 422, 1 May 1850, Page 3

NEW CITIES AND TOWNS. {From the Alta California, Thursday, February 21.)

For a fast country, tuch as California ia acknowledged to be all the world over, we find it in our hearts to rebel at the sluggishness of her new cities, in the acquirement of " business, population and wealth," though for this they are all marked out by discerning minds and no doubt disinterested bodies. Unless we i>re to understand the term cities (par excellence) in reality, no misnomer, baying reference entirely to

the antwprogressive nature of the verb to sit, and /of which very pacific state our new cities exhibit so strong a predeliction— unlesi we are to believe this, there cannot be discovered the shadow of affiuity between mine: city and rushing State, for bucli we claim California to be. It is true that there would appear much to qualify the relationship of City to State, and that, too, in the application of the term fast to all things of Californian origin ; but here we would interpoie the prerogative of the Press, and demand but one and an universal acceptance of the word, for we cannot become reconciled to the thought of advocating the fast nature of some of our new cities* We speak strictly, to be serious, concerning the upstart localities, flourishing the unwieldy cognomen of city, which are staked out along the water's edge, either in the interior or on the bays, the existence of which is denoted by a mere clearing and a solitary •hanty or two. It would seem remarkable that such enterprise! should prosper in this country— yet such, nine times out of ten, is the case. We have our citiei de facto, too ; and San Francisco, with characteristic modesty, praying for the incorporated rights of such, and neglecting to represent the full extent of Pueblo lands under the old Mexican grants, due her, is firit and foremost. Next comet Sacramento, with her squatter contention, and asserting the broadest and boldest authority to extensive domain. Stockton will perhaps be next in the field, and then will follow New-York-of-tbe- Pacific, with her plans of becoming tbe Capitol. Glorious prospects for our cities de facto ! We stated that city speculations, so rife at the present day, were profitable. So they have invariably been found, and that too when scarce a paper plan could warrant the presumption of ultimate growth and prospects to the undertaking. Investments are readily made in new towns and citiei, and sales in a short time effected at astonishingly advanced rates, considering the very primitive condition of the vaunted " business localities," " heads of navigation. 1 ' and the like. All this is purely Californian, although we are puzzled to understand why uew cities should prosper and stand still, and yet our destiny be onvrard- Perhaps some philosopher who has solved the myttery of why the sun stood still " once on a time," and nature performed her usual round of labour, can grant us information.

We like not the "style" of the following epistle to the Californians, " sent to be published in the paper." It may be " all right," but to our mind it has a " lean and hungry look." We give it place with some slight misgivings that the * |C new diggings," "lovely region," "abundant gold," &c may prove inconviently near some trading post for the fidelity of tbe report. Although we are not posted in regard to the richness of these diggings, from other sources, yet we are la* tigfied to draw some post-haste conclusion such as the above from the fact of our correspondent (who by the way is inco^r.) having invited the mining community to " call and see"-— which proceeding we conceive to be vastly buisiness-like for one who digs gold. Moreover the writer says " some of us will take the paper when a post office is established" at them diggings ; a consumation farther off I bun we are willing to believe rich diggings are, anywhere iti California. Hers is the letter.

Jackion's Bar, Tuolumne River, Feb. 6, 1850. Editors Alta California : Dear Sirs,-— We have struck into new diggings,, aad from the little work yet done, th« se are likely to prove the very richest of ail the rich placet on the Tuolumne. The Bar appears to have been formed by a slide of the mountain, filling up entirely the bed of the river, and causing the present channel to run a quarter of a mile distant from the old one. The entire earth from this slide will probably be worth washing, in which case hundreds of men can work here the entire year. The old bed of the river can also be worked at low water, and there is talk already of forming companies to canal across the bend. It is thought that large depoiits will be found. This region is the most lovely of any I have yet seen in California, and in my opinion gold can nowhere be found .more abundant. The digging is lighter here than on some of the other riven, and as a central point I think new comers would do well to give this river a trial. So far as I can learn, all who worked on the Tuolumne last year, are disposed to come back to it this year. As for myself, I have stood by the whole winter and am well satisfied with my earnings. —Alia California, Feb. 22.