THE MONUMENTAL BLOCK OF QUARTZ.

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 457, 31 August 1850, Page 3

THE MONUMENTAL BLOCK OF QUARTZ.

Our readers, we have reason to believe, are not generally apprised of the interesting fact that a block of California gold-bearing quaitz has been procured, at the expenie of the State, to be contributed in the erection of the proposed monument to the memory of Washington, at the scut of our General Government. The work contemplated will be a fitting nnd proud testimonial of American reverence for the illustrious name of our grt-at Washington, while it will tefloct, in coming ages, lustre upon the genius of his people, as the grandest and noblest monumental tiiuinph of American genius. Each of the states of the Union are to be represented in the material composing this structure, by a block of stone from their native hills, and it is for this purpose that the piece of quart? afore-mentioned has been hewu from the sterile steeps of our own Sierra Nevada, and agents appointed to attend the same, by the steamer of Saturday next, to the United Statei, there to be delivered to the Washington Monument Society, to be placed ju the structure when commenced, in the name of California. The block of gold-benrinfr quartz is from the Muri* posa divings, near Fremont's mines, and weighs about 125 pounds. In ihape it is irregular, approach* ing a square, its sides varying from eighteen to twentyinches in length* It aveiages in thickness nine inches —across its surface diagonally it it twenty-one inches by measurement. Veiy little gold is perceptible to the naked eye, but it is estimated to contain about B'J dollars' worth. Gov. Burnett has invested our estimable felldwcitizeiis Hon. Jno. Uidivell and Judjje H. A. Schoolcraft with authority to attend personally to the transmission of this block of quartz to the btaie*, and they leave in the Oregun, tins day, to place this offciing of California!! wealth ut-d patriotism by the sides of those from her sister states. —Alt a California, Alay 31.

Real Estatk in San Francisco.—-It has been remarked to us on several occasions, that Heal Estate i in this city attained its maximum value months since, and that since then it has been depressed, if not actually depreciated in value. Although in our hutnbla capacity we do not pretend to be always posted up in. matters of this kiml, yet we do not conceive it to require any great penetration to see the error of these statements, Id the most dciirable business localities, lots have long since passed into handg who wish to hold and occupj them for their own particular bu&ineis purposes. Consequently those are not in market, Bml where the}', it is not to be supposed they would continue to increaie in value in the same ratio, month* ly, that they did during the summer and fall of last year. They have now attained ioraethinK like a stc«« dinesf and permanency in value and not withstanding we have passed linough two or three months of extreme tightness in money affairs and hnve twice suffered to the amount of many millions by fire, still we do not know of an instance, except a few forced sales, where the value of Real Estate hua depreciated, on the contrary we know of many instances for business localities as well as residences, where it has materially appreciated above the highest price obtained for any last fall, and as the wants of the people have increased and business men have required nioie btbincas places, the value of property has mci eased in like proportion. In fact to observe the progress and increase, we have not now to confine ourselves to any particular locality, but all about and upon every side—even to the Mission and the Presidio. What was eight months ugo considered out of the world is now only the suburbs of the city, and lots are daily sought for, "for residences as far out as these places. We have uot the slightest doubt that in two or thiee years all the land*, within two miles of Portsmouth Square, will be thickly dotted with buildings, and holders will reap as rich a harvest from the increase in their value, us many have done in the heart of the city —for it is utteily imposs'bic that that this can be other than the grcnt commerciarcity on the Pacific (Joust.—Alia California,

Gold Specimens.—Mr. J. T. Little, one of the oldest mountain traders in the gold Dißtiict, came down from Columa a day or two t>ince and has shown us a variety of specimens of gold found in that neighbourhood, some of which aie exceedingly beautilul, rich and rare. Ono piece, the finest of th« description we have ever seen, weighs twenty ounces and is the mo<t exquisite intermixture of the purest gold with the clearest quartz —a combination by no means frequently to be met with in a state of such perfection us the specimen presented. Some of the lumps with which Mr. L, conies to our city like a good ship "deeply laden," are from Oragon canon, about ten miles from Columa, where work has been cniried on all winter with great success. Others are from the Georgetown Diggings, and the ons particular specimen w tuch v.o have described comes from Kelsey's Diggings, ivhere it was found about six weeks ago. The Oregon canon gold is uniloimly large and the f eest Irom alloy of uuy the Placer affords. These Diggings are about mv: miles from Culoma, and operationa are quite bii.lc there, notwithstanding the high water Where tha gold is plentiful and flue, that is, in flakes, work is suspended very generally in the neighbourhood of Culuma, as indeed throughout the American river mine;.. The miners prefering to rest on their claims until the l.iil of water enables them to resume washing with success. The health of the section from which Mr. Little visits us is excellent, and mining prospecU in .geueral aie very favourable. —Alia. California, May 30.

Commerce o» the Sandwich Elands,—ln tha year 1849, the grots amount ot imports was -8729,739 44, and nett duiiei received at the Custom House, -871,913 W.-Paafic News, June 3.

CHANTRJSY OF THE NELSON COLUMN.-— " So, W6 are to have a column for the Nelson monument ; tliey are all wrong, and I have told them so. Ido not mean to say that a column is not a fine thing—in itself it is a very fine thing ; the taste of ages has proved that it is so, and any man would be a fool who attempted to deny it. But ii it a thing suited to your purpose . Now what is your purpose ? To perpetuate the memory of a great man. Then durability is the quality you should look for. Those gimcrack things you say you lirve been to see of stone and metal combined, will never itand-ihe stone and metal will never hold together Make a column at solid as you will, make it of blocks of stone piled like Dutch cheeses upon one another, still the stone will crumble, and vegetation will take place in the joints. Bcbiiies, columns have got vul-aiized in this country. The steam chimneys in every smoky manufacturing town supply you with colurn, by the dozen. In a country lik Egypt it is quite a different thing. A column or an obelisk is a fine object there ; with a flat all round you, as far at your eye can reach, you are glad of anything to break the unformity of the long straight line that joins the earth to the sky, and you can see them tilty miles off ; but huddled in such a town as London a column will be lost. It wll give you a crick in your neck to look up at it."— Jones's Recol (actions of Chcmtrey. The Ameiucan Pnuss.— The enterprise and liberality of the New York press are, we understand, unequalled in any other city in the world, except, perhaps the city of London. Amoug the late enterprise* of the Press for procuring early foreign news, was the establishment of a weekly express between this city and St. John, New Brunswick, a distance by lend of nearly 300 miles, which was run from February to November, at a rate of speed, over most of the route, of nearly 20 miles per hour. From Sc. John's the news has been regularly telegraphed to New York, Home 600 miles fanner, at an additional expense of £109, making the total weekly expenses for a single despatch of 3,000 words nearly £200. Tbe completion of the telegraph to this city renders the continuance of the horse express unnecessary, but the telegraph tolls are Btillto be paid, and they amount, for 3,000 words, which the press contract to receive, to a very heavy Bum, say 5,000/. to 6,000/. a year. A good deal hns been said, «4 not a little opposition exists, in this community, agttaat granting the exclusive ua« ol the wires fat lite transmission of the foreign news despatch to the New York preis, and as the merits of the case do not appear to be fully comprehended by the public we fwpose to give what we believe to be a correct statement of the matter. The New York Associated Prebs embraces all the leading papers in that city, and the fommittee appointed by the ditrcrent publishers also fefresent, in this foreign news business, the morning papers of Uoatoti, the principle papers of Philadelphia, and all intermediate cities to Now Orleans. The leading object the committee of the press professto have in view is to place the principal commercial news before the whole public in advance of its receipt for speculative purposes ; and their arrangement! for giving the puplic this benefit of their enterprise are the most perfect that can be devued. — Halifax Sun.