THE RESOURCES AND HOPES OF THE COUNTRY. (From the "Journal of Commerce," Sept. 7.)

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 480, 20 November 1850, Page 2

THE RESOURCES AND HOPES OF THE COUNTRY. (From the "Journal of Commerce," Sept. 7.)

11l our wst we indulged in <eh against our inclination but from a convict'on rf ilury, in a train of gloomy foroboil'njrs as to f r pr bible fUtf. and prospects ol thr oou-'iv (Uir'tij *!•»' <■» -vy</ »->nter. In doin»; s>o wcpis'iiic" hu wr were )' I disposed to dis|>air of the uk. m. „ w-riiy uv' grtfiiuehs of California. Thar Is t, ,r\, < - ]>_>••«■ fai'Ji in her mineral, her agricultural, p^d c^i^rse ' : lesources; and while we foresee h ci jsis of rcictn r., which must necessarily pre cede the tinn&i'iion »bou> f» take place from the present to a moi c set! 'Ed aid wholesome state affairs, we foresee that order will come out of confusion, und peace and plenty will be eventually established throughout the Uad. The prospects of fortune may now be few and far be* tweeu, compared lo the rapid and unprecedented increate of populution ; thesupeificial diggings may now present but meagre remuneration to the thousands who expected independence from them < but the fret it still undeniable that many, even though 'they be a minority, are neverthelesi fortunate and doing well ; — that gold less or more, it being dug out by all, and that the monthly exports of California in prccioui metals, are greater in value than the entire *x tort* of cotton from the Southern states :n one year.-—' 1 It it not unreasonable," sayt the Herald, "to estimate the monthly product of the mines at four million nf dollar* —a sum greater, we believe, than the yield of the whole cotton crop of the United States in any one year," And we quite agree with our contemporary, " that this yield will continue for many year* ; as what will be deficient in the operations for getting surface gold, will be made up by tlmse of the steam crushing machines, and other appliances fur obtaining gold from thequarlz rock." Our contemporary then goes on building casths hi the air, and calculating a sum in simple proportion,—" if a population of two hundred thousand produce fifty millions a year, what will we not pioducc when our population amounts to a million V This is all veiy true to a certain extent ; we | shall no doubt, produce more gold with a million of peoplejit work, than we can at preient with only two hundred thousand. But we must not overlook the fact that much of our mining population, if employed on their own account must always, more or leu, be lalioI ing in vain, And if they arc employed by others, their j labor is not likely to be on 'an average more productive in the ratio of their numbers. It i* evident, therefore, that there will always be a considerable portion of our population unsuccessful and disconteuted I with the prices ; and seeking more genial employment j iv connexion with agricultura!|purauiti ; or else desirous of leaving the country and returning home. | By and by there will be no difficulty in absorbing that portion of our muting population in other legitimate pursuits ; or indeed to find suitable and profitable employment for 'all the industry and tkill which can find its way into the country. But at present, the difficulty consists in the fact, that a vast amount of our mining population are unsuccessful and discontented ; I nay more are 1 joking forward to the winter with despair. And beiidet the speculative nriangements of capital and in .ustry comdined proceeding on the basis of an authorised and legitimate system of legal tenure and governmental administiation, have not yet been sufficiently developed to justify the expectation of adequate employment for our unoccupied and distressed population this winter. The condusion, therefore, is obvious, that if some meaus of relit* ', or else some unforeseen field of employment does not open up to anticipate the emergence, such a crisis ; a we have foreboded may very naturally cccur. The apprehension that a reaction it at hand, and po. pular distress and locial difficulties may arise, is perfectly compatible with the belief that, o.i the whole, California will still be rich and eventually prosperous, Riches, however, do not conititute happiness ; and a I country may be exporting filty millions of gold per I annum and still in an internal and social point of view be very far from being prosperous. We have a vast deal of indebtednrss : and the bulk of the gold which is at present our only export, goes nevtr to return again, either in the shape of goods or future investment*. No ; men can come here to make their pile, and then they turn their backs upon California, and leave her an uniettled and outlandish wilderness, as they found htr. When we sec these men returning with their families, and see the gold dug out of the earth employed in the cultivation of the soil ; when we see a fixed system of tenure nnd governmental administration in the State ; then shall we expect to witness the greatness of Califor* nia developing its destiny ; and no fear for the happiness and prosperity of her population. All that we fear is this, that before that consummation to devoutly to be wished can be realized we are very likely to pass through/ a severe crisis and fiery ordeal, of which it is impossible to foretell the re«ult9. To be forwarned, however, is to be forearmed ; and that is our only ob« ject in taking the dark side of the picture for the sub* ject of reflection in our last publication. We trust the reflections will not be lo.ton those whose interest and duty it is to provide, if possible, against the evils of such a crisis.