CALIFORNIA.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 591, 2 April 1851, Page 3

CALIFORNIA.

[From the Hobart Town Advertiser, March 4.1 We have been favoured by Captain Ellis, of the Fair Tasmanian, and Mr. J. Johnson, with San Francisco papers to the 4th January. We furnish below extracts of most interest io our readers. Captain Augney had succeeded in bringing overland, 5000 sheep from Santa Fe, New Mexico. He lost 2000 by accidents and the depredations of the Indians. Colonel Johnson and Mr. Savage have warned tne inhabitants of Burn’s diggings to be on the alert against an attack of the Indians, as no doubt an hostile party in the neighbourhood would pay them a visit. Earthquake at Concepcion.—By the arrival of the British barque Mandarin, from Valparaiso, we learn that the city of Concepcion has been totally destroyed by an earthquake. The shocks were felt in Valparaiso, and several houses were destroyed.— Alta California, Jan. 3. We mentioned yesterday Jhat there was no truth in the above report. The only ground which could be imagined for is the fact that a house in process of erection at Concepcion fell a little before the Eng'ish ship left Valparaiso. It is a popular saying at the latter place, whenever they have 4 Sll °ck of an earthquake, that Concepcion have fallen down ; those visitations being ways most violent there, from the natural peculiarities of its location. The business n£) a t tlol f S n XiSting . between lhis cit y and tlie r s of Concepcion and Valparaiso, especial-

ly in the article of flour, make the truth or error of such a report, of rather more moment than usual.— Public Balance, Jan. 4. The Weather and Streets. —Such days as we are now enjoying are not only grateful and invigorating to the physical man, but they are worth thousands of dollars to our city, for the facility afforded those who are engaged in the various improvements going on in the town, to finish their work ere the rains again commence. K.-street is fast advancing towards completion ; and this evening final action will be taken in the matter of planking J-street,after which wetrust the work will be commenced and prosecuted with unabated vigour until carried out to the suburbs of the town. — Index. A Digger’s Prospect on Christmas Day.—A miner who arrived in town yesterday, to pass the day in a more agreeable manner than he could at his rocker, after having imbibed at many public bouses in the city, started to visit his friends in Washington, on the other side of the river. His ideas being too indistinct to distinguish between a ferry boat and a regular steamer, he made a slight mistake, and unfortunately found himself in Fremont some hours afterwards. After passing the remainder of the day in oblivion, he discovered that neither his relatives nor Washington were greeted by his company, and he returned this morning to the city, without having visited his friends—but in the possession of a violent headache, contracted during his involuntary trip.— lb. Cheap.—Provisions and all kinds of merchandise are now sold in this vicinity at cheaper rates than were ever before known. This is owing to the delay on the part of the Storm-King. We have had just rain enough to make the roads good, and teams are every day arriving with loads of goods, to satiate the already satisfied demand. Besides this, the money is all buried in heaps of dirt up in the arroyas, and the teamsters will not take it in this condition for pay; so they compel purchasers by offering the goods at prices lower than the lowest heretofore.— Sonora Herald.

Rich Diggings.—Last Wednesday morning there was quite a rush from Sonora to certain new diggings which had been discovered about half a mile from the town towards the south-east. The crowd that passed in front of our door was so great as to suggest to a neighbour the simile of “ a gathering to a horse-race.” Gentlemen, merchants, doctors, gamblers, miners,—all classes we believe except lawyers— were seen carrying picks, shovels, wash-pans, rockers, and other paraphernalia of the California possession. Truly, this is a Democratic State, be the people “ Democratic Whigs,” or Democratic Democrats.

The new djfTrrjnnrc aro eairl tr\ Ro vro»>Tr rinL • and the ground, of course, is all staked off. Miners who have a desire to share justly in the chances, should not suffer themselves to be excluded by men who have a dozen or twenty claims staked off in other places.— Ibid.

The Abduction Case. —The examination of Captain Snow, of the schooner Jupiter, for the abduction of the M arquesas women, was concluded to-day, before Judge Tilford. From the testimony, it seems that the girls had been enticed on board the schooner, and had been carried away against their will, and that during the voyage they had exhibited the strongest manifestations of grief, and anxiety to be returned home. It also appeared that they had been treated in the most inhuman manner during the whole time, and upon their arrival here the Captain detained them on board and compelled them to receive the visits of brutes, in human form, on board the ship, for which he received pay. The court, not having cognizance of the offence of abduction, held the Captain to bail in the sum of 5000 dollars, on a charge for false imprisonment, which had taken place in the harbour. One of the girls, the Queen, was but little more than twelve years of age, and the eldest did not exceed eighteen years. Colonel Collier deserves much credit for taking the prompt measures he has in this case, it being wholly voluntary upon his part. We learn that he designs sending the girls home by an early opportunity. We are informed that Snow~has-a—wife somewhere in the eastern States. Another Fire, —More Incendiarism. — About half-past 7 o’clock last evening, a fire occurred in the rear of Vullejo-street, above Dupont, among a quantity of hay and timber, which were consumed. The fire department was, as usual, promptly on hand, but were unable to render much service until considerable time had elapsed, owing to the absence of water. We were assured by the owner of the hay and lumber, Martin Morey, Esq., that the fire was undoubtedly the work of an incendiary. The loss was about 1000 dollars.

Counterfeit Coin. —A large quantity of spurious coin is afloat in the city, mostly imitations of Mexican dollars. A man succeeded, on Tuesday last, at a gambling house on the corner of Broadway and Battery-streets,

in “ breaking a monte bank,” and immediately after discovered that [his winnings, 396 dollars, were all of the above description. He gave information to the police, who arrested the owners ot the bank. One of them was ascertained to be the Mr. Hendrickson, who has recently been found guilty, by the District Court, of passing counterfeit coin, and who has been released on his recognizance to appear before the court to receive his sentence. His accomplice was a late policeman of the city. Hendrickson was lodged in the station house.— The Herald.

Unprofitable.—Many of our citizens have been engaged lately in purchasing bank notes at a heavy discount, and quite a number have just ascertained their purchases to be valueless —counterfeit notes. There have been a large number of spurious notes put in circulation in this vicinity, which some speculators have greedily purchased without reflection. Large amounts of counterfeit Missouri State bank currency are afloat, and it is said some Oi our bankers have been deceived in their appearance. One gentleman in this city, we are credibly informed, has been taken in by these false issues to the amount of 10,000 dollars. It is to be hoped the perpetrators of this fraud will he detected and severely punished. Meantime, let all be on their guard. —lbid.

Commercial, Jan. 3.—We observe to-day a slight improvement in amount of business transacted, and somewhat more animation generally manifested. The attendance at auction sales was better, and the amount of goods disposed of, in this department, much more than at any previous day’s sale this week ; without, however, effecting any advance over former rates. There is nothing stirring yet worthy of comment in the wholesale trade. Our attention has been called to the subject of rent lately by observing some storekeepers to have declined business from inability to meet the present high rates of rent out of the diminished profits of business. Avery general feeling is expressed on the subject against the rates sought to be maintained by lessors and real estate holders, and it would be for the benefit of the community, those interested in rent as well as those interested in labour, that a fitting adjustment were arrived at. There is no natural antagonism between rent and labour ; on the contrary, their mutual interests are advanced or retarded by one cause, and it needs but careful consideration on either side, to affix the due relation between them. We have adverted to the subject solely because of circumstances within our own observation, and would be unwilling at present to attract public opinion, or express our own upon a matter which should be exclusively of private arrangement. As an illustratinn nf tha Avictinry ctafo frhinrre ora mav mention that the present gross profits of business to the trader here do not exceed, in many instances do not equal, what the same amount of capital, energy and ability would afford in the generality of our eastern cities, while the expense of rent alone here, either ground or store, is at least quadrupled: a disproportion which would be manifestly unjust to have DI3IQ t&ined SUV hana olraorlrr mentioned a proclamation of the President, suspending so much of the several acts imposing discriminating duties of tonaage and impost within the United States, so far as respects the vessels of Chili, and the produce, manufactures, and merchandise imported into the United States in the same, from Chili, and from any other country whatever. We note further, that this suspension is to take effect from the 31st of October, and to continue thenceforward so long as the reciprocal exemption of the vessels of the United States, and the produce, manufactures, and merchandise imported into Chili in the same, as aforesaid, shall be continued on the part of the government of Chili.— Public Balance, Jan. 4.