authority of this State, to receive and apply the money provided in said Act, to be paid for the care and protection of sick, indigent, or destitute emigrants.

facilities.

NUMBER XXII.—Concurrent-Resolution.

[Passed March 19, 1859.]

Meagre mail WHEREAS, There is only a semi-monthly newspaper-mail from San Francisco to Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and San Diego, in the Southern part of this State; And whereas, the wants of the people of that rapidly settling country demand a more frequent interchange of news items of the day: Now, therefore, be it by the Assembly and Senate of the State of California,

Semi-weekly mail.

Requested

Resolved, That the Hon. Aaron V. Brown, Postmaster-General of the United States, be solicited, our Senators instructed, and our Representatives in Congress requested, to use every exertion that may be necessary, to secure the establishing of a semiweekly newspaper-mail by overland, from San Francisco to Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and San Diego.

Resolved, That His Excellency, the Governor, be requested to to forward! forward a copy of these Resolutions to the Hon. Aaron V. Brown, Postmaster-General, to each of our Senators, and to our Representatives in Congress, at his earliest convenience.

Branch mailroute.

NUMBER XXIII.—Concurrent-Resolution.

[Passed March 31, 1859.]

Resolved, By the Assembly, the Senate concurring, that our Senators be instructed, and our Representatives requested, to urge upon Congress the early establishment of a branch mailroute, from the sink of the Humboldt to the State of California, by the way of Downieville and Marysville.

increased

NUMBER XXIV.-Concurrent-Resolution.

[Passed April 1, 1859.]

Necessity for WHEREAS, It is highly important to the best interests of the State facilities for of California that all just means of increasing immigration hereto should be fostered and advanced by the General Gov

travel.

ernment; And whereas, the failure of the last Congress to pass the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad bill has not only been received by the people of this State with deep regret, but with the liveliest apprehensions for their future welfare; And whereas, the most vital interests of this State are now, in a great degree, dependent upon the Great Overland and Ocean Steamship routes: Therefore, be it

controct.

Resolved, By the Senate, the Assembly concurring, that the Divison of Postmaster-General be, and he is hereby, earnestly requested, if mail. not incompatible with the interest of the Government, or the Laws of Congress, to divide, or cause to be divided, between two separate and distinct routes or lines of Steamship Companies, any contract which may hereafter be made for the conveyance of the United States mails from New York to San Francisco, via the Isthmus of Panama or Nicaragua.

Resolved, That the Governor be, and he is hereby, requested to Requested forward to the Honorable Joseph Holt, Postmaster-General of to forward. the United States, a copy of the foregoing Resolution.

NUMBER XXV.-Concurrent-Resolution.

[Passed April 5, 1859.]

Railroad.

Resolved, By the Assembly, the Senate concurring, that to pro- Convention mote the interest and insure the protection and security of the to consider people of the States of California and Oregon, and the Territories of Washington and Arizona, and, especially, to consider the refusal of Congress to take efficient measures for the construction of a Railroad from the Atlantic States to the Pacific, and to adopt measures whereby the building of said Railroad can be accomplished, it is expedient that a Convention be held on the twentieth day of September, A. D. eighteen hundred and fifty-nine, at the City of San Francisco, in the State of California, composed of Delegates from said States and Territories.

Resolved, That the people of the several Counties of the said Delegates. States and Territories are hereby especially requested to send to said Convention, Delegates equal to the number of the members of the Legislature of the said States and Territories, to which they are entitled, to represent them in said Convention. Resolved, That His Excellency, the Governor of this State, be requested to send copies of the foregoing Resolutions to the to forward. Governors of the State of Oregon, and the Territories of Washington and Arizona, respectively.

Requested

Commence

McMeans.

NUMBER XXVI.—Concurrent-Resolution.

[Passed April 7, 1859.]

Resolved, By the Senate, the Assembly concurring, that the suits against Attorney-General be directed to commence suits against the late State-Treasurer, Selden A. McMeans, and his sureties, for the amounts shown by the books, as written up by Mr. R. P. Lee, Jr., and now in the possession of the Attorney-General.

Request for cession of

land.

Motives.

Desert waste.

Subject to irrigation.

NUMBER XXVII.-Joint-Resolution.

[Passed April 12, 1859.]

Be it resolved, By the Senate and Assembly, that our Representatives in Congress be requested, and our Senators instructed, to procure the passage of a bill by which the Federal Government shall cede and donate the following described tract of land to the State of California, said tract being bounded and described as follows, to wit: beginning at the initial point of the San Bernardino base-line, as established by the general survey; from thence, running east on the said line, to the Colorado River; thence down said river, to its junction with the Southern Stateline; thence west, along said line, to the eastern base of the main range of mountains; and from thence northerly, along the base of said range of mountains, to the place of beginning; all of the above described sections, with the exception of so much as the Government may wish to reserve for the Military Post now established on the Colorado River, at the junction of the Gila. It is respectfully represented, that the State of California, in thus applying to the Federal Government to become the custodian of the above described tract of land, is actuated by no other motive than that of our common good, and general welfare, being fully impressed with the conviction that the disposition which it is in contemplation to make of those lands, will inure to the benefit of both State and Federal Government.

The entire section of country herein described is known to be a desert waste, devoid of water, and vegetation, owing to which it presents a great barrier to travel, and transportation, on the most approved route of land communication between the Atlantic and Pacific.

From surveys ordered by the General Government, the fact became apparent that a portion of the above-described section of country was relatively lower than the Colora lo River, and consequently can be subjected to irrigation from that source; and further, the "Geological Report" of the same survey, established the fact that this portion of country is barren and sterile, simply for the want of water, and in proof of the correctness of both reports, it may be cited, that a portion of the abovedescribed section is subject to overflow from the Colorado River,

and after such overflow the lands immediately adjacent thereto are clothed with rich and luxuriant growth of grass and vegetation. The overflow, however, is of unfrequent occurrence, there having been but one within the recollection of the population of California, which was in June, one thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.

of canals.

It is proposed, by the State, that in the event of approval and Construction concurrent action of Congress, to cause to be constructed a proper system of hydraulics, a series of canals traversing through all the practicable portion of this sterile waste, and thus not only remove the existing impediments to travel and transportation, but cause the desert to yield to the wants of man her latent, reserved, and hidden stores. It is further represented, that the only line of communication on which it is now practicable to cross the above-described desert, is the one which has been traveled heretofore, and now traversed by the "Overland Mail," and that the same is a deflection from a straight line, and the deflection carries the road into the Mexican territory.

And it is respectfully represented that it will be practicable to shorten the shorten the route, and at the same time avoid an unauthorized route. encroachment on the soil of our neighbors, by the system of recclamation of lands here proposed. And, finally, we would submit, that inasmuch as a portion of those lands above described are subject to overflow, and as such, that they may justly be laimed by the State under the existing law, but inasmuch as it will be necessary to introduce water from the river, far removed and above the lands which may thus be claimed by the State, it is deemed proper and expedient to apply for a "grant" and cession of all the above described section. And, as before stated, we are well persuaded that the General Government will but subserve her own interests by making a disposition of those lands which are now valueless, and must remain so through all time to come, unless this system for their reclamation is adopted, which will necessarily cost a large outlay of money, but, with that expenditure, they may be made to yield a return.

NUMBER XXVIII.-Concurrent-Resolutions asking Congress to Donate to this State, ten million Acres of Arable Land, in aid of her State Internal Improvement Fund.

[Passed April 15, 1859.]

WHEREAS, The Federal Government do now hold a vast amount Unproduc. of land within the limits of the State of California, adapted tive land. to all the wants and requirements of civilized life, and which is now unoccupied and unproductive; and, WHEREAS, It doth appear that the General Government have acted upon a wise and true policy, in making liberal donations of the public land to other States and Corporations, in aid of and to facilitate the construction of railroads and other State internal improvements; and,

Donations.

Isolated.

Railways.

WHEREAS, The State of California embraces a wide extent of territory on the Pacific coast, isolated and far removed from the Federal head and heart, unprotected by practicable lines of internal communication, unsupported, in the event of war, save by the loyalty of its citizens, and their trust in its Federal Covenants; and,

WHEREAS, The construction of railways within this State will greatly increase its commercial privileges, facilitate the development of our resources, vest in the State an element of progress, correspondent to its international importance and position, administer to the necessities of an energetic people, cement still stronger our federative attachments, add to our numerical force, form a sturdy structure of usefulness to the State and Nation, and proudly fortify us against any foreign invasion or military usurpation of territory; and,

Aid of State. WHEREAS, It is the desire of the State of California to render such aid as may be necessary, to induce the immediate construction of the Pacific Railway, from the City of San Francisco to the eastern boundary-line of the State, and also to aid and encourage the construction of other railroads, such as its internal commerce shall demand, and such as shall be deemed to strengthen our position, and increase the power of the General Government on this coast; and,

eral Government.

Aid of Gen- WHEREAS, Without the liberal aid of the General Government, by donation of a portion of the public lands to this State, the public improvements contemplated can not be undertaken and carried forward to completion; and,

National defence.

10,000,000

acres.

Requested to forward.

WHEREAS, It is reasonable to urge, fair to demand, and just to expect, a donation of land to this State, by the General Government, by which to aid the construction of railroads within our sovereign limits, and that it is eminently the policy of the General Government to encourage the construction of works answering the ends of sovereign power and national defence: Therefore,

Resolved, By the Senate and Assembly of the State of California, that our Senators in Congress be, and they are hereby, instructed, and our Representatives requested, to urge upon Congress the passage of a law, donating to this State ten million acres of arable land, by which donation the State may be enabled to aid and encourage the construction of the Pacific and Atlantic Railroad, from San Francisco to the eastern boundary-line of the State, and other public works of a like character, within the State of California; and that the lands so donated be selected by the State Surveyor-General out of the public lands belonging to the General Government, within the State of California, as soon as practicable.

Resolved, That the Governor of the State be requested to forward, to each of our Senators and Representatives, a copy of this Preamble and Resolutions.