spring; or, in other words, supposing the arrow on the map to correctly point to north, Yingo's land does not extend to the westward of the spring, nor to the eastward of his house. The book of land records estimates Yingo's to be" half of a league, little more or a little less." The land designated as that asked for by Yingo, as you will see by the note in the corner of the map, is three-fourths of a league in breadth, and one and a quarter in length; but only half a league was granted, a little more or less, that to be between the house and spring, and is marked on the official map by lines, from which the said red lines on the accompanying map are copied. You speak of Castro's title being younger than that of Yingo's, which is the 14th of February, 1844. Castro claims under Estrada's title, which is the 1st of January, 1842-two years older than that of Yingo. But Yingo had only granted to him one half league, and that is marked by lines on the official map or record, which, in the copy, is shown by the red lines, and the land outside cannot be held by any one claiming under Yingo. With the accompanying map I send the copy of the letters of Estrada, Yingo, and Castro. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, R. B. MASON, Colonel 1st Dragoons, Governor of California. CHARLES WHITE, Esq., Alcalde, Pueblo de San José. P. S. An alcalde cannot hold a court for the final adjudication and settlement of land titles. In this case the official records clearly determine the matter, and confine Yingo, or rather those who claim under him, within the "red lines," beyond which they cannot go without being liable to be removed by the alcalde. R. B. MASON, Colonel 1st Dragoons, Governor of California. HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT, Monterey, California, April 24, 1848. SIR: I have, with great care, examined the question which you presented to me in the case of land claimed by Narvaez and Fisher. It appears, from the official record and map in this office, that, on the 30th of March, 1844, there were granted to Narvaez two leagues within the land called San Juan Bautista; this grant is clearly defined and marked on the northwest, southwest, and southeast, as is shown on the official map corresponding with the title papers, but it is undefined to the northeast.. Thus it appears clear that the grant cannot extend into the hills of San Juan Bautista, if the two leagues of land called for are contained between. the said hills and the boundaries, as designated on the map. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, R. B. MASON, Colonel 1st Dragoons, Governor of California. Don MANUEL DIEZ, Monterey, California. HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT, Monterey, California, April 28, 1848. SIR: I herewith enclose to you some modifications of the tariff, ordered by the President, as proposed by the Secretary of the Treasury, of the 5th of November, 1847, together with his orders for the collection of an export duty on gold and silver, as also recommended by the Secretary of the Treasury, on the 16th of November, 1847. These documents were sent to me by Commodore Jones, from Callao, as you will see by the extracts from his letter accompanying the copies now sent you.. The ad valorem duties now to be collected, according to the recommendations of the Secretary of the Treasury of the 5th of November, will render it necessary to closely examine vessels' invoices, and see that they are authenticated, as required by the 7th article of the regulations, and that all entries of merchandise are strictly made in conformity to "form" 3. From Commodore Shubrick's letter to me of the 8th of February, and one of the same date from Hugh W. Green, collector at Mazatlan, to the commodore, sent to me by the commodore, with a copy of the printed tariff regulations from the Treasury Department of the 30th of March, 1847, including amendments made by the Secretary of the Treasury and those by the commodore's authority, it appears that the latter has thrown open the coasting trade to all vessels. This I did not discover until your letter of the 21st relative to the Chilian barque Natalia brought me to look closer into the subject. This accounts for the Natalia being cleared by the collector at Mazatlan for San Francisco. I send you herewith one of the printed regulations from Washington of the 30th of March, 1847, corrected in red ink, copied from one Commodore Shubrick sent me, embracing the modifications of the 5th of November, 1847, and those made by the commodore. I have been obliged to make this correction upon an old corrected copy; but the red ink will distinguish the present changes from the old blank marks. All articles of merchandise now stand tariffed as in the print, except where the red marks indicate a change. The regulation of the import trade, you recollect, was assigned to the senior naval officer by the Secretary of the Navy's letter to Commodore Stockton, dated November, 1846. Lumber and the growth and produce of California, carried from port to port in California, will still continue free from duty, except it come from Lower California, where the people are in arms against us. Have some copies of Mr. Walker's recommendations to the President of the 5th and 16th of November printed, and send them to me for distribution as soon as possible. Send some to the islands, &c., when an opportunity offers. Have also some blank forms of No. 3 printed, so as to meet this change to the ad valorem duties. Goods imported into California from the United States and other countries-via the Sandwich islands, for instance-and then reshipped and brought here, must pay duties according to the invoices from the latter port, and not according to the invoices from the original port. Having once been introduced into the foreign port, they must pay duties according to the valuation, &c., as shown by the properly-authenticated invoices from that port. I mention this because a vessel arrived here some time since from the Sandwich islands with goods, some or all of which had been brought from the United States, and, expecting to pay ad valorem duties, came prepared with two sets of invoices-one set from the United States, and one set from the island-the intention being to enter by the United States invoice, and sell by the one from the islands. I did not learn all this until after she had sailed. Others will doubtless attempt the same thing. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, Captain J. L FOLSOM, R. B. MASON, Colonel 1st Dragoons, commanding. Assistant Quartermaster U. S. Army, San Francisco. A copy of the above letter has been furnished to the commanding officers at Santa Barbara and San Diego, and to the collector at San Pedro, for their information and government. R. B. MASON, Colonel 1st Dragoons, commanding. HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT, Monterey, California, April 28, 1848. SIR: I enclose to you a communication, dated on the 10th instant, from H. A. Green and the attorney of Mr. West, from which it would appear that the trial he speaks of took place some months since, and an appeal was granted, when there were not courts to appeal to, though granted under an impression that there would soon be; and, as there are yet no such courts, I see no other way than to dismiss the appeal, or try it anew before a jury, if it was not so tried in the first instance. I know nothing of this affair beyond what is contained in Mr. Green's letter. The above are, therefore, mere suggestions, leaving you to dispose of the case as you think proper, knowing more of it than I do. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, L. H. BOGGS, R. B. MASON, Colonel 1st Dragoons, Governor of California. Alcalde, Sonoma, California. HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT, SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th instant. An affidavit from yourself and the alcalde referred to in your said letter as to the facts therein set forth, together with the certificates of Captains Hunter and Davis, herein returned to you, will, I think, with the accounting officers, give you a credit for such property as you can clearly make appear was stolen during your absence; but the law has placed the settlement of accounts of officers in the quartermaster and commissary's departments in other hands than mine, and therefore they are beyond the scope of my power or authority. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, ROBERT CLIFT, R. B. MASON, Late lieutenant in Mormon company, HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT, SIR: I have examined the papers you handed me two days since, and have borne in mind the verbal representations you made on presenting them, but I do not see that I can take any action in the matter. When parties agree to submit their cases to the decision of arbitrators, they are bound to abide by whatever decision is made, whether that decision be right or wrong. The very fact of the parties referring their case to arbitrators for final and amicable settlement, shows that confidence was reposed in their integrity and judgment, and that the parties stand pledged to abide the verdict. Were I to exercise a stretch of power that in fact I do not possess, as to molest or disturb the decision of your abitrators, I should be establishing a precedent fraught with evil consequences. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, R. B. MASON, Colonel 1st Dragoons, Governor of California. Mr. J. F. REED, present. HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT, Monterey, California, April 29, 1848. SIR: I have read the papers, dated on the 15th of the present month, that you sent me. I have enclosed them to Colonel Stevenson, at Los Angeles, who will see that your case is attended to. Go to the Pueblo de los Angeles, and see him on the subject. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, R. B. MASON, Colonel 1st Dragoons, Governor of California. JUAN DE JESUS OSIA, HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT, Monterey, Californ a, May 3, 1848. SIR: I have received no reports or returns from the custom-house in San Diego since you have commanded that port. The custom-house regulations are plain and explicit. Perhaps it may be that the Mormon officers did not turn over to you the regulations, &c., appertaining to that branch of the service. I was not able to get from them a single report or return from the custom-house whilst they were at San Diego. I send you herewith a corrected copy of the regulations, a copy of the alterations of the tariff of the 5th and 16th of November, 1847, and the President's orders thereon, together with a copy of my letter of the 28th of April to Captain Folsom, for your information and government. Yout will also find here the necessary blanks for the use of the custom-house, as also a manuscript quarterly account current and abstract of expenditures, showing the manner of making out those accounts and accounting for the funds derived from the customs. I beg that you will study the regulations well, and strictly comply with all their requirements. The quarterly accounts current are for the War Department, and are to be transmitted through this office. At the end of each month you must see that the disbursing officer sends promptly to this office a "statement of revenue collected" during the month, according to the printed form. You will see, by reading the regulations, that the disburing officer ascertains the amount of duties due, and the commanding officer receives them and on the next day pays them over to the disbursing officer, and that they countersign each other's accounts. The disbursing officer keeps the funds arising from the customs separate and apart from the funds belonging to the commissary and quartermaster's department, and expends them only upon orders from this office. Keep and regularly file all manifests, entries of merchandise, and permits to land the same. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, R. B. MASON, Colonel 1st Dragoons, Governor of California.. Captain WILLIAM E. SHANNON, New York Volunteers, commanding, San Diego, California. HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT, Monterey, California, May 6, 1848.. GENTLEMEN: On the 4th instant I received your communication of that date, and have attentively examined its contents. It is couched in such general terms, especially upon points where it ought to have been specific, in giving particular information, in order to a full and correct understanding of the controversy, with a view to my complying with the requests you make, that, were I now to make the decision or executive order you require, I should do it in the dark, and without the necessary information. You say that "on the 17th of December last Cook denounced a quicksilver mine on his own ranch. Shortly thereafter he conveyed that mine to your company; and that on the 2d of February Alcalde Weeks gave Cook possession," &c. According to the mining laws then existing, Cook, as an individual denouncer, could only acquire two appurtenances, "if in a new vein in a known mountain "—that is, in a mountain known to contain the mineral; or three appurtenances "if the discovery be absolutely new mineral mountains"-an appurtenance being 200 varas in length in direction of the vein, and varying from 100 to 200 varas in breadth, according to the inclination or angle the vein forms with the horizon. You represent Cook as an individual denouncer, and as such conveying to your company; the company, then, under Cook's denouncement, only holds what Cook would have held under that denouncement had he not conveyed to your company, which, under the most favorable circumstances, was "three appurtenances." Now, does the "given space of land" (a very general and indefinite term) containing the hole Cook had dug "embrace no more than the two or three appurtenances," as above referred to; and does Sunal's claim fall within those appurtenances? Did Alcalde Weeks, in granting possession to Cook of the "given space |