ins were then quiet, and he would endeavor to by mild and gentle treatment. "Had they treatment from the time our flag was hoisted ast, I believe there would have been but little ce on their part.1 They have been most cruelly y abused by our own people-by the volunteers nigrants) raised in this part of the country and ento. Had they not resisted they would have y the name of men."

he declared to be most healthful, and the soil ia with Oregon was destined to "furnish our essels and our 20,000 sailors in them, besides troops, with their breadstuffs and most of the they are to consume." The population at that orted to be about 12,000, of whom about onemigrants. Besides these were about 15,000 ly one-third of whom were called Christians, Spanish language. To protect the people from ans he recommended keeping one thousand territory for some years to come. He further fortifying the harbors in the bays of San Franey, and San Diego. For the first of these he irected fortifications, utilizing the old Spanish rance of the bay for the purpose.2

xception of Indian depredations and rumors in Mexican army under General Bustamante was

Is, if Stockton and Frémont had followed the policy of Sloat e would have been no resistance from the Californians.

coming to reconquer California,' Kearny's rule was a quiet one. Leaving the military and civil command to Colonel Mason, Kearny left Monterey either May 31st or June 1st for the East.2

Mason's Rule

In his communication to the President dated January 18, 1850, Secretary Crawford said "that the exercise of civil authority by any military officer in California, since the termination of the war with Mexico, was first assumed by Brevet Brigadier General Mason, under his proclamation, which was issued on the 7th of August, 1848, the next day after the intelligence reached him that peace had been restored between the United States and Mexico." But civil power had been exercised before the treaty of peace was signed, not only by Mason himself, but by those military and naval officers who had preceded him as governor of California. Whether such power was legally exercised is a question which the writer will not undertake to determine.

Colonel Mason had been a most faithful supporter of General Kearny during the administration of the latter, and the junior officer was naturally inclined to carry out the policy of his chief when he succeeded him as commander of

1 Bancroft, History of California, V, 449.

the military

Unlike thos

Ibid., 451-2; California Message and Correspondence, 1850, 304; Cutts, Conquest of California and New Mexico, 213.

2

mation imn
familiar wit
working as
accession to

Both officia
the various
During th
duties did n
He appoint

absence of

and fixed th

Henry W. F 1847. He the various districts, ar each distric habitants i prisoners, the establis

vember, 18 disco to ap

town. An

Tсes and governor of California in May, 1847. who preceded him, he did not issue a proclaiately after coming into office. He became the responsibilities of his new position while ubordinate official under Kearny, and his own ower enabled him to direct affairs in person. assumed a sane, judicious attitude towards oblems which came before them.

irst few months of his administration Mason's vary greatly in scope from those of Kearny. alcaldes and land surveyors,1 and, during the modore Shubrick, collectors of import duties, ates of the same." He appointed Lieutenant leck secretary of state on the 13th of August, ued orders directing the military officers in rts of the territory to divide the country into by consulting one or more intelligent men in compile rough estimates of the number of inhe territory. He directed the disposition of at least on one occasion, gave directions for ent of municipal civil government." In Nohe was requested by four citizens of San Frannt a special court to quiet land titles in that ourt that might be appointed, he said, could

sage and Correspondence, 1850, 398.

416, 418, 419.

quiet land disputes only temporarily, because such questions would be opened anew when the territory was formally annexed to the United States and proper law courts established. He therefore refused to make such appointments.1 On the 29th of November he sent out proclamations to prohibit the sale of spirituous liquors or wine to Indians, and in December following issued orders to the alcaldes and Indian agents of the territory to do everything in their power to see that the provisions of the proclamation were enforced.2 Directions for conducting trials by jury in cases where juries failed to come to a decision, were sent to the alcalde of San José on December 22nd,3 and to Carrillo of Santa Barbara on April 5, 1848.4

On July 25, 1848, Mason issued a warning to the miners. Men, he said, had left their families, and soldiers were deserting to go to the gold mines regardless of their obligations and their oaths. Unless families were "guarded and provided for by their natural protectors, and unless citizens lend their aid to prevent desertions from the garrisons of the country," the remaining military force in California would be concentrated in the gold regions to expel all unlicensed persons. Miners were declared to be digging gold on government land without charge and without hindrance, and were therefore under obligation to assist in apprehending deserters.5

1 California Message and Correspondence, 1850, 440.

2 Ibid., 447.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid., 505.

The follow

port regulat were to visit Merchant v

I

or navy we were to be son enticing be subject to land goo subject to f sels were to

of their cre sengers was permission care was to

the exporta export duty

mitted to vi

house guard

vessels wer

cation bet

other vess

those on b proceeds of half of thes Definite

on the eve

1Califor

g day he issued orders for custom-house and s for the harbors of California. Collectors erchant vessels immediately on their arrival. els found harboring deserters from the army to be confiscated and the masters thereof ished according to laws of war, and any permember of a merchant crew to desert would fine and imprisonment. Anyone attempting without a permit from a collector would be and confiscation of goods. Masters of vesheld responsible for the action of the members while on land. All baggage belonging to paso be inspected by the custom official before and the same should be granted. Particular e taken by custom officials to guard against n of gold and silver on which the required id not been paid. No person was to be pera merchant vessel in the harbor until a custominspector came on board, and the masters of be held strictly accountable for any communi1 their passengers and crews with those of And similarly all communication between d and those on shore was prohibited. The fines imposed and goods confiscated, or oneere to be given to the informer.1

cial news of the end of the war reached Mason of August 6, 1848,2 and on the following day sage and Correspondence, 1850, 583-5.