History of California; From Its Discovery to the Present Time Comprising Also a Full Description of Its Climate, Surface, Soil, Rivers, Towns, Beasts, Birds, Fishes, State of Its Society, Agriculture, Commerce, Mines, Mining, &C., with a Journal of the Voy (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER in. Adoption of the State Constitution, Admission into the Union, Boundaries, Civil and Political Divisions, Cities, Rivers, Mountains, Population, Climate, Soil, Agriculture, Resources, Mines, Minerals, Face of the Country, Ac. ? emhraoing the period between the organization of the State and the year 1854. The Congress of the United States having adjourned, as before stated, without providing a territorial government for California, the people, with great unanimity, directed their attention to the organization of a State government. They resolved to help themselves. The civil governor, General Riley, approved of their resolution, and issued his proclamation, dated at Monterey, June 3d, 1849, recommending the election of delegates to a convention for the drafting of a constitution. The time appointed for the election was the first day of August, 1849; and the convention was to assemble at Monterey on the first day of September following. The number of delegates named was forty-eight, and they were to be sent from that number of districts or settlements in the state. The elections were held, and the delegates assembled in convention in accordance with the governor's proclamation. Dr. Robert Semple, of the district of Sonoma, was chosen its president, and William Or. Marcy, Esq., its secretary. After uniting in a declaration of rights, embodying the great principles of republican government, many of the provisions of the proposed constitution were warmly discussed; butthe whole was finally adopted, and signed by every member, on the 12th day of October. After this, there were the usual formal and complimentary proceedings, and the convention dissolved. The booming of cannon, and other demonstrations, testified to the joy of all parties. In its general features, t...