PARDONS.

December 2d, 1854-Commuted punishment of Thomas Crooks, convicted in Tuolumne County, District Court, of murder, and sentenced to death on the 8th day of April, 1854-to ten years in State Prison.

December 11th-Commuted punishment of James Stewart, convicted at April Term, District Court of Trinity County, 1851, of the crime of murder, and sentenced to death-to ten years in State Prison.

December 12th-Pardoned John Ashton, convicted in El Dorado Court of Sessions, Dec. 31st, 1853, of assault with intent to murder, and sentended to one year in State Prison.

January 17th, 1855-Pardoned Wm. H. Winters, John Morrisey, and C. G, Duffy, convicted in Placer County of assault and battery, at November term, 1854, and sentenced to Couty Jail for one hundred days.

January 24th-Pardoned Richard Marble, convicted in District Court of Nevada County, November Term, 1854, of manslaughter, and sentenced to imprisonment in County Jail.

January 26th-Pardoned Rowland Hughes, convicted in El Dorado County, of manslaughter, and sentenced at January term, 1854, to one year's imprisonment in State Prison; convicted in District Court.

February 10th-Commuted punishment of James Brown, convicted at November term, District Court of Siskiyou County, of murder, and sentenced to death, on the second of March, 1855; commuted to twenty years imprisonment in the State Prison.

March 10th-Pardoned John Tábor, convicted at the October term of the District Court of San Joaquin County, A. D. 1854, of the crime of murder, and sentenced to death on the 16th day of March, A. D. 1855.

March 15th-Pardoned David B Akey, convicted in the Court of Sessions of San Francisco County, February 2, 1855, of "assault with intent to commit bodily harm," and sentenced to State Prison for one year.

Maach 17th-Pardoned Henry M. Knox, convicted in Court of Sessions, of San Joaquin County, of grand larceny, August term, A. D. 1854, and sentenced to State Prison for two years.

April 20th-Pardoned Wm. O. Ogley, confined in State Prison.

May 7th-Pardoned Juan Valdez, convicted at November term, 1851, of Court of Sessions of Contra Costa County, of grand larceny, and sentenced to twenty year's imprisonment in State Prison; Pardoned on condition of leaving the State.

May 11th--Commuted punishment of Thomas Milgate, convicted in Sacramento District Court, 1855, of the crime of murder, from death to imprisonment in State Prison for two years.

May 11th-Commuted punishment of John Blake, convicted in San Francisco of murder, and sentenced to death; commuted to two years in State Prison.

May 11th-Pardoned E. W. Walton, convicted at April term Sacramento District Court, 1855, of manslaughter, and sentenced to three months in State Prison.

May 12th-Pardoned John F. Leonard, convicted in El Dorado Court of Sessions, February term, 1855, and sentenced to imprisonment in State Prison for one year.

May 12th-Pardoned John Bogert, convicted in San Francisco Court of Sessions in February, 1855, of grand larceny, and sentenced to imprisonment in State Prison for one year.

May 6th-Pardoned Henry Ayres, convicted at February term of Court of Sessions of Nevada County, 1855, of assault with intent to commit bodily injury, and sentenced to State Prison for one year.

July 9th-Pardoned George Crawford, convicted October term of Court of Sessions of San Francisco County, 1854, of grand larceny, to one year in State Prison.

July 10th-Pardoned John McLellen, convicted in Sacramento County, November term, 1854, in Court of Sessions, of rape, and sentenced to ten years in State Prison; Pardon to take effect August 15th, 1855.

July 16th-Pardoned Notley T. Patrick, convicted in Alameda Court of Sessions of assault with deadly weapons, and sentenced to State Prison for six months; Pardon to take effect August 10th, 1855.

July 28th.-Reprieved Edward Bugbee, convicted in Amador County of Grand Larceny, and sentenced to be hung on the 7th August; Reprieved until August 24th, 1855.

August 13th.-Pardoned James Hadden, sentenced to two years in State Prison for Grand Larceny.

August 22d.-Pardoned Wm. Knox, Tuolumne County, for "Assault with intent to kill."

September 8th.-Pardoned David D. Dunn, convicted in Court of Sessions of San Francisco County, November term, 1854, of Grand Larceny, and sentenced to State Prison for one year.

September 21st.-Commuted punishment of William Gregory, convicted in District Court of Stanislaus County, August term, 1855, for Murder; sentenced to Death; punishment commuted to imprisonment in State Frison for five years.

September 28th.-Pardoned Thomas Hern, convicted in Court of Sessions of San Francisco County in March, 1855, and sentenced to State Prison for four years.

October.-Pardoned John Blake, convicted of murder in San Francisco Co sentence commuted to imprisonment for two years in State Prison.

November 6.-Pardoned Wm. Taylor, convicted in Sierra County, 6th November A. D. 1852, and sentenced to three years imprisonment in State Prison on crime of manslaughter.

November 7.-Pardoned James Smith, convicted of manslaughter at October term, 1854, of Fourth District Court, San Francisco, sentenced to three years imprisonment in State Prison.

November 13.-Pardoned Thomas Milgate, convicted of murder in the District Court, Sixth Judicial District, Sacramento County, punishment commuted on 5th May, 1855, and sentenced to imprisonment in State Prison for two years.

November 13-Pardoned Joseph E. Littlefield, convicted of grand larceny in the Court of Sessions of Santa Clara County, and sentenced to one year imprisonment in State Prison.

November 13.-Pardoned C. P. Vose, convicted of grand larceny on the 5th of May, 1855, in the Court of Sessions of Sonoma County, and sentenced to twenty-three months in State Prison.

COMMUNICATION FROM THE SECRETARY OF WAR.

WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington, July 18, 1855.

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SIR

I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 12th of May, transmitting certain statements intended to show the amount of expenses incurred and paid by the State of California, in the suppression of Indian hostilities, for the repayment of which, provision has been made by the ninth section of the army appropriation Act, approved August 5, 1854.

The Act directs the Secretary of War "to examine into, and ascertain the amount of expenses incurred, and now actually paid by the State of California." This requirement cannot, in my opinion be fulfilled, upon evidence showing nothing more than that the State has made certain bonds and warrants, for the purpose of satisfying claims of the description specified in the Act, and that these bonds have been issued to certain persons. Under similar circumstances other States have produced the original bills paid by them, and the Department has thus been enabled at once to see that the charge was one which Congress intended to assume, and that it had been paid. I cannot so far depart from a practice,which I believe has been invariably observed, as to authorize payment to be made to the State of California, upon the evidence now tendered.