"All the municipal laws and regulations will be framed by the council, but executed by the alcalde in his judicial capacity as at present.

"The first alcalde will preside at all meetings of the council, but shall have no vote, except in cases where the votes are equally divided.

"The town council (not less than four of whom shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business), to appoint all the town officers, such as treasurer, constables, watchmen, &c., and to determine their pay, fees, &c.

The treasurer to enter into ample and sufficient bonds, conditioned for the faithful performance of his duties: the bonds to be fully executed to the satisfaction of the council before the treasurer enters upon his duties.

"The second alcalde shall, in case of the absence of the first alcalde, take his place and preside at the council, and there perform all the proper functions of the first alcalde.

"No soldier, sailor or marine, nor any person who is not a bona fide resident of the town shall be allowed to vote for a member of the town council."

In pursuance of the foregoing order, Mr. Hyde fixed the election for six members for a town council, upon

SEPTEMBER 13th.—We give the names of the gentlemen elected, along with the names of those who had previously been appointed by the alcalde, as an interim council:

The

The town council chose Mr. Leidesdorff their treasurer. first alcalde was Mr. George Hyde; and the second, Dr. T. M. Leavenworth. Immediately after the formation of the town council, its members entered with spirit upon the duties of their office. They passed a multitude of laws affecting the general interests of the town, regulating the streets and buildings, the licensing and character of business allowed, appointed constables, &c. Soon, therefore, the place became to assume a steady progressive appearance, and some fair sort of order was every where established. This council may be said to have had every thing to do to found the city. Our work would swell beyond all reasonable limits, should we attempt to name every public act of importance-when nearly all they did was new and of vital con

sequence to the well-being of San Francisco-performed by this council. We can only, therefore, give an occasional notice in future of their proceedings. One, however, of their earliest resolutions may just be glanced at, viz.: the rescinding of those conditions in the sale of town lands, which made it imperative on the buyer to fence in and erect a building upon his lot within a year after the purchase. One effect of this was certainly to encourage speculation, since jobbers in lots could now safely hold an indefinite number, when not obliged to erect buildings upon them within a limited time.

SEPTEMBER 24th.-Messrs. Leidesdorff, Glover and Clark were appointed by the town council a committee to take measures for the establishment of a public school. Various resolutions were subsequently passed by the council on this subject, and after much public agitation, at length, on 17th March, 1848, a teacher was appointed, with a salary of one thousand dollars; and on the 3d of April following, Mr. Thomas Douglas formally opened the long delayed and much needed school, for the instruction of the youth of both sexes. This was the first public seminary established in San Francisco.

OCTOBER 20th.-A severe Norther visited the harbor which did considerable damage to the shipping. Similar furious gales have since been experienced every year, when more or less loss has been occasioned to the shipping and to the wharves themselves. The exposure to excessive winds from the north and southeast is one of the most serious drawbacks to the safety and convenience of the port. The extension of the city, in late years, over the waters of Yerba Buena Cove, has increased the liability of vessels to damage during the prevalence of these winds..

NOVEMBER 15th.-"The Steamboat,"-being the only one it had no distinct name,-performed an experimental trip round "Wood Island." This was but a small concern which had been brought by Mr. Leidesdorff from Sitka. It was the first vessel of the kind in San Francisco Bay, and was quite a pet or plaything in its way. Two days afterwards "the steamboat" sailed for Santa Clara. In February following it was lost in a Norther.

NOVEMBER 18th.-The first "Thanksgiving Day" celebrated in New England style. Public worship was performed at the

house of Mr. Lincoln. The "Sons of New England" afterwards had a public dinner.

DECEMBER 31st.-The following statistics show the extent of the commerce of San Francisco for the three months ending this day :

Total value of exports, $49,597.53; imports, $53,589.73. Of the amount of exports, $30,353.85, represent the native produce of California, and were shipped as follows:-To the Sandwich Islands, $320; Peru, $21,448.35; Mazatlan, $560; Sitka, $7,285.50; Tahiti, $700. The other exports, amounting to $19,343.68, were the produce of foreign countries, and were shipped as follows:-$2,060 to the United States; $12,442.18 (of which $11,340 were coined gold and silver), to the Sandwich Islands; and $4,831.50 to Mazatlan. The imports came from the following countries:-United States, $6,790.54; Oregon, $7,701.59; Chili, $3,676.44; Sandwich Islands, $31,740.73; Sitka, $2,471.32; Bremen, $550.54; and Mexico, $160.

CHAPTER V.
1848.

Resolutions concerning gambling.-Public sale of City Property.-Price Current published.-Condition and population of the town.-Overland express to Independence, Mo.-George Hyde, alcalde, resigned, and succeeded by Dr. J. Townsend.-Death of Wm. A. Leidesdorff.-Discovery of gold, and immediate effects.-Illumination in celebration of the peace between Mexico and the United States.-Dr. T. M. Leavenworth elected alcalde.-First brick house.-Public meeting to regulate the price of gold dust.-First square-rigged vessel discharged at Broadway wharfJudicial limits of the town.-Rev. T. D. Hunt chosen chaplain.-First issue of the "Star and Californian."-State of the markets.-Public meeting to organize a Provisional Government.New town council elected.-Election declared invalid.-Duties collected at the Custom-House

JANUARY 11th.-Stringent resolutions were passed by the council regarding gambling. This vice had been growing in popular favor, and at this period and for years afterwards, became one of the leading characteristics of the inhabitants. Besides heavily fining parties engaged in gambling, one of the resolutions authorized the authorities "to seize for the benefit of the town all the money found on a gambling table where cards are played." If this had been in force a short time afterwards, when the gold discoveries had enriched thousands, and the reckless miners hurried to San Francisco to spend their gains in the great public gaming saloons of the period, the town in a single night would have become wealthy. But at the next meeting of the council these resolutions were all repealed.

MARCH 5th.-A great public sale took place by the town of some of its real estate. The preferable lots had already been secured by speculators, under the old regulations, at a nominal price, by private arrangement with the alcalde. The prices obtained at this sale do not show much advance in the value of town property, since the lots only brought from sixteen to fifty dollars, averaging about twenty-two dollars and fifty cents each for fifty-two lots. It is certain, however, that the value of desi

rable locations was immensely higher than this; and the citizens, from their eagerness in getting up houses, and the high prices of labor and building materials, seem to have been satisfied on this subject. The population of the town was fast improving.

MARCH 15th.-As a sign of the times, a weekly wholesale price-current was first published in San Francisco in the columns of the "Californian" of this date. In the "California Star," of the 18th instant, likewise appeared a similar document, and remarks on the state of the market, for the first time.

About this period the population of the town was ascertained by the Board of School Trustees, in canvassing the place for educational purposes, to be, 575 male and 177 female adults, and 60 children of ages to attend school, making a total of 812. Adding the number of infants and children still too young to attend school, the whole number of inhabitants amounted to about 850. The buildings of all kinds numbered 200. There were two large hotels in the place, besides boarding and public houses, and houses attached to ten-pin alleys, billiard saloons, &c.; so that the town was becoming one of some consequence, and was assuming the pretensions and attractions of older, wealthier and more populous communities. Two wharves were in the course of construction, and extensive stores and warehouses had been erected. There were twelve mercantile houses established, consisting of agencies for large firms in the East and in the Sandwich Islands, auction and commission houses, and importers from the United States direct. The facilities for discharging ships and filling them anew with cargo, were rapidly increasing. There was much bustle, and even enthusiasm among the inhabitants, which promised a flattering future to the town. Current expenses were too high to prevent immediate fortunes being made; still most persons in business believed they were laying the firm foundations of early wealth.

APRIL 1st.-The "California Star Express" left San Francisco, to proceed overland to Independence, Mo. The passage was guaranteed to be accomplished in sixty days. Fifty cents was charged as the postage on single letters.

APRIL 3d. The first public school was opened. Dr. J. Townsend was also sworn in before the council, as first alcalde,