DISORDERS IN THE GOLD DISTRICT.—­Up to the close of the year the accounts were with few exceptions favourable to the morals and habits of the masses of adventurers congregated on the banks of the San Francisco and the vicinity; subsequently the statements on these points began to change, and every letter noticed some robbery or murder, generally both, as of frequent occurrence, and at length they became so common that there was neither protection for life nor property.  The following ominous intelligence, which appeared in the Washington Union (the organ of government), created an immense sensation.  It was the substance of a letter from San Francisco, dated the end of December, addressed to Commodore Jones.  “This letter (according to the Union) presents a desperate state of affairs as existing in California.  Everything is getting worse as regards order and government.  Murders and robberies were not only daily events, but occurring hourly.  Within six days more than twenty murders had been perpetrated.  The people were preparing to organise a provisional government in order to put a stop to these outrages.  Within five days three men have been hung by Lynch Law.  The United States revenue laws are now in force, and will yield 400,000 dollars the first year.  The inhabitants are opposed to paying taxes.”

LATEST ACCOUNTS (from the New York Press.)—­The desperate state of affairs in California is fully confirmed.  Murders and robberies were occurring daily.  The following are particulars supplied by Lieutenant Lanman, of the United States navy, who had returned to New York, after having acted for a year past as collector at Monterey:—­

“Only about an hour before he left, he saw a man on board the flag-ship, just arrived from the mines, who confirmed the previous reports in regard to the discoveries on the river Staneslow, where he had seen a single lump of gold weighing nine pounds, and heard of one that weighed twenty pounds.  The gold excitement in Monterey had entirely abated, the immense mineral wealth of the country being looked upon as an established fact.  There was no disposition (except among the landholders) to exaggerate.  For a year past Lieutenant Lanman has been performing the duties of collector at the port of Monterey; and, having seen every man who had returned from a visit to the mines, his opportunities for obtaining authentic information were better than if he had visited the mines in person.  He informs us that no large amounts of gold dust or ore were selling at a sacrifice; he does not believe that one hundred ounces of the gold dust could have been purchased at the reported rate of eight dollars, the ordinary prices ranging from ten to twelve dollars per ounce.  The weekly receipts of gold at San Francisco were estimated at from thirty to fifty thousand dollars, and Lieutenant Lanman knew of one individual who had in his possession thirty thousand dollars’ worth of pure ore and