III.-POPULATION. 1. POPULATION OF CALIFORNIA. The population of California in 1831, was estimated at 23,025,* and in January, 1849, at 26,000,† viz: Californians, 13,000; Americans, 8,000; Foreigners, 5,000. The returns of the National Census of 1850, exhibit a population of 117,538, and the State Census of 1852, of 264,435. The ascertainments and estimates of these enumerations are believed to be very incomplete, in consequence of the fluctuating character of the people and the difficulties which then existed to prevent a thorough canvass of the State. The following estimate of the present population of California has been prepared from the information obtained through official sources and a careful investigation of the different classes of residents included therein: Returns of the County Assessors of the citizens between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, liable to military duty, to the Quar termaster-General of the State, 1857, (estimated in part)..... 183,000 Children between four and eighteen years of age, number returned to the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1857... Children under four years.... 36,315 18,500 Chinese, (estimate of W. Hanley, Chinese Agent, 1857). Indians (estimate of Col. Henley, Superintendent of Indian Af 38,687 2,000 fairs.).. Total population.... 65,000 | 538,002 * Forbes' Upper and Lower California. + Senators Gwin and Fremont, 1850. The Official Returns of the Census of 1850 make the population 92,597. See Journals of the Legislature, 1851, page 743. § This estimate, although large, is believed to be less than the actual number of Indians in the State. See Indian Reservations. The population of the United States for 1856, is estimated, by Hon. James Guthrie, at 26,964,312. The vote cast at the Presidential election, 1856, was about 4,100,000, being an average of three votes for each twenty inhabitants. Taking this result as a basis, and estimating the population of California thereby by the vote of the same election 110,223, the population would amount to 734,820. This 2. The Census and Vote of 1852; the Vote of 1856 and Returns of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the Children of the State for 1856. Clara. Yolo (a) Organized 1853, from Contra Costa and Santa | (ƒ) Organized 1854, from Butte. (b) Organized 1854, from Calaveras. (h) Organized 1856, from San Francisco. (i) Organized 1854, from Tuolumne. (1) Organized 1856, from Colusa, Butte and Shasta. The enumeration of the County of El Dorado was not completed within the time provided by law, for taking the Census of the State for 1852. The figures included above, are believed to be a fair approximation to the actual resident population of that year, and were taken as a basis by the Legisla ture, in regulating the Apportionment Act of 1853. mode of arriving at an approximation of the population of California, may not be regarded as a fair and reliable one, from the fact that there are not a proportional number of females and children among its residents as there are in the Eastern States. This is undoubtedly true, but will not the great excess of the foreign and Indian population of the State more than make up the difference? 189 1,016 750 1,266 379 633 15.245 4.268 5,184 854 264,435 176,810 22,193 115,000 76,189 110.221 29,628 (g) Organized 1850, from Los Angeles. Maryland. Massachusetts.. 319,728 341,548 96,540 151,719 76,556 153,407 215.739 352,411 517,762 228,705 380,546 472,040 523,287 Michigan 4,762 Mississippi.. 8,850 40,352 Missouri... 20,845 New Hampshire New Jersey. 470,019 583,034 610,408 737,699 994.514 31,639 212,267 397,654 136,621 375,651 606,526 140,455 383,702 682,044 269,328 284,574 317,976 184,139 211,949 245,555 277,575 320,823 373,306 489,555 340,120 586,756 959,049 1,372,812 1,918,608 2,428,921 3,097,394, 555,500 638,829 737,987 753,419 869.039 230,760 581,434 937,903 1,519,467 1,980,329 810,091 1,049,458 1,348,233 1,724,033 2,311,786 77,031 83,059 97,199 108.830 147,545 415,115 502,741 581,185 594,398 668,507 261,727 422,813 681,904 829,210 1,002,717 212,592 298,335 399.455 501,793 583,169 8,896! 75,448 66,586 Wisconsin.. District of Columbia. Persons on U. S. Vs'ls War Territories.. Totals... 974,622 1,065,379 1,211,405 1,239,797 1,421,661 30,945 305,391 14,093 24,023 33,039 39,834 43,712 51,687 6,100 92,298 5,318 3,929,827 5,305,925 7,239,814 9,638,131 12,866,020 17,069,453 23,191,876 4. SLAVES IN THE UNITED STATES. 217.713 235,704 280,652 291.948 314,120 + No slaves returned in the Territories of Minnesota, New Mexico and Oregon; Utah 26 are returned. Apprentices by the State Act to abolish slavery, of April 18, 1846. 5. NUMBER OF PASSENGERS Which arrived at the Port of San Francisco, from 1849 to 1857. MONTHS. January April May. June 1849. 1850. 1851. 1852. 1853. 1854. 1855. 1856. 1857.† 2,455 1,131 3,204 3,472 1,878 889 3,407 1,435 2,581 798 4,609 2,603 4,222 1,058, 1,240 976 2,508 1,304 4,528 4,431 5,390 2,526 3,057 2,650 8,362 4,595 2,986 7,928 3,904 5,486 2,378 1,678 2,443| 5,175 4,904 4,503 8,889 4,207 5,664 4,546 2,500 2,945 7,888 6,468 2,895 9,711 3,174 5,097 2,109 4,878 1,668 July. 7,996 3,484 2,159 10,572 1,404 5,070 3,085 2,820 3,743 August 8,790 3,369 2,813 6,632 1,364 5,528 1,617 1,003 1,741| September.. 16,131 1,941 1,382 2,741 1,050 2,978 2,865 1,249 834 October.... 13,037 1,405 1,970 3,029 2,880 3,189 4,053 1,185 1,124 November.. 10,862 1,556 2,620 2,471 2,199 1,131 2,681 2,282 1,625| December.. 13,164 1,196 2.621 2,674 2,545 1,898 1,391 2,820 1,806 Totals.... 91,405 36,462 27,182 66,988 33,233 47,531 29,198 28,119 22,990| Total arrivals from April, 1849, to December, 1857, 383,108. 6. COMPARATIVE VIEW Of the Arrivals and Departures at the Port of San Francisco, from January 1852, to December 31, 1867. Of the de Of the arrivals 1857-4,272 were women and 1,685 children. partures-1,164 were women and 814 children. Of the arrivals 185717,596 were from Panama, and of the departures-13,357 were for that port. For the six months ending June 30, 1858, the number of women that have arrived at this port, 2,931; children, 762. Departures same period, women, 899; children, 496. * The overland immigration to California in 1584 was estimated at 61,462.-Message of Gov. Bigler, 1855. + The estimated number of overland immigration for 1857, is 12,500. There is no record of the departures made at the Custom House, San Francisco. The number here estimated is compiled from the San Francisco Prices Current. The number of departures, by sea and land, for the Pacific British Possessions, during the present year and up to the 15th August, is estimated at 30,000; the number of arrivals from thence during the same period is 4,050; excess of departures, 25,950. The excess of arrivals from other countries for the same period is about 15,000; making a net loss to the population of the State, since January, 1858, of nearly 15,000. No account is taken in this estimate of the eastern overland immigration of the present year, variously estimated at from 5,000 to 8,000. From these figures it will be seen that there is scarcely a doubt that, with the returning wave of the Frazer River excitement, the population of the State will, at the close of the present year, exhibit a healthy increase over that of 1857.-[ED. 1. STATE SCHOOL LANDS, REVENUES, ETC. Liberal measures have been adopted for the education of the youth of California. The 500,000 acres of public lands donated to each State on admission into the Union, for purposes of internal improvement, were wisely dedicated by our State Constitution to the use of the schools. By Act of the Legislature, approved May 3d, 1852, provision was made for the sale of these lands at the rate of two dollars per acre, payable either in coin, State Scrip, Controller's Warrants upon the General Fund, or Bonds of the Civil Debt of the State. The proceeds of these sales were converted into Bonds of the Civil Funded Debt of the State bearing seven per cent. interest per annum. The Legislature, by Act approved April 23d, 1858, provided for the selection of the unsold portion of the School Lands and reduced the price to $1 25 per acre, payable in cash. When the amount received from sales reaches $10,000, it is to be invested in State Bonds, to be placed as before to the credit of the School Fund. All interest falling due on these Bonds is semi-annually placed to the credit of the School Fund. On the 1st of January, 1858, 237,440 of the 500,000 acres of school lands *Including orphan asylums and primary schools under the patronage of the Church. + The estimated Catholic population in the State. The estimated value of church property, exclusive of the Missions. |