San Mateo County Gazette Redwood City, San Mateo County, California Saturday Morning, December 17, 1859, Vol. 1 No.37 THE TERRY INDICTMENT - The matter of the mandamus to compel Washington Bartlett, County Clerk, to transmit the indictment against David S. Terry, was heard in the Fourth District Court yesterday forenoon. The grounds urged by counsel of the defendant, for the transmission of the indictment to the Fourth District Court, were, that the crime charged was murder, and the Court of Sessions has no jurisdiction of murder cases. District Attorney Browne contended that dueling was a statutary crime, and that the statute gave the Court of Sessions jurisdiction. Judge Hager denied the motion of the argument, and in so doing adopted the views of the District Attorney, that "the crime of fighting a duel" was neither murder nor manslaughter, the only crimes the District Court has cognizance of. The case goes at once to the Supreme Court, having been appealed by Terry. - S.F. Times, 13th THE OVERLAND MAIL - The great Overland Mail hence to St. Louis is steadily increasing in popular favor. Our people are learning by experience that it is quite as reliable as the steam mail, and more expeditious. Twice a week it arrives here with the regularity of clock-work, and almost always in less time than that made by the steamers. We patronize it altogether, and would recommend all our readers to do so. Several times of late, we have received letters from the east, mail too late for the steamer, and delivered to us two days in advance of that mail. As a gratifying evidence of its increasing popularity, we notice that the mail of the 9th inst. carried out over 12,000 letters, double the number carried on any former occasion. A few such mail as this must tend to satisfy the Department at Washington that the Overland mail is a necessity with which the people of this coast cannot and will not dispense. TAX SALES - On Monday last, Horace Hawes and Samuel Brannan, Esq., gentlemen who are presumed to be always anxious to pay their full proportion of the revenue of the government, but who desire before they do it that every thing should be technically correct, sought to enjoin the tax sales of San Francisco upon technical grounds, and also upon the ground that certain amendments to the revenue law were unconstitutional. Their cases were ably presented by Mr. Haight, but Judge Norton refused the injunctions, and intimated that he could only grant them when he had made up his mind to stop the entire sales, which he saw no reason for doing. Similar applications have been anticipated with reference to the sales in this county, but it is presumed the proposition will now be abandoned. Judge Norton loses none of the confidence which has been heretofore reposed in him, by this prompt, and as we believe just decision. This system of enjoining tax sales has become quite too common - the convenient resort of all these men who find it less expensive, and more in accordance with their natural disposition, to fee lawyers than pay taxes - and should be put a stop to. The remedy of injunction is one which ought not to be trifled with, or granted on every trivial occasion, but upon the most urgent necessity, and then only when there is no other remedy left. DISTRICT COURT - This Court opens on Monday next. There are sixteen cases on the calendar, which the clerk thinks will occupy the Court, on an average, about two minutes each. This may be allowing a pretty short time, within which to dispose of such a calendar, but from the character of the cases, there is a strong probability that the court will not sit more than one day. LETTERS OVERLAND - The Overland Mail stage, which left San Francisco on the 12th for St. Louis, carried away 3566 letters. The mail before carried the enormous number of 12,000, only 6000 less than were sent by the mail steamer of the 5th. It is only by thus patronizing the mail stage that we can prove to Congress its absolute value, and high estimation in which it is held by Californians. DISCOVERY OF A LEAD MINE - The Mountain Democrat says that Mr. G.H. Beach of Marysville, showed us some very rich specimens of lead ore taken by himself from a vein recently discovered by some Indians, on a hill about three miles south-west of Steamboat Springs, and two miles north-west of Smith's house, in Pleasant Valley. It is slightly mixed with silver, and assays about ninety per cent. Col. Hagan bought it from the Indians at a very low price. New discoveries of silver veins were made in the same vicinity, and Mr. Beach informs us that the lead is but the covering to a rich silver vein. Bur little work has been done on the lead. $5 REWARD Lost, on the 19th Inst., on M'AVOY'S Ranch, near Redwood City, a portion of a CAN GUN About two and a half feet long, made of Iron, and painted black. Anyone finding it and taking it to the San Mateo House, will receive the above reward. Redwood City, Dec. 14, 1859 To see other old newspapers, visit http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/index.php