62 TRANSACTIONS OP THE 



labor — it would follow. Then labor is the first great necessity. And 

 Low shall wo obtain it? The General Government, through agents and 

 the distribution of favorable information, is wisely and successfully 

 exerting her means and energies to induce emigration to the United 

 States. According to the report of the New York Commissioners of 

 Immigration, the number of immigrants that arrived at that port during 

 the eleven months ending the thirtieth of November, eighteen hundred 

 and sixty-three, was one hundred and fortj'-six thousand five hundred 

 and nineteen, against seventy-six thousand three hundred and six during - 

 eighteen hundred and sixty-two — showing an increase in one 3'ear of 

 nearly fifty per cent from extra exertion. But does the Pacific coast or 

 California receive any portion of that immigration, or any immediate 

 benefit from it ? Very little, if any at all. The moment the newcomer 

 sets foot on shore at New York or any other eastern port, he is hurried 

 off to Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, or some other new State east of the 

 Eocky Mountains, but never to California ; hence those States, with far 

 less natural advantages, except as to convenient location for immigra- 

 tion, outstrip us in the race to wealth and general prosperit3^ The 

 Pacific Pailroad will, when finished, to a certain extent remove this 

 barrier which now isolates us from the great centre of our country's 

 population. But till that time California must work out the problem of 

 increasing her labor and capital and of developing her own resources 

 herself Let California bestir herself if she would not fall back from 

 her present relative position among her sister States. Let her make 

 independent and extra exertions to induce a tide of immigration to set 

 in toward her shores before that great field for enterpi'ise and improve- 

 ment is opened up in the Southern States to attract and hold the tide 

 from her. Let her send out through the Golden Gate such a flood of 

 reliable information in regard to her unequalled productions, her inex- 

 haustible resources and capacities, to those great beehives of industry in 

 the old world as will cause a lively swarming out of their fainilies of 

 workers, so intent upon securing the unequalled benefits within their 

 grasp here that no halfway port will attract them from their destination. 



" Why should not the route from the various emigrating ports of the 

 old world to San Francisco, by wa^^ of Panama, become the line of 

 attraction and travel to those who are seeking an asylum and a home 

 in America ? Bring this about, and our march is onward — our destiny 

 certain. To assist in the conveyance of this information, and accom- 

 plishing these objects, what channel so appropriate, what means so 

 effective as the State Agricultural Society, when it shall occujty the posi- 

 tion and enjoy the facilities we claim for it? 



" To place the society in this position, and in comniand of these facili- 

 ties, liberal State aid will be required. The front door of the State 

 Treasury will have to be opened by the command of the people, and 

 some of their money used for the accomplishment of these objects. 

 And why not ? Facts and statistics are at hand to prove that no people 

 ever became permanently prosperous, or State rich and powerful, until 

 this polic}' was adopted and adhered to ; and that no people or State ever 

 adopted this polic}', and continued it judiciously, without becoming intel- 

 ligent and happy, and rising high in the scale of individual and national 

 greatness. 



"England annuall}^ appropriates millions to auxiliar}' societies, similar 

 to ours, for the encouragement of her agricultural and manufacturing 

 interests, and the world pays tribute to her enterprise and prosperity. 



