446 HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



vious to require comment. I have pledged myself to 

 pay these salaries from the "civil fund," unless for- 

 bidden to do so by direct orders from Washington ; 

 and that pledge will be fulfilled. This " civil fund" 

 was commenced in the early part of 1847, and has 

 been formed and used in the manner pointed out in 

 the early instructions to the governor of the Terri- 

 tory. This money has been collected and disbursed 

 by the "Governor of California" and by those ap- 

 pointed by him in virtue of his office. He is, there- 

 fore, the person responsible for this money, both to 

 the government and to the parties from whom it is 

 collected, and it can be expended only on his orders. 

 None of the military departments of the army, nor 

 any army officer simply in virtue of his commission, 

 can have any control, direct or indirect, over it. It is 

 true that some of this money has, from time to time, as 

 the wants of the service required, been transferred to 

 the different military departments ; but this transfer 

 was in the form of a loan, and the money so trans- 

 ferred will be returned to the " civil fund" as soon as 

 arrangements can be made for that purpose. The in- 

 creased expenditures for the support of the existing 

 government will soon render the restoration absolutely 

 necessary ; especially as the transfer of the custom- 

 houses to the regular collectors appointed by the 

 general government, will now cut off all further means 

 of supplying the civil treasury. These collectors have 

 not yet arrived, but are daily expected. 



Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



BENNET RILEY, 

 Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. Army, 



and Governor of California, 



Major-General R. Jones, 



Adjutant-General of the Army, Washington, D. O. 



