EISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



453 



for labor, rent, and subsistence, have hardly been 

 fully set forth. But all the estimates of the amount 

 actually produced are but mere suppositions, which 

 may surpass or may fall short of the truth. 



I have already directed that the men to whom their 

 commanding officers may give short leaves of absence 

 may be employed by the quartermasters at the usual 

 rates here. This will be an encouragement to the 

 men and an advantage to the public service, as labor 

 is hard to get. But I doubt the propriety of yielding 

 to the current of gold-seeking, and allowing large 

 bodies of the men to go to the mines. It may be 

 permitted to reward good conduct, as any other indul- 

 gence is ; but to make it general, would be either to 

 acknowledge the right of the men to modify their 

 obligations as they please, or to confess our inability 

 to enforce their fulfilment. For the sake of principle 

 and preciseness, it would be better to adhere to what 

 is right now, though the effect here in this particular 

 instance would be the desertion of the men. 

 I am, with respect, your obedient servant, 



PERSIFOR F. SMITH, 



Brevet Major-General, commanding 3d Division, 



Brigadier-General R. Jones, 

 Adjutant- General, 



81 

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