Daily Alta California, Volume 6, Number 22, 23 January 1855 — NOTICE. [ARTICLE]

NOTICE.

CEO. FBANK LEMON', Es*, it herefcy appointed Receiver, aad authorized to receipt for all bills doe to tke ALTA CALIFOaXU OITICE. W. E. COUnAM, SheriC Eu fraaeieco, jas. l«*li, 1853.

THE ALTA CALIFORNIA.

The ttofonnnaw diffienhic. for book time pas exininj in tlw management of tbe Jit* CalJoniM, which have led to the ■tiumirr ofa forced fair, have given rise, naturally perl:«r». to a report that the publication of the paper would be expended. We tnm the patmu of the paper that the report i* erroßcont. It mill be continued ai hitherto, until Tuesday next, under the direction of the duly appointed Beceircr, after that by the nrw proprietorm, entirely freed, of roane, from tlie difficulties that make a chsaf of ownerchip Beceaary "■ '*•- -

The singularly loose, indefinite, verbose, amlripuons andofiea contradictory form of the statutes of this State has.frora the psisajs of the first act to tbe. present time, been a subject of complaint and the cource of ansoyauce to the legal profession, as well a« the cause of unneceesarj' expewe and delay in litigation. There it icaiwlya statute on the books that was framed with deliberation end proper care in the use of language, and very lew that do not contradict themselves, or conflict with come others. In addition to these defects, the innumerable and undigested amendments that iis^ebeen passed from time to time, and the hodgepodge arrangement oi the whole, have given us a ctatute book that no one csn understand, and to pet even a vague idea of which requires infinite labor.

Several attempts have been made to reduce the statutes to something like form and common sense, but they have amounted to nothing satis factory. The last edition is worse, if poneible, than the preceding ones, and it has become an abeolute necessity to make aotne provision fur revising the law*. In view of this necessity, Mr. Taj lor, of this Ery, recently introduced a bill in the At sembly creating a commission to consist of three, for the purpose cf making a thorough revision of tbe statutes now existing and that may be passed by the present Legislature. 'While we heartily endorce the object of the bill, we must cay that it is imperfect in several material points, i.\.<l will, if passed in its present form, give no assurance of a more satisfactory work than the preteut revised statutes. Tbe bill gives the commissioners too muph latitude in some particulars, and not enough in. others. It it not sufficiently explicit in it* terms. The first section empowers the commissioners to make a " full and complete revision of the general and public etatutee/' to classify them according to the 6-jbject matter, to Bake such alterations and amendments as they may 2«ein advisable, end to " eet forth in brief notes their reasons foreuch alterations and amendments."

A Etriking defect of thif? is, in failing to express or to intimate what i::ay constitute a " full and complete revision ; " twenty men might take as raauy different views of the subject, and the cominigsioners are left without a starting point. The second power is eudciently explicit; so is tbe third. The fourth trenches too much upon legislative prerogatives. A Legislative Committee ii::-.;. make and report " alterations and amendments," but the ri^fct of the Legislature to delegate the power to any other than a committee of its own meaibers, is at least doubtful : and the policy of doing so it more than doubtful. The second section of Mr. Taylor's bill provides that the Commissioners sifter making their report ehall receive such compensation as the Legislature may allow. The work contemplated is of a very icipurtaut character, and will necessarily require a vast amount of p&tient and arduous labor. If it be dune at all it ehouid be well done ; and, to secure iv being well done, the compensation for doing it should be specified, and sufficiently liberal tv enable the Commissioners to give their time and talents to the duties imposed upon them. Economy and jestine require this. If the matter of compensation be left open, the chances are that the State will pay in tbe end twice a* much for a Ladly executed job as the would otherwise do for it well executed one. We suggest to Mr. Taylor to reconstruct his bill and have it reported as a cubetitcte for the original. It can hardly pass in the present form, and, if it should, it will not fully ait&in ihe object in view.

Perquisites or Ccnox-Bonc Officliu.— The Supreme Court at Wasiuiipton City has made a decision of preat importance to the treasury, in the laatter of the distribution of the duties levied as " additional duties" under the act of Congress. It has been claimed that there are " penalties'* within the meaning of the act, aad belong therefore, to the naval officer, collector aad surveyor, as perquisites of office. Sir. Gutluie denied tti* claim ia the case of the New York oScers, lately removed, and they brought suit ajrainst the collector fur the amount.

The decision of the Sapreaie Court is that these are strictly duties, aad parable into the treasury ; not "penalties," distributable among the officers. The aaonnt effected by the decision ia the whole clas* of case* i> several milliocs of dollar*.

Host's STxw Map or Xoeih America,— We have received thi* new eiid valuable work. It ia comprehensive, and, 6O far as we have had time to examine it, correct. It La.- features distinct from, aud additional to, the previous maps, end is better adapted to comcioa use, inasmuch as it presents the whole area in one connected tiar. The Territories of Xekraska cad Kaosas, tnd the GaxUdea purchaxe art defined, aad other new features introduced. The whole » capitally execuied, and i« nnto t only useful Let ornamental.

Mr. Mieej, the well known pomalogist and florist of Alameda, re*terday handed tv a beautiful bouquet, composed of 6ku-tn varieties of delicate flowers, including roees, mi^a-onert, &*., all plucked the day befure from his yard, wLere they had grown and flourished without any protection whatever from the weather. What better evidence of the mildness, *woetnees end beauty of our climate could be adduced ! Eases and til kinds of flowers in fail bloom, iv the open air. on the Slat of January, in the 3Sth degree of Xorth latitude.

Fomigk KnrtA Tail.— Tlie foUowing etatement of theamennt of revenue collected in H Dorado totmly from lie sale of Foreign Miners Licenses, is copied from the Mountain Democrat : frota Oct. 3d to Doc. 3 5. 15.53, were sold lro.a Doc. 15. ISM, to Dee. 15 ,£££ rT W wtre sold te,«o3 s<i<i->fn Kron, D«c. 15,' vat, to Jan.' "3,l^s" 12 °° wer*»oldlS4G .'.._ * « irj oo

»m. , Total emocnt.... 6115.150 00 « Lole nnaucr * oretpi Licetta«B collected i»S,B3i

¶ New Stage Route.— As will be seen by advertisement in to-day's paper, Messrs. Alexander & Banning have arranged a line of stages to run between San Pedro and the Kern River gold mines, stopping at Los Angeles, San Fernando Mission, Fort Tejon, the incomparably beautiful Lake Elizabeth, the Indian reservations, etc. etc. The gentlemen are well known to all who have ever travelled in that section of country, and have for several years had the entire control of the freight and passenger carrying between San Pedro and Los Angeles.

A Skzixtox Fol-ku.— Some workmen engaged in excavetb* a ewid bank oa Satter Btroet. between Dupoat end Kcamr, yesterday morning, di«covere<l the bone, of a human btiag . few inchc. below the surface of the «au d in whk* they were digging. Coroner Vfe^ took cb«Re of then, and had them re-jauared at the Jli«ioa burying ground

Conor Cor S «L.-n utll lu^i, of Aldermen met last evening end trusted a moderate khare of busme*-; eevcrel ordiaanc*. were p*^ biUl| ordei*dpaid. Xothiagverj maiwiul.htmwer, transpired in cither Board.

TiiAiCks.— Our marine reporter retttrm hit thanks lo Capt. Haley, of eteamship America, tar «toppin~ ha rteatner, e^o to Mr. Dean, the puner, for list of p«»seager» cad memoranda fur tliis omce.

The Messenger of Wells, Fargo fc Co. delivered oar Ulterior exchanges at an early lionr last evening, end Adams &. Co. oer enrrwpondence and packages.