"This recognition of Captain Halleck's talents and the signal service he has rendered to our authorities here, since the conquest, was peculiarly just and appropriate. It was so felt by the members, and they responded with equal warmth of feeling by giving three enthusiastic cheers for the Secretary of State. They then took their leave, many of them being anxious to start this afternoon for their various places of residence. All were in a happy and satisfied mood, and none less so than the native members. Pedrorena declared that this was the most fortunate day in the history of California. Even Carillo, in the beginning one of our most zealous opponents, displayed a genuine zeal for the Constitution, which he helped to frame under the laws of our republic." The elections for the various officers under the new Constitution took place on the 13th of November, 1849. Peter H. Burnett was chosen Governor, and John McDougall, Lieutenant-Governor. George W. Wright and Edward Gilbert were chosen to fill the posts of representatives in Congress. The first State Legislature met at the capital, the pueblo de San José, on the 15th of December, and elected John C. Fremont and Wm. M. Gwin, Senators to Congress. Every branch of the civil government went at once into operation, and admission into the Union as a State seems all that is necessary to complete the settlement of affairs in California. FOOTNOTES: [11] See American Insurance Company, et al. _vs._ Canter, 1st Peters' Supreme Court Reports, 542. [12] Bayard Taylor, El Dorado, or Adventures in the Path of Empire. CHAPTER X. POPULATION, CLIMATE, PRODUCTIONS, &C. With regard to the population, climate, soil, productions, &c., we extract from Mr. King's Report, as giving the most reliable and complete information. "Humboldt, in his 'Essay on New Spain,' states the population of Upper California, in 1802, to have consisted of Converted Indians, 15,562 Other classes, 1,300 ------ 16,862 "Alexander Forbes, in his 'History of Upper and Lower California,' published in London, in 1839, states the number of converted Indians in the former to have been, in 1831, 18,683 Of all other classes, at 4,342 ------ 23,025 "He expresses the opinion that this number had not varied much up to 1835, and the probability is, there was very little increase in the white population until the emigrants from the United States began to enter the country in 1838. "They increased from year to year, so that, in 1846, Colonel Fremont had little difficulty in calling to his standard some five hundred fighting men.