Arrival of the Overland Mail.
nearly a million of Dollars in Treasure En Route for New York — trouble among the Presbyterians, &c.
The subjoined news from California we take from the New York Herald, under date--
Sweetwater, 340 miles this side Salt Lake, September 28, 1861.
The Pony Express, with San Francisco dates of the 21st inst., passed here at 9 o'clock this morning.
Arrived at San Francisco 19th, steamer Panama, Mazatilan; 20th, ship Abbott Lawrence, Melbourne. Sailed 21st, steamer Sonora, Panama.
The Sonora has 150 passengers and $1,152,000 in treasure, of which $995,000 is for New York, and $150,000 for England.
Business remains almost as last reported. There have been large reported operations in coffee and sugar. There are no quotable changes in the market, nor important sales since the last Pony.
The most exciting topic of discussion in San Francisco within the last three days grows out of a discussion which took place at a session of Presbyterians on a vote touching the duty of the clergy to declare themselves on the side of loyally and against rebellion, and breach loyal doctrines to their congregations. D. W. A. Scott, of Calvary church, alone voted against the resolution, and protested against its adoption. He believed the action if the late General Assembly on the state of the country, in adopting the spring resolutions, as exceedingly mischievous and erroneous. He agreed in the main with the protest of Dr. Hoge, and the further defence of the time doctrine made in the late Princeton Review. He did not believe the Assembly had any right, from the holy Scripture from the standard of the Church to interfere with civil or political questions. There were other grave reasons why he could not approve of the action of the Assembly, but he could not consider it proper to introduce them into ecclesiastical and spiritual bodies. This position assumed by Dr. Scott has revived the charges against him of sympathising with Secession, and raised much feeling in the community.-- There were threats of mobbing his church the next time services are held, but a force of police has been detailed to prevent any outbreak. Some of the newspapers have covertly encouraged the mob spirit, but the more influential citizens earnestly advise that Dr. Scott he left in the hands of his congregation, who are mostly Unionists.
Judge John McHenry, formerly of the Fifth District Court of New Orleans, was arrested in San Francisco yesterday, on complaint of a soldier in the United States service. The Judge had been trying to induce him to desert and join the party that were going where he could get better pay. Not much importance is attached to this affair, but it only shows the sensitiveness here on the war question.
The Los Angeles Star, of the 19th of September, complains that a correspondent, writing from Los Angeles to a San Francisco paper, has misrepresented and greatly exaggerated the number and doings of the Secessionists in the southern counties. The Star remarks:--We require troops here for the general protection. The condition of affairs in San Bernardino earnestly demands redress: The officers of the law require the presence of a military force to aid as a posse to enable them to bring back the natives who have thrown themselves into the country. In this way the military can be useful; but the foolish parade of riding over the country in search of Secessionists is not only exceedingly harassing to the men, but positively detrimental to the interests of our country. We wish the Alta would produce its reliable information of two thousand men completely organized in secret, and ready to rendezvous at such a place as the leaders direct. Can there be such an organization without our citizens knowing something about it? and yet this is news to every one of us. Who are the leaders, and where the arms and ammunition? What object is to be accomplished?
The steamer Panama brings dates from Mazatilan, Mexico, to the 9th inst. She brought seventy-three passengers, $82,224 in specie, and thirty-three packages of metallic ore.
Advices by her state that the city of Alamo, in Sonora, had been captured by a large army from the State of Sonora.
It was understood and believed at Mazatilan that Van Dorn was advancing towards Sonora with a large force.
The family of Don Thomas Robinson, one of the wealthiest citizens of the city of Guaymas, has left the State of Sonora on account of troubles in that State, and gone to California.
Business in Sonora was dull.
Several Secessionists at Mazatilan were engaged in denouncing the Government of the United States and all connected with it. Subsequently they wished Mr. Connor, the American Consul, to give them certificates of United States citizenship, but were refused unless they would take the oath to support the Constitution and Government of the United States. This they refused to do, and were disposed to be troublesome, till they found no sympathy among the Mexicans or the majority of the American inhabitants.
