Their country has been scoured by our military parties and their food destroyed and no Indian agent present. We have been obliged to feed them till the Indian Department receives them. To refuse to do so would drive them to the necessity of committing fresh depredations, and thus reopen the war. Having fed refugees from slavery and prisoners of war in the East, I am at a loss to see any reason for not doing the same to the red man in the West in cases where we have taken him from his country and destroyed his means of subsisting and there is no agent at hand with food to keep him from starving, or from fighting that he may not starve. The officer of the commissary department at this station and the Indian superintendent here are doing all they can to soften these impracticable rules and save the frontier from the fresh outbreak which a compliance with them would unquestionably produce.

In the District of Utah matters have been in a very delicate state with the Mormouns. On the 1st of July Brigadier-General Connor, who is stationed near Great Salt Lake City, telegraphed me that the Mormons were arming to drive him out of the city; that they had 1,000 men under arms, and were still gathering; that he could hold his position till re-enforced from neighboring Territories. I transmit herewith (marked A, B, C, D, E, F) the correspondence had with him in the matter. * General Connor bears the reputation of being a good soldier, and his last letter shows he deserves the reputation.

In the District of California the sympathizers and friends, more or less active of the rebels from time to time, give evidences of a desire, if not a design, to embarrass, if not openly oppose, the Government. On the evening of Thursday, July 21, Mr. C. L. Weller, chairman of the Democratic State Committee, addressed a public meeting in such terms as to make me judge the public safety would be best guarded by taking prompt and decided measures. I, accordingly, ordered him arrested and confined on Alcatraz Island, which was done. Efforts were made by his friends to botain a writ of habeas corpus, but thus far without success, the feeling of the courts being in accord with the law suspending the writ in such cases. I send herewith the papers bearing on the case (marked A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H). + At the instance of many citizens, and on the assurance that Mr. Weller would be faithful to his oath, if he took it, and believing that all the good had resulted from his arrest that was expected, I have to-day ordered his release on his taking the oath and giving bonds together with three loyal citizens for $25,000. A few other arrests of persons of minor importance have been made, and the persons released on the same terms (except as to amount of bond) as Mr. Weller.

In the District of Southern California, the secession element is reported to be greater in proportion than elsewhere, and it is in that guarter that principally an outbreak is looked for. No open hostile movements have as yet been made.

I have, in compliance with "general orders," seized a large quantity of arms and munitions of war, which were being taken out of the country, nominally to go to the Colorado River, but in reality to go to Mexico. They have ben ordered for safe-keeping to Benicia Arsenal. Part of them were seized in Half Moon Bay after they had eluded the custom-house officers. A French ship of war has been in this harbor for the last six weeks. She is said to be taking in supplies for the French fleet at Acapulco. At the request of the collector, made at my instance,

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* See July 2, 13, 15, 16 (two), and 24, pp. 889, 904, 909, 910, 916.

+ For inclosure G, see General Orders, Numbers 38, July 25, p. 918. The other inclosures pertain exclusively to Series II.

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