New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-03-12

about AXE Superior which are supposed 70 Contain
Mineral wealth are 70 be pat up Tor sac a. MAJ
mum price Of IS per acre with the privilege to the
purchaser Of taking as much as he chooses ol' not
less than forty acres, which Is the smallest Legal
; subdivision That portion Of the Mineral region
now rightallyin possession Of occupants by virtue
( Of Leases or Permits from the War Department, IS
/ offered 70 the holders al q minimum price OF 81
I per acre, provided the claimants take the "oo'e
tract covered by their permits respectively many
ofthem three miles and the residae one mile square
souatters not claiming Presumption may take as low
as forty acres bu. if they claim Presumption they
mus. take not less than compact mile square
which seems to pot them on better footing man
the holders of three mile leases We presume
however that the latter having made valuable M
movements. will be entitled to waive their leases
and claim as squatters taking only mile square.
Otherwise il would be hsrd if those who were first
among the explorers and who have done most and
expended most to render the Mining region pene'
trable and habtable, should be subjected 70 harder
conditions than the mere squatters Of yesterday.
We cannot doubt that the sale ofthese Mineral
Lands if the conditions be fair and practicable will
prove great public benefit. The richness in Cop
per OF the Superior region has been notorious Tor
many years and yet up 10 this lsi7 nothing Of con-
sequence has been realized from It, and our coun-
try has been and is heavy buyer Of Copper from
| Europe This ought not to continue If Mining IN
the Superior region can be rendered profitable
! But to this end many things are yet requisite
Agriculture, wherever practicable, in the Mining
country, Commerce on the Lake, and easy conmu-
oor
the Sault St Marie must be overcome by Canal
or Railroad; Potatoes must be procurable at less
than dollar brshel. and Hay at some pnce or
other, before Copper can be minedEhere success
fully in competition with those who hire labor for
! one third and have every thing needful at hand
! But productive farming population would never
go there unless they could obtain secure foothold
on the soil nor would the requisite roads, bridges
etc be constructed in region so wild, so rugged,
90 destitute oflabor. The Leasing system has been
thoroughly tried in the Lead region and it's results
are infinite contention, litigation, and u s officers
whose entire collections do not half pay their saa
ries. Michigan, too reasonably protests against
the perpetuation Of system of United States Pa.
uoonery on her territory, and insists that these
lands be sold and rendered taxable by her, the
same as all other lands The late Attorney General
tnow Secretary of the Navy reported against the
con.ttutionality of any such system. 1t seem,
clear enough that whatever may be the fact with
regard to rare and precious metals-Gold, Silver.
QuicksIver--the baser metals cannot be vigorously
and advantag eously mined on that basis
We wish, however. that Congress instead Of
compelling the Miners to take large tracts Of land
had rigidly limited the quantity which any man
may acquire and possessed any Public Lands,
we should say, but at any rate OF these. The oh.
iections TO the sale OF these Lands were mainly
be sed upon the fact or the presumption that Ger.
tam individuals had fastened upon extensive tracts
of the Mineral Region, and would monopolize them
if offered for sale This was valid and serious OBJ
lection, not properly to the sale bat to the sale
without limitation. simple proviso that no indi-
vidual, either as a member Of various mining com.
panies OF otherwise. should be allowed to become
owner Of more than a tersection of these
Lands with proper provisions to carry it into effect,
would have obviated all objection not founded in
misinformation or private cupidty. 1t might, in
deed have been fairly objected TO this that certain
persons have largely expended time and means in
exploring the Mineral region but nothing wnnd
hinder these from selling their knowledge, thus
quired, to others, and there would have been
enough ready to buy it. II there had been less
chance for making vast fortunes rapidly under such
a limitation there would at the same time have
been less room for ruinous disappontments and
losses.
If these lands had been sold at auction last year
we think Uncle Sam would have proved the luck.
lest Of Spectators in Mineral Lands but even
they will produce a round sum, if properly put
in market. Let none however cherish the idle
fancy that fortunes are to be made ofhand by dig.
ging Copper on Lake Superior, whatever may be
done by selling Copper Stocks or Scrip in New
York Science is at fault in regard to the Geology
OF the Superior region much remains to be learn
ed by the wisest with regard to it; immense sums
must be expended in preliminary or preparatory
labors, and after all Copper is not Gold. Knowl-
edge. energy, patient effort, prudent management
and large outlays Of capital required to render
Copper Mining profitable, as we doubt not it ulti.
mately will be on the great Lake, Il commenced
properly and with reasonable expectations. II it
is made the subject Of Morus Multcaulis bubble.
1t will soon explode, leaving the Superior region
nearly as desolate as it was half century ago.
Cnfavorable Commencement of Lord Rlsin's
Observation-Disclosures of Ontrages in
Canada
The Spring Election for Charter Officers com.
rampant in that city as usuul The Ninsrre news.
paper Of that day says
=" A early as Friday and Saturday las, armed bodies
Tho Ual1t