Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-02-08

~Yhat the said Surveyor General shall be,
and he is hereby authorized, to sub divide the
sections containing mineral, lands into lots of
susable and convenient size for sale, not less
than two acres each, by lines drawn north and
south, or east and west, as may be REQUIRED.
from points at equal distances between the Sec
ton and half section corners, to opposite cores
ponding points, and to designate those lots by
numbers, giving the lengths of the lines bound
ing the same"
And again:
"The Register, moreover, shall be, and he is
hereby authorized, Immediately after the survey
OF the mineral lands, to proclaim the same for
sale, or such portion thereof as he may deem
most conducive to the interests of the United
States at once to dispose of giving at least thirty
days notice of the time offered. He shall then
offer the lands for sale at public auction. subject
to such minimum as may be fixed by the Com
mlssloncrs, not less, however, than 81 % cents
per acre."
This is the prncpe-a sale, in parcels of
two acres after valuation fixed of these o old
washings; for gold, presume, is only intent led
although the comprehensive word minera is
used-a word which comprchends all the com
mon and useful ores and metals, coal, medl cnal
waters, iron, copper, lead and tin. Under this
bill not merely the goId-washlngs, but all the
common and useful metals, may by locked IN
from public use until valued by mineralogst.
and then sold in two acre lots. The provision
is evidently intended for gold; but the word
mineral includes all ores all metals, all natural
substances capable Of chemical attraction II
is looseness and complehensivcness of Ian
guage not to be tolerated in law. But consid-
err it as intended-as confined to these gold
washlngs-and how unwise the idea of selling
them, and in two acres, and upon valuation As
washlngs, they are brief and transient, exhaus-
ted IN few months or years. The gold in these
washlngs Is temporary crop-as temporary as
a crop of grass, or a harvest of aCorns and who
would think OF selling the fee-simpe where only
one crop was TO be gathered A mine is one
thlng--a wash IS another. Mining requires
great capital fee-smple estate and large
tract OF land-and it is worked for All age or
centuries. After these washngs are exhausted
mining may follow; and that is the time to sell
the fee simple, but not in patches of two acres
10 the washes two acres is an hundred times too
much; to the miner it is a thousands times
too little, 1t suits nobody pnd goes upon
wrong principle. 1t goes upon the principle
that every two acres is alike, and that the value
can be told by looking at it. No such thing.
The value can only be told by digging and many
I patches OF twenty or thirty feet square will con-
tain rich deposit, The object is to find il, and
that is 10 be done by hunting-by going from
Que place to another-by trying many places.
For this purpose it is not fee-simples in two a.
ores that are wanted, but permits 10 hunt, and
protection in the discovery when deposit is
found. This is the only rational mode of work
ing these gold washes, 1t is the mode followed
in all countries where they exist.
These washings are called in Spanish plnoy
from the Latin placere, to please; because it is
pleasing thing to find the shining gold un6e
ones feet But it is a transient pleasure. There
is no fee-simple in it; there is not even a life
estate in it; not even lease for year, a month,
a week, or day. The pleasure is soon gone.
Exhausted plGcers now exist in New Mexico,
formerly yielding much, now some twenty five
or fifty cents day, and only pursued by the
poorest Mexcans. Regular mining has follow.
ed there, and is now yielding considerable guam
titles, These washings of California are mar
vellously rich; for we have to believe what is
certified to us by so many witnesses but they
are not the richest that ever were seen. Far
from It, Those of Brazil, in the mountains back
of Rio Janerio, in the time of Lord Anson's
voyage, say 100 years ago, were far richer; and
yet they have been exhausted so long that all
memory of them is lost, and their history only
lives in old books. G2000,0 00-SlO, 100000
wore annually sent to Europe, for years from
these washings. They were worked by slaves
who, to secure their fidelity and industry, were
usually allowed by their masters all the proceeds
Of the day above a given amount; and in that
, way many slaves became rich, purchased their