Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-10-05

Mr.. TURNKEY ! would inquire whether by the PrOvi
sions Of the BILL any person going to California can apply 10
| and obtain permit
Mr.. EWING. ANY American citizen can.
Mr.. TURNEY. Then, if any American citizen can do II
and it be the policy prevent the negoiiaby OF the permits
spprehend the only mode of doing that will be to deny thu
right of any transfer whatever For it is not be supposed
that any American citizen, having the right to apply Tor ant
obtain permit without cost would and purchase one from
individual who held think, too, that by this mode
operations the effect will be to allow foreigners TO come int
! the mines by the purchaae of these permits
j Mr.. EWING. Oh, no not at all.
i Mr.. TURNEY. Then think il will be necessary L
strike out that portion of the bill which authorizes the ans
of permits.
sick wishes leave for another place. why not allow hin
| to sell
Mr. TURNEY. To whom
| Mr.. EWING To any American citizen.
| Mr.. TURNEY. Will any American citizen buy il who
has right go and obtain permit without cost =
Mr.. EWING. Certainly; if he finds there is good gold
lead there he will buy it rather than go and hunt up fol
| himself
Mr.. GWIN. would suggest that these transfers should
be made only to American citizens.
Mr.. EWING. There is provision in the bill that
can be given except to American citizens.
The question then taken the amendment and il
| wss agreed to.
Mr.. EWING. | have one other amendment which pro-
pose to Offer and which important than those have
acted upon have shown the Senators from California
do not know whether they will prefer the bill stands,
amendment.
it before offer it.
The seventh section OF the bill provides
THAT the respective agents shall demand and receve for
the use Of the United States for permit to work placer by
months the applicant shall ask and for permit work
mine with machinery, at the rate Of dollars month, for
many months the applicant shall demand, exceeding
twelve months in either but permits may be granted
to the same at the expiration of the hrs with right
to continue operations in place in which he working
Now this provision taxes just heavily the who is
M and EcJ
mass, and makes himself rich in single month It
makes difference between the two cases. and think in
that respect is unjust There many gold diggers who
earn but very little In consequence Of hitting upon unfor
tunae location II is Just about much thsy do to
live; whereas those who fortunate make themselves
rich directly do not think that in both they should
| be taxed alike.
Again. the current price of gold in San Francisco is six
teen dollars ounce That much any body gets for
it there It is bought and sold at that II is WORTH cash.
eighteen dollars And hence, if the United States
had their mint in San Francisco, the assayers Office pro-
vded for by the bill which passed last night this gold
would be worth to the United States eighteen dollars
ounce Now, that the miner may not be taxed at ALL and in
order that he may have purchaser the mines
where be will not be douby shaved by spectators at the
mines and at San Francisco also, propose to amend the bill
in the following BY striking the seventh Sec
ton and inserting what will read
Sec T. And be further enacted, That all gold extracted
from the mines and pacers of California shall be and
the property of the United States, well after before
taken from the placer mine and the gold collected by each
person having permit and those employed by him shall be
delivered weekly and oener if demanded the agent for
the district who shall give him therefor gold silver coin of
the United States stamped bullion certificate emitting
the lessee his assigns receive the mint assay Office
stamped bullion, draft the Treasury the United States
the of sixteen dollars for every crude gold with
its usual alloy taken from the placer mine. And any
having permit shall neglect refuse deliver the
agent demand all the gold he shall have taken from any
such placer mne shall SELL barter otherwise dispose
any gold he shall forfeit his permit and location and
moo he such gold all The
terest OF such his theren shall be abso
lutely forfeited to the United States"
This provision think would handsome revenue to
the United States and would not in fact tax the miner
dollar. On the contrary, would give him honest pur
chase for his gold at the mine where he dug it. giving him
the full value Of the god and at the me as Observed
yielding handsome revenue to the Government.
Mr.. FREMONT. The amendment of the honorable Sem
ato from Ohio proposes introduce change in the system
relating to the mines at all contemplated by this bill IF
were leading object in this bill to create branch of
for United States the amendment would be good
But the leading object of this bill is to do that at which
the Senator aims, according his remaks-hat to protect
labor and industry. We propose f the blanks in the
ton which proposed to be stricken out by the amendment
with the very lowest that the Senate willing insert
In them The system proposed by the Senator from Ohio is
that of Old SPAIN With all her system of laws and her arbi
rary power she able make any thing by that
system, and do think such system would bring any
revenue to the United States Spain derived sevenhnnths
of all her bullion from her mines in America, and she
received that $4,000 Of from them This plan
would have the effect make the miners hide the gold and
they would bring forward. think the object of
revenue that is DESIRED be better obtained by putting
in low amount for the perm-say dollar per month.
Mr. BENTON. The motion which has been made by
the Senator from Ohio, and the very objection made to it by
the Senator from California brings up the question which
have doubt has occupied the public mind the mind of
the members Of Congress- and which every body could FORE
would up in the of this debate. II is the
question whether the United States will undertake to make
out of the mines. This question brought up
by the motion the side and the objection the other
question which all have would arise and the
consideration Of which the attention of the whole ought
to be directed am decidedly Of the opinion that the United
States ought not to undertake to make Of the
mines that the United States ought herself with
getting the wealth out the bowels Of the earth ITSELF which
lying useless; that she ought content herself
with receiving what will pay the expenses Of the amnistra
ton of such system, and that system should be just
pie be made and at the time preserve order
among the miners This is the way which it'll be done
proposed by the Senator from California. He proposes
fee of dollar per month shall be given for the permit the
aborer who works apacer by manual labor and he is be
allowed to take out his permit for many months be
peases Now surprising there hundred thousand per-
sons engaged in this business who take permits, that
would make twelve hundred thousand dollars year, which
would be far above every expense which the United States
could incur in administering the system would at the
time be light that the laborer would not feel it. Having the
privilege Of shifting his location just often he might de-
sire, he would be almost sure, in the course of time,
to find something that would remunerate him for his
labor That is the footing upon which il stands in
the BILL The proposal is change that mode and take
oil the gold the property Of the United States. This
would involve machinery and expense, large amount
of capital be put the hands of agents. the RESPONSE
that capacity do not believe in nations working gold mines
At beleye nations rich by