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

grudgngy deliver up what be compelled deliver tn
United States; but il left Alone he would deliver up arg
portion for articles of value which hsd paid duty, or
would purchase public lands. This qaestion Is vital to tn
whole system, and pc the attention Of the Senate will
called TO BY this principle OF making Ieyenue and thu
mode Of doing it, Think the mode in the bill is the smpes
possible that will be easy Of execution and application
Il precisely conornabe to the mode Of working the leas
mines in the West.
think this ysem should be little hamnseled as posi-
BILE that should not give up the idea Of permits but tha
for small sum- for the purpose Of deyng the expense ant
not for revenue, every should have the privilege
placer And certain every laborer would be glad
pay the small amount of dollar per moath for the sake
having security in the working OF the thirty square feet
which he would be entitled But that small amount
would swell up to give the United States considerable
sum and above all expenses
Mr.. FREMONT. Before the question is taken on the
motion Of the Senator from Ohio, will propose to ell the
blanks in the section which be has moved strike OUT
will f the blank in the fourth line with the word
sone," make the amount to be paid monthly fol
working placer by manual labor dollar and to insert
twenty-five in the blank in the sizth line.
The question then taken the first amendment and
it was agreed TO-
Mr. BENTON. would inquire whether the amendmena
proposed BY the Senator from Ohio does leave indeterm
nate the amount Of land to be granted for mine
Mr. EWING. The quantity is not to exceed four
Mr.. BENTON. And that ODE in square form,
Mr. EWING. To be laid out under the direction Of the
agent superintendent of the mines.
Mr.. BENTON cannot say how much think should
be paid for permit Of that kind think though 1t should
be good many times twenty five dollars against that
amendment amendment allowing four for mine,
to be laid the agent pleases. Twenty five dollars would
not bear any proportion to the paid for working
placer. Ii should be than hundred dollars there
fore fill the blank with $500, the basis Of tho grant
of permit to work four acres
Mr.. GWIN That is entirely too high This will
be price, for they will have the risk of
making the explorations and dggngs first whether there
gold where they propose to locate not The expense
of carrying machinery there very great and then there will
he and
and, if individual company have to pay this price
in addition, and then fail to find gold, it will be ruinous
| business.
Mr. DAVIS, of mississippi II understand the PROPOSE
ton there is obligation laid upon the miner If the osa.
ton that he fixes upon ich the proposed is not
much, and if it is not rich ho will not work it. and of
will not be obliged to pay the SUM.
The question then taken the amendment proposing
to ill the blank in the permit granting four for mine
with the sum Of $500, and it was agreed to. sfa
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question OH
the motion made by the Senator from Ohio strike out the
seventh section and insert his amendment.
Mr. EWING. The amendment that propose is to-
change the SYSTEM that instead of charging given
for permission to work placer the individual working it Is
required to deliver his god when dug the agent of the
United States for which he receive sixteen dollars an
ounce, either in gold silver coin in ngots stamped by
the assayer Of the United States who has been provided for
in the bill passed last night, by draft the treasury Of
the United States In order to have this perfectly understood
by the Senate wish them remember that sixteen dollars
That is what commands San Francisco II does not
command that the mines must be carried San
Francisco to get that But if take for sixteen dollars
ounce, and it is worth eighteen dollars ounce,
ceive and senorage Of dollars for every of
gold that dug, and do it without putting any burden
upon the digger if he will give up. And there is strn
gent provision in the bill which will induce him to give up
and stronger nducement in the fact that he will obtain
good purchaser the Mines who will pay him much for
his gold he could get San Francisco unless nd
vidua should come into competition, which is not probable
because in the market If the miners refuse to give
the gold, they will be considered espasses the land
and forfeit the gold think there will be competition
that would think it worth while offer sixteen dol
lars and quarter to induce the miner to sell his gold to him.
But certain if do not pass this law, sixteen dollars
all the miner will get during the existence Of this
temporary bills and whatever he pays for permission to work
the placer is certainly much los. TO him. BY the other
process which PROPOSE should get about two millions of
dollars year. for the coming year, if individuals dgg
the gold surrender it. there would be every nducement for
them to do because they would get for it, and
reliable purchaser than they could have where else
This provision does not tax the laborer think the Sena
tor from Missouri is mistaken with regard to that We give
the abore for the product of his labor all that he could
If we let him alone and instead of charging him dollar
month for placer or twenty-five dollars month for mne
we charge him nothing. Now, Mr. President il has been
said that this will require great deal Of machinery. Think
the twelve agents whom is proposed to appoint will be
amply sufficient carry all the machinery; to receive the
gold and transmit to San Francisco, be put into the hands
of the assayer be disposed Of the Government Of the
United States may think M 1t is, however, question as
to what will be the policy of the United States with respect
to these mines; for if is their policy get income from
them at a is their policy and their purpose to let nd
vduas companies have them work. and receive nothing
do not think il worth while to insert this provision. This
is the question Which will be the policy Of the United
States If it be their policy to have income from these
mines now is the time to lay the foundation for it. you
wait until the business becomes regular there until men can
get IN the mines the actual value of the gold which they dig
there till they get eighteen dollars ounce, when you
come to offer them sixteen dollars they will be dssa,ised
they will not agree to the carrying out Of any plan for
nue., which may be adopted with difficulty There
can be no difficulty for they will receive the full value
OF their gold and shall make and senorage out
of the profits which would be made by the specuatorn gold
There will be no Inconvenience arising of for this tenn
porary period for which this bill is proposed. But you
permit this period to pass over and business
and gold worth eighteen dollars instead Of sixteen,
you cannot collect that kind Of you will encounter
cisey the difficulty which has been heretofore
tered in attempting TO collect it.
Spain did not adopt this system. She had such portion
of the gold silver extracted from the mines bat she did
not buy the crude gold silver from the miner and pay him
the market price for it. and rely upon the profit the senior
for rents That the of the difficulty of collect
ing the gold when the actual vaae not paid. There
another difficulty that Spain encountered She gave the
miners conior currency and they compelled TO sell
their metal and thus violate The law for the wont of it. That
the great why Spain could not collect the gold
That the opinion of eminent Spanish WRITER'S who de-
cared that the difficulty would have been removed and she
would have been able to collect her senorage had the coin
been given in exchange for the gold little less than its
market value.
Mr.. FREMONT. certainly did not intend to say that
the particular form Of amendment proposed by the honorable
Senator from Ohio part the Spanish system mean,
mposed