The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-04-01


| would consider any attempt to drive HIM away as
an act Of 0ppre sson, hr the time trels that
something IS due from him for the privileges he en-
Joys, and he would willingly pay reasonable sum
rscitd in the enjoyment Of them.
The gold In the rlvers, the dry diggngs, and the
raviD.s, is accessible TO any man VINO has the
strength TO use pan or washer, spade and pick
exc.
The employment Of machinery may, perhaps,
facilitate It's collection, but il Is not essential.
Every man 10 master OF his own movements The
case will be very different with the vein mines,
which yet remain in the rock. To work them
successfully will require machinery, with horse or
steHm power, involving an expenditure OF capital
IN proportion the extent OF the operations.
No Prudcn, man will make such investments
clearly defined by law. In the absence of all legal
reg ulaton, IL q man were 10 discover vein NINE,
and incur the expense Of erecting machinery to
~ars 1t, any 0tse, persopl Shasn' or ior;gner
him, deprive him of his discovery. and destroy
the value Of his property. Hence il will be per-
ce,vtd that any Law prescribing the privileges and
duties Of miners should be go framed 10 secure
There is some fertile soil IN the gold region
b, sutifu valleys and rich hllsides, which, under
crcum stances favorable to agriculture, would I'M
doubtt dI, be valuable for thai purpose but ut pre-
s.pt. and as long as the collection Of gold shall
continue to reward labor so much more abundantly
,hsn The cultivation Of the soil, the important mat
ter 10 be considered IL, the proper mode of dis
posing Of the metallic wealth OF the country.
The first step, in my opinion. should be to re-
serve he entire region, where gold IS found. from
The operation Of the pre-emption laws, and from
sale, so that il may now be regarded as the COM
n on frs asure Of the American people, and here
after a rich inheritance to their posterlty Then
provlte for the appointment OF commissioner of
The nes, and suflicien number OF assistant COM
nlIsstr ers 10 carry the law into effect.
Let the Office Of the commissioner be established
of mt the IN saw
mtrio city, and the Offices Of his assistants on the
princil al rivers, and In the most productive dts
ucts Provide that any and every Am. rcan citi-
zen, on APPLICATION at the Office oil the commissioner,
az SIG, or such sum as may be considered Just
End proper. shall be entitled 10 receive a license
or permit to dig spywhere in the territory for one
wear. Provide, also, that any one who shall dis
cover, purchase Of the discoverer, a VEN mine,
hall lie entitled 10 work IL, 10 certain extent,
under proper rgulations,o n paying 10 the commits
sioner such per cent on the proceeds of the mine
rs NAV be suitable tax on the privileges granted
|, will Re necessary alse allow the miner to cut
and use such timber and other building materials
his business requires; and, also. to allow those
who vok under permits the privilege ut erecting
cabins for shelter through the winter. Authorize
the c. mmissioner 10 lay out sites for towns in
convene nj situations 10 the MINES, and Offer the
lots fer sale, reserving the metals and minerals. so
that those who make mining permanent pursuit
may accumulate around them the comforts aud
erIoyn epts Of cvizsd life. Let those who desire
10 cultivate gardens or farm lots b- accommodated.
II will be necessary also TO authorize the sale ct
timber and other materials for building and other
purrcses There may be other suggestions which
DO ct now ccuur TO me. bnt no doubt will To
those who may he charged with the preparation OF
any msai ure which may be brought forward on
the subject.
have Suggested one ounce, or SIG, as the price
Of permit or licsn se to Dig or collect gold for
year. THIS regard as about the average value Of
one day 5 labor In the mines THIS tax, on hfty
ihous al miners, the probable number next sum-
ner. will give q revenue Of Ss00,c00 On one
n, ndred Thousand minrrs-,he probable number of
ls5t wall give 81 600, besides the per cent.
um On The vein mines, and the sum received tor
town lots, timber, &c, &c, which would proba-
bly, swell The amount 10 at least 81 0OO, 900. Any
variation in the tax imposed, will, OF course, In
crease or diminish this estimate. .,
A suitable amount of the money thus collected
should be expended in constructing roads and
brdces 10 facilitate communication TO and through
The mining districts.
These facilities will so reduce the cost Of living
in the mines, that the miners Will gam instead OF
lose by paving the tax. These are accommoda-
| tons which the miners th.mse Ives will never pro-
VIDE, because Of the want Of concert OF action
| emcng them sufficient to accomplish such objects,
but for hich they will willingly pay any moderate
contribution liberal per cestem should be al
| establishment OF an university 10 educate the
youth Of California. Let It not be considered iha
| this will be doing Injustice 10 the older States q
| the Union. lEty Will Ttdp n udTNttt sufUCltuty
rich in their intercourse with their younger siseI
on The Pacific, 10 justify the most liberal course Of
| policy towards her.
have given $4,000 900 as the probable revenue
| for 1851, under the proposed system This would
discharge the interest on the amount stipulated in
the treaty to be paid TO Mexico for Caornia and
| New Mexico, provide $4,000 per annum for a
school fund, and the necessary improvements Ia
the mining districts, and create sinking fund OF
bali million per annum, 10 pay the principal OF
the indemnity to Mexico.
| An Increase of the number OF miners, or OF the
| price Of permits, would Of course increase the
revenue. II the vein-mines shall be found as ex-
| tensive and productive as the best informed per-
sons suppose, the night TO work them, properly Sc
cured by law, and the opportunity thus offered OF
usipe machinery TO advantage, Will Justify the col
lection OF much larger per centege on their gross
product than II IL proposed 10 require from those
who labor with their own hands IN the nse Of the
| simI 1e means now employed IN the collection Of
cold. The amount, therefore, collected from this
souice may ultimately be as large, perhaps larger,
lfrytnue il an object, there can be little doubt
that. BY the adoption OF this system, the amount
collected in few years will be larger than the en-,
| tire district would command IN ready money, ~
offered Tor sale; and the iniere SITS aud privileges oil
those employed IN the mines will be srcured from
| the cfsspng and monopolizing srirt ct individual
| proprctors; California and the whole Union pre-
| serve fIom scenes OF anarchy and confusion, u
not boodshtd, which must result from sale OF
| the mining region 10 spcculaiors, and an attempt
to protect them in the enjoyment Of their pur.
chases.
The salaries of the commissioner and his assist
ants may easily be paid out Of the amount re-
ceived, in fixed sums, or in the form OF per
/ centum.
Iha,e proposed TO exclude foreigners from the
prvIkRe Of purchasing permits, and from working
az ditcoverers or purchasers IN The VEN mines.
Ny reasons for recommending this policy are,
| that iht se mines belong 10, and IN my Jud yment
should be preserved for the use and benet! OF the
American people. mean, Of course, all citizens,
native end adopted.
DUNG the mining season Of 1870, more than &c
/ teen thousand foreigners, mostly Mexcans aud
/ Chile came, IN armed bands, into the mining
disriot, bidding defiance to all opposition, and
finally carrying out Of the country some twenty mil,
lions Of dollirs worth OF gold Duet which belonged
by purchase TO the people OF the United states. IL
not excluded by Law, they will return and recon-
meroe the work OF plumber. They may, with as
much rsht, e,,her the harvest 10 the val,y OF me