The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-03-29


/ the mining districts.
These facilities will SO reduce the cost of living in
the mines, that the miners will gain instead OF
lose by paying the tax. These are accommoda-
/ tons which the miners themselves VIII never pro-
vide, because of the want concert OF action among
them sufficient TO accomplish such objects, but for
which they will willingly pay any moderate con-
tribution. liberal per centum should be allowed
out Of this sum, school fund.- and Tor the estab-
lishment of an university to educate the youth OF
California Let il not be considered that this Will
be doing injustice to the older States Of the Union.
They will reap harvest sufficiently rich in their
intercourse with their younger sister on the Pacific
TO justify the most liberal course Of policy towards
her.
| have given So 900 900 as the probable revenue
for 1861, under the proposed system. This would
discharge the interest ON the amount stipulated in
the treaty to be paid TO Mexico for California and
New Mexico, provide 100000 per annum for a
school fund, and the necessary improvements in the
mining districts, and create sinking fund OF hall
million per annum, to 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 If the vein mines shall be found as ex-
tensive and productive the best informed per-
sons SUPPOSE the right to work them, properly Sc
cured by law, and the opportunity thus offered OF
using machinery to advantage, will justify the col
lection Of a much larger per cent on their gross
product than 1t is proposed TO require from those
who labor with their own hands in the use of the
simple means employed in the collection of
gold. The amount, therefore, collected from this
source may ultimately be large, perhaps larger,
than that for permits.
lfrevenue Is an-obiect, 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, If
offered for sale; and the interests and privileges of
those employed in the mines will be secured from
the grasping and monopozing spirit of individual
proprietors; California and the whole Union pre-
served from scenes of anarchy and confusion, if
not bloodshed, which must result from sale of
the mining region to spectators, and 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 received,
in fixed sums in the form of a per centun.
have proposed to exclude foreigners from the
privilege of purchasing permits, and from working
as discoveries or purchasers in the vein mines.
My reasons for recommending this policy are, that
these mines belong to, and in my judgment should
be preserved for, the and benefit of the Amer
lean people. mean, of course all citizens, native
and adopted.
During the mining season of lS49, more than fif-
teen thousand foreigners, mostly Mexicans and
Chiienos, in armed bands into the mining dis
trict, bidding defiance to all opposition, and finally
carrying out of the country some twenty mil
lions of dollars worth of gold dust, which belonged
by purchase to the people of the United States. If
not excluded by law, they will return and recon-
mence the work of plumber They may, with as
much right gather the harvest in the valley of the
Connecticut, the Ohio, Mississippi No other
nation, having the power to protect it, would per-
init its treasure to be thus carried away. would
not allow them to purchase permits, work vein
mines, because the contributions proposed be
quired moderate that they will not cause the
slightest inconvenience to the miners, and are not
designed as an equivalent for these privileges For
eigners, therefore, would willingly pay these small
sums for permission to collect and carry away mil
lions of dollars in value The object is not only a
suitable revenue, but to preserve for the of our
own fellow citizens the wealth of that region.
This system of permits will make all who pur-
chase them police officers, to aid excluding from
the mines all who are not entitled to- or who do not
procure them. This will prevent deseriers from
the army and navy from being harbored and pro-
tected in the mines. Not being allowed to pur-
chase permits, the assistant commissioners aided
by the miners, would soon detect and arrest them.
Sailors belonging to the mercantile marine would
be detected in similar manner, and thus prevent
ed from running away.
The commerce of the country would be protected
from the disastrous consequences resulting from
the abandonment of ships by their crews which
necessarily imposes heavy tax consumers, be-
cause merchants, as measure of self protection,
must charge such losses their cargoes. and con-
sequently they fall ON those who purchase The
army and navy would be saved from demoraliza-
ton, and prepared for service in of necessity
Many Of the cmigrants to California, especially
those from the western States, will remain and
form resident populations; but there will be thou
sands and tens OF thousands Of young and middle
aged workngmen, from all parts of the Union,
who will resort 10 the mines for the purpose of OBJ
tanning the means to purchase farm, or establish
they have secured a sufficient amount will return,
and their places will be supplied by others who will
GO and do likewise.
This process has already commenced Many
who went out last spring have returned with an
ample reward for their la6ors and privatons The
market in California for the products and manufac
lures of the other States of the Union will enhance
prices, which, with the gold collected and brought
home by laborlng people, will difuse degree Of
wealth and comfort hitherto unknown among them
The quicksilver mines of California believed
TO be numerous, extensive, and very valuable.
There is one near San JOSE which belongs TO, is
claimed by, Mr. Forbes, of Topic, in Mexico The
cinnabar ORE which produces the quicksilver, lies
the surface, is easily procured, and believed
to be remarkably productive.
Discoveries Of other mines reported, but no
certain information respecting them has been made
public. IL Is, undoubtedly, fortunate circum-
stance that nature in bestowing California such
vast metallic treasure, has provided, almost in its
immediate neigbborhood, incxhaustble stores of
quicksilver, which is 80 essential in gold mining
The policy Of Government with respect TO these
mines Of cinnabar should in my opinion, be quite
different from that which have felt it my duty to
suggest for the management OF the gold region.
A soon the necessary explorations can be
made, and proper information obtained, IL will be
well to offer these mines for sale, and commit their
development to the hands of private enterprise.
IL is believed that there are extensive beds of
silver iron, and copper ores, in the Territory; but
there is no information sufficiently accurate re-
specting them, to justify any statement OF their ex
lstenCc or Ndluc.
have already alluded to the propriety of estab
fishing mint in California. This Is important in
many respects. At this time there il not coin in
the country TO supply currency. Much difficulty
Is experienced in procuring enough to pay the du-
ties on imported goods. The common circulating
medium is therefore, gold dust, which is sold at
SIS 90 to 5 10 per ounce. In the mines il is fire.
quently sold much lower. The miners, the labor
ing men, the sufferers from this ate Of things
| Those who purchase and ship gold to the Allan
tic States make large profits; but those ,oho dig lose
tphdf Others make.
! have estimated that there will be $4,000. 900
J collected during the current year Al SIC per
] ounce, that sum will weigh 3,l25,0 900 ounces.
Gold, at the United States mint. Is worth SlS
per ounce, making a difference in value on that
! quantity, between San Francisco and New York,
Of S6.250, 600, which would be saved to the miners
| by the establishment of a mint.
have also suggested its importance as a means
OF promoting and increasing trade with the
west coast OF Mexico and South America
IL Is not doubted that the construction of a rail
way across the Isthmus of Panama, and perhaps
the establishment Of other lines of communication
between the two oceans, will give to the products
and manufactures Of the older States Of the Union
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