The Nevada journal., 1852-03-25
The Mineral Land Question Considered
and the Usufruetuary Title Advocated"

and the Usufructuary Title Advocated"
This is the name of a pamphlet Of .
pages printed at the Office of the San
Joaquin Republican. Its title probably
explains its object, and MS we have not
time to consider it at legth, we quote
the following to show the character Of
the work
The propositions which have been
made for the disposition of the mineral
lands, may be thus clasified
lst. The sale to the highest bidder,
or for the mere cost OF survey.
I'd. The absolute gif. in fee simple to
the miners and the surrender Of the til
tie by the General Government on Ger.
tain conditions
Sd. The maintenance of the usufruc-
tuary title, which ut present obtains in
the mines.
{ President Fillmore recommended the
first proposition, and Mr.. Walsh, Sena-
tor from Nevada, and others, still main.
tain that this policy would be the best
that could be adopted
We hardly know whether to think
the author Of this quotation is consum.
nately ignorant of the subject he writes
upon. or whether it was designed for an
absolute perversion Of The the truth.
Nor is there much difference which is
tho case. He says the first proposition
for disposing Of the mineral lands, is
'the sale to the highest bidder. or for
the mere cost of survey" president
Fillmore recommended the first PROPOSE
ton, and Mr.. Walsh, Senator from Ne.
vada, and others, - still maintain that
this would be the best that could be
adopted" Now if the author Of this
sentence had designed to present this
matter in the true light, he had come
just us near tho truth, while he had
evinced more sagacity, if he had said
"Mr. Walsh, Senator from Nevada. and
others recommended the proposition, and
President Fillmore still maintains it,"
In fact, a greater amount Of misrepre-
sentation in 30 small space, could
scarcely be expected to come from &C
shallow brain. While ehlarging on
the matter, the author OF this book
says;
Now, lei us suppose that Congress
sells the title and John Davis purcha.
ses one Of the sections, locating it, for
instance. in the heart Of jamestown, or
on Shaw's fiat. John Davis, armed with
authority, proceeds to take possession,
but finds some five hundred men, as the
case may be, working on the spot, Of
course the interests Of the five hundr red
men must be sacrificed for the interest
of John Davis Would such q scheme
work well! 8 there any power en-
earth equal to the task of driving thos Q
five hundred honest, hard working hbo-
rers from the soil The effect CT such o
law would inevitably be, as we have
said before, to chedpen labor, by driving
it in,o an unproductive market, and to
paralyso the commerce and trade Of the
country
There are but few-and il any, they
are but little superior in point of COM
prehension and honesty, to the author
of the above extract-who would expect
or wish the mineral lands surveyed in
sections of Eve hundred acres, and sold,
irrespective of the claims of present oc-
cupants nor do we believe any body
but the author of this pamphlet has
even SO much as regarded such thing
possible. Those who advocate the dis
position Of the mineral land, want the
titles us now held, confirmed without
disturbing the present occupants, and
the survey of which he talks would
be nothing more than to sanction the
boundaries prescribed by the miners
laws. There is but one remarkable fea.
turc in this work. In every paragraph
it bears the impress Of a consciousness.
of error, in which the author wishes tc
sustain himself. which he is willing te
do; by STOPPING to that low vulgarity
which characteristics tho most ridiculous
strect-brawicr and pot-house politician
-
''Ihe sandwich Islands As They Are, not As
! They Should Be-"
! This is the title Of pamphlet, prin-
ted at the Sunday Dispatch office, in