The Shasta courier., 1853-12-31
Convention i'm Humboldt, County.


The citizens OF Humboldt county have assem-
bled in convention, TO take action upon the
most suitable measures for the purpose of pre-
venting the further location of School Land
Warrants on public lands in this State and for
the establishment of Port OF Entry Land
Office, and regular mail communication. John
Nj. Eddy, of Eureka, was called to preside over
the Convention. WATERMAN Dyke, Esq, offered
very able report which we regret our limited
space precudes publishing entire.
The resolutions affirm the necessity of the
creation of additional mail facilities for that Sec
ton as also the wisdom of creating d new col
lection district, to be composed of the north
western counties of the State, and the estab
lishment of Port OF Entry at Humboldt Bay
The preamble. in urging the necessity OF these
measures, says:
The maritime interests of Humboldt Bay are
rapidly growing into importance, showing at
the present time, from official statistics a COM
merce averaging % arrivals and as many de-
partures per month, engaged principally in the
lumber trade and carrying from mills
average of one hundred thousand feet per day
which amount will be greatly increased by 9TH
inexhaustibe forests oil timber in the vicinity
of the Bay, and the facilities for manufacturing
the same into lumber, and shipping it to other
markets, presents better guarantees for large
aud permanent lumber trade than any other OF
our possessions upon the Pacific coast
The following portions of the preamble and
resolutions relating to the location of School
Land Warrants upon public lands, embrace the
most important business done by the Conven-
ton:
Whereas There has been large number of
School Land Warrants located Ill this county
upon the most valuable portions OF the public
lands in the same and
Whereas, by virtue of these warrants, large
tracts of land are held by few individuals, aud
III many cases non-residents; and
Whereas, we deem The monopoly of large
tracts of unoccupied lands of the u States by
few non-occupants, highly detrimental to the
best interests of our country, by tending to dis
courage actual settlement and mprovement: and
Whereas, we view the Act of the Legislature
of this State, dsposing of the 100000 acres of
land donated by Congress, as far as the same au
thorises the locations of School Land Warrants
upon the unsurveyed lands of the United States
as contrary to the Act of Congress, which act
provides that " said location may be made at any
time after the land of the U. States in said State
laws therefore,
Resolred, That our Representatives in Con-
gress be instructed, and our Senators in Congress
be requested to oppo the passage of any law of
Congress confirming the Act of the Legislature
of this State disposng of the FIVE hundred thou
sand acres of land so far authorisng the loca-
ton of School Land Warrants, upon the unsur-
veyed lands of the United States.
Resolred, That request all persons TO deslst
from the further locating of School Land War
rants IN this county, and that we call the atten-
tion OF the citizens and settlers of the agricultu-
raj districts throughout the State. to the import
ance of this subject, and request them to take
means to protect th 5mselves against this system
OF land monopoly.
We do not see the necessity Of asking any ac
ton of Congress relative to the Act of our Legis-
lature which subjects the 500. 900 acres of land
donated to the State, to be located by School
Land Warrants. Unless the lands of Humboldt
have been surveyed according to law which they
never have been, School Land Warrant will
not hold single against the claim of set
tier who chooses to pre-empt it. The Commits
sioner of the General Land Office says this in SO
many words, in his letter to Col. Gift, Register of
the Land office at Benicia. Beside, the plain let
ter of the law says it in terms, if possible still
less ambiguous If, therefore, as this Convention
declares, large tracts of land in Humboldt are
covered by School Warrants to the manifest in
inry of the settler, let the people of that county
rid themselves of the evil, by pre-empting the
land thus claimed. We see nothing in the way
to prevent them doing so.
THE BooT ox THE OTHER FOOT The CONNER