Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-02-13


inr Of miners, and desire their publication
Yours,
L. S. LOOMS, Ssc'y. said Meeting.
MINERS MEETING AT FAIR
PLAN.
At meeting of the Miners Of Fairp'ay and
,icinity, On the lst of February, JACKSON So
WARD, ESQ.,, was called to the Chair.
The object of the meeting being stated, the
following Preamble and Resolutions were pre-
sented and adopted:
lVtereas, Difficulties have arisen between
the american Mating Company, and certain
Miners in this vicinity, in consequence OF
that Company refusing to recognize Rights and
Claims as heretofore held by Miners; and
| Hhereas, Mining is difficult anduncertain
business, in consequence of which, Miners, as
a class. need protection against rapacous land
lords, especially when the landlord happens to
| be a company, whose shareholders are far "a
way. and know little or nothing Of the difficult
ties of our ealing, therefore
| Resoired, That We, Miners of Fairplay and
vicinity, declare, that by all legal and Just
means, will sustain each other in our rights
and claims, against any or al attempts OF the
American Mining Company, or others, to dis
regard, override, or dispossess us of such
Claims to mine as we have heretofore posses
sed.
ResolUed, That there are just claims, held
by some among US, upon the land lately pur-
chased By said Mining Company, which that
Company without Gin our opnion) just cause,
are determined entirely to disregard.
A Resolution was also passed 10 have these
proceedings published.
j. SEWARD, Chairman.
| REMARKs.-We are unacquainted with
the reasons for holding the above meet
ing, and the objects intended TO be ae-
compished by it. From the preamble
and resolutions. it appears however, that
certain rights, or what miners are in the
habit of calling "miners' rights 10 dis
Itinguish them from '.rights" recognized
in our codes OF Common and Statute law,
have been violated by the American Mi
ming Company. Now, the time was,
when our Wisconsin miners did right in
enacting certain usages and customs into
laws, and organizing for their enforce
ment. Such popular enactments and Of
ganizations are now rightful and neces-
sary in California, where the lands most
all belong to Government. Then our
mineral lands belonged to the United
States, and We're free for all to work up
on, by paying a trifing rent. Had our
| lands remained under the same owner
ship till now, such rights would still be
in order, for there would yet be no courts
claiming jurisdiction over what is being
done with them, and consequently, no
law TO reach contracts between parties
working them.
Government having the right TO sell,
sold these lands, many of them bringing
over Congress price, on account of sus-
picion that they contained valuable min
erals. Purchasers came into possession
of the lands and Of all above and beneath
them, with the right to sell, transfer or
lease them. Then the original right 10
dig upon such lands without the own
Iers' consent, became trespass. and ak
the usages and customs and meetings and
resolutions held or passed in the civili-
zed universe can't make it anything else
but trespass. We know that "miners'
rights to dig without the consent of
owners, and retain all the mineral ex-
|cept customary rent, have generally
been respected ever since, but never by
virtue Of any law, other than usage.
We have common law, Statute enact
ments and courts to determine who has
rights TO dig on spot of land. 1t is
true that law is an expensive and tedi-
Gus remedy it is true that our courts
have far degenerated into dignifed far
ces, and il is true that some of our laws
operate to shield the transgressor and
make the honest man bear the burthen,
still We coniide in the law, for surely no
American citizen al heart ever thinks of
redress by any other means. The reso-
tons however, only speak of obtaining
redress by illegal and just means,' and
of mutually sustaining each other in their
rights.
The term and language, "rapacious
landlords" residing at distance, and
knowing nothing Of the difficulties of mi
Iners, are in bad use. The entire coun-
try has been for years calling upon and
persnading eastern companies and capt.
ta!lsts TO come TO our mines and put ex-
penslve machinery to work OIL them
The Companies have certain rules for
their agents TO follow. The agents, cap
Iital, machinery and rules have all been
sent on to work our mines, deeper than
our skill and ability will admit of. They
don't expect to drive miners away by
Icompetition, ncr hinder them from work,
rather, they open ont new avenues,
increase facilities and add to the demand
for labor. Thew consume orr nrayisions