The Shasta courier., 1855-02-24
senator Films Bill.

| Senator Flint has introduced a bill "to pro-
vide for the better protection Of the Gold Mine
raj Lands in California"
Section 1st reads as follows:
| 1t shall be unlawful for any person or persons
not eligible to citizenship, to take gold from the
mineral lands i'll California, except as herein
after provided.
This reads well, and leads the reader at once
| to suppose that bill commencing so we'll will
continue SO to the end. But let us see. Sec Cd
provides that any person, not eligible to citizen
ship, caught unawfully taking gold from the
| mineral lands, shall be deemed trespasser,
and on conviction theroof shall be fined not
less than fifty more than two hundred dol
lars for each offence. The same section, in con-
nection with sections 3rd, 4th, 5th and 9th, pro-
vide, that in case of refusal or inability to pay
such fine, the Sheriff shall sell at public auction
the property of the person or persons convicted,
and pay over the amount of the fine to the Coun
iy Treasurer,t to be retained by him, and known as
The Special Fund for Roads and Highways"
And in the event that the property SO sold does
not bring the amount of the fine, including costs
then the persons SO convicted shall be placed in
the custody of the Supervisor of roads and high
| ways whose duty it shall be to employ said per-
sons upon the public roads and highways for
| such number of days correspond with the
number of dollars remaining unpaid on the exc
cution.
This too is all very well. But now we come
to the 7tfr and last section, and we do not haye
to read more than three or four lines before the
| full merning of the phrase except as hereinaf-
ter provided" found in first SECTION, bursts full
| upon the mind. 1t is simply revival ofthe old
| ''Cooly Blll"-the which politically
| damned Senator Tingly several years ago. But
| here it is:
SEc7. 1t shall be lawful for any citizen or
citizens such person or persons as shall be ell
igible to citizenship. and shall haye declared
| their intention according to lazy in any of the
Conr,s of The State, of becoming citizens by nat
urazation. TO employ under hire or contract per-
sons not eligible to ctizensiiipto take gold from
| the mineral lands in the State provided that such
persons be employed on bona fde claims which
| are properly made and recorded in the district
where snch claim has been located. and further
provided that such claim or claims do not inter-
fere or conflict with the regulations of Il dis
trict where such claim or claims have been To-
Gated and it is further provided. that the per-
son or persons employing persons not eligi.
BILE to citizenship shall have taken ont license
for each and every person so employed, which
license shall be paid in manner and amount into
the fund as already provided for by law This
act is TO take effect six months afterits passage.
So far as we have observed, the miners in
their numerous meetings throughout the mines,
have, without single exception, asked for the
II
They do not wish them here under any circum-
stances. If Senator Flint thinks otherwise we
assure him that he is aboring Under most erro-
neous belief The miners would rather that the
Chinese remain in the mines at present, than
under such law as the Senator from San Fran
cisco proposes. No such law would be permit
ted to remain on the statute book longer than
one year, nor would it lie regarded for a single
day The miners of California will ever oppose
any proposition to throw the mineral lands into
the hands of spectators and capitalists.