The Nevada Democrat., 1856-10-01

~ Eremont had, however, acquired q cohsiuei"-
BILE notariety in connection with these explora-
tions, and upon the admission Of California as
State. he became Senator. In this field he
was equally unfortunate as in that of explorer.
On the 10th day of September 1850, he took his
seat. and on the same day, he gave notice that
on some subsequent day, he would ask leave to
introduce certain bills, and amongst them, "a
bill to regulate the working oft placers and
gold mines in California to preserve order py
granting temporary permits to actual opera
tves TO work the same in limited quantities"
As he had thus threatened, he did introduce
that bill The bill provided for the appoint
ment of agents to travel through the mining To-
calites, to cut up the ground into lots of thirty
feet square, grant permit to work that, and to
tax the miner for the privilege. The following,
is one of the sections of the bill:
HSEc. 7. And be IL further enacted, that the re-
spectiye Agents shall demand and receive for
the use of the United States for a permit to
work a placer by manuel labor, at the rate of
-dollars month, and for permit to work
mine with machinery, at the rate of---doi-
| lars month, for as many months as the appii-
cant shall demand, not exceeding twelve months
in either oase but new permits may be granted
| to the same persons at the expiration OF the
first with right to continue operations in any
place in which he was working.
The good sense and intelligence of Senators,
at once saw the injustice of the bill, the dangers
Of vesting such powers in agents, to parcel out
the mineral lands; and also the improperly
of undertaking to draw revenue from the
hardy industry of the miners, and therefore the
bill was warmly assailed. Col. Fremont was not
disposed to yield, and made battle, insisting up
ON the government taxing his constituents In
reply to Mr.. Felch of Michigan, here iswhat our
California Senator Col. John G, Fremont had to
say in defense of his bill:
INU. s. SENATE, Sept. rs, 1850,
Under consideration q bill introduced by Mr..
Fremont, to regulate the working of pacers
and mines in California, and to grant permits;
&c.
Mr. Fremont sad-The Senator from Michi-
gan MR. Felch1 who has made the motion to
strike out the whole bill, and to insert sub
stitute, does not object to these principles, but
on the contrary, supports them, aud objects only
to details. Adopting the principles OF the bill
and its leading provisions, he objects to the
machinery, as we may call it, OF executing the
system: objects TO the agents, to the permits,
and of course to the sum which is to be paid for
the permit. He would seem to leave the law to
execute ITSELF that is to say, leave every man
to act for himself under the law If the honor
able Senator was as familiar with the working
of things in California as we who have drawn
up the bill for which he proposes this substitute,
| believe he would never have introduced this
proposition. 1t would never work well any
where; but would throw every thing into dis
order and confusion, and make every man Judge
and Jury in his own case. Laws must have Of
6cers to execute them, and / think none could
be more cheap, convenient and suitable to the
Deoplc, than such as this bill provides for.
In the first place. there are agents who are to
, reside each in a gold mining district, grant the
permits to applicants, visit the mines, and with
Jury of six dsinterested men settle all disputes
equitaby and promptly and without the delay
aud expense Of resort to a court OF justice for
, every little question that grows up among the
miners. To see that the agents are faithful and
attentive, superintendent of gold mines is ere
atcd, whose business it is to superintend all the
! agents, examine their books and accounts, hear
: complaints against them, take appeals from
! their decisions and suspend them and appoint
: others in case of misconduct. The supernten-
dent is thus armed with strong power over the
agents and for the benefit of the miners. 1t was
| considered necessary to have this strong con
trolling power present with the agents and the
, miners, that all possible attention should be
! paid to the faithful execution of the act, and
, the immediate redress Of all wrongs. The SUI
perintendent is necessary to give regularity to
the operations of the agents, to hold them all
, accountable, and to be the head Of the system.
i To accomplish these purposes, an authority upon
g the spot is Indispensable. The quantity al
{ lowed to each person is ample, thirty
feet square is to be the size of lot TO be worked
by manual labor in placer-two hundred and
ten feet, or about one acre, is to be the size of
| lot In o mine, to be worked by machinery in
the rock k-Appendir TO Con. Globe, Part I'd, Isl
Session 3l& Congress, page 1870.
/, In spite of all that Fremont could do, howev-
er, the common sense Of statesmen revolted
against the proposed imposition, and the bill
was rejected. Fortunately, this able, and faith
fll representatives. career was short one il
the Senate. He certainly did distinguish him
self, but in way altogether unenviable, HC
distinguished himself by being alone in meas
!, ure for trusting extraordinary powers to de
pendents of the government, and in proposing
to levy an onerous and extraordinary tax upor
his own constituents He, who should have
: stood there ready to resist such proposition I
coming from Others was found the most ready
to make it himself That Col Fremont is
great man, and wise and prudent statesman
, who can doubt after this To-
NHtI3'itI
o FALSE REPoRr.--A rumor was circulated II
s this place on Saturday morning last, that Chas
Steinmitz, butcher at Washington, was founG
c murdered the night before between White ClouC
: and Alpha. The rumor proved to be withou