San Andreas independent., 1857-12-12
Taxing Mining Claims,

public papers in nearly every section Of
the State, and particularly in the mining
portions, almost every public print has
committed itself, pro or con. That the
papers In the cities and agricultural coun-
ties should advocate the principle of
raising revenue by taxing mining claims.
might be looked upon in the light that
they have formed erroneous ideas in rela-
tlon to the condition of affairs in the
mines; but we are somewhat surprised
to see that some journals published in tn !,
mines, are disposed to advocate the policy.
There is some satisfaction, however, in
Knowing that they are willing to make a
distinction, and that claims that pay
merely wages should be free from taxa
tion, and that only the better class of
claims should be made to furnish a rev.
enue. 1t is an undeniable fact that there
are claims, the owners of which could well
afford to pay tax, but that class of claims
are extremely small when compared to the
whole number, and when that distinction
is made by law and attempted to be car
rled out by the assessor and collector. It
will only create confusion, and we are
free to express our opinion, that when
the experiment is tried, it will be found
that sufficient revenue cannot be raised
from this source to make it any object
whatever to the State, and the Legislature
that passes such a law will be ashamed of
it after the first years experiment. 1t is
all very fine for those who have never
swung the pick or handled the shovel to
talk of the glorious results of mining and
figure up the millions that are dug out by
brawny arms-seldom remaining in the
hands of him who extracted it-but going
to enrich others who are engaged in diff
ferent occupations. We are of the opin-
ION, If those who merely look at the grand
total, as it is summed up in the semi
monthly shipments from California, should
try their luck at mining operations, after
few years of unsuccessful experiment
they would come to different conclusion
as to the propriety of raising revenue from
the mines.
1t is asserted, in connection with this
subject, that the agricultural counties pay
the larger portion of the expenses of gov
ernment, while the mining counties WELD
the power and enact the laws; and at the
same time the mining counties contain
more wealth and produce more value than
the agricultural counties. That may all
be true enough-and in relation to one
portion paying the taxes while the other
wields the power, we see no fair way of
remedying the difficulty, unless poor men
are disfranchised, when, we have no doubt,
theagricultural- commercial counties would
have a sufficient preponderance in the
Legislature to entirely satisfy them in re-
latlon to the amount of taxes they pay
As to the mining counties containing more
wealth and producing more value; un-
doubtedly they produce more in value"
but what becomes of it? 1t does not
remain in the mining counties; if it did,
it would be subject to taxation, and the
assessors books would show it, No, when
it is dug out it leaves the mines for the
benefit of the agricultural and CONNER
cial counties and other portions of the
world. They contain, also, ''more wealth, ;"
If the gold which lies hidden in the
public domain of Uncle Sam be included
But that is not individual wealth till it is
extracted from the earth nor can we see
the business of the principle which would
compel individuals to pay tax upon it
previous to its coming into their hands:
and upon this one point might hinge the
whole argument upon the principle of
taxing mining claims. 1t is not pre-
tended that the miner ownes any interest
in the land itself, which contains the
gold; that belongs entire to the general
government and is free from State taxa
ton, and the miner occupies and works
it merely by sufferance, his tenure being
by courtesy and not by right. 1t cannot
be properly said that he owns the gold
which the earth contains, till he, by the
strength of his muscles, has separated it
from the dirt. True, he may take up a
claim of one hundred feet square, but his
title is extremely precarious and requires
diligence and watchfulness on his part to
retain it. The mechanic who takes a
contract to furnish material and perform
n certain piece of work, for which ne is
to receive S., 900, might, with the same
propriety, be taxed for that amount oi
rronarty. in advance of his performing