San Andreas independent., 1857-02-07
For the San Andreas Independent.
The Ranch Act.

eye Miner, who did good thing in call
ing the attention of your readers to it !; and
the mention he made of the bearing it
had in the last election, we hope, will incite
the mass to such action regarding it, as
will put an eternal qaictus upon the sub
ject. Whatever may be the popular will
on this matter, now is time to express it;
and not leave the subject apparently for
gotten, only to be resurreeted by the whin-
ing solicitude of the first succeeding tribe
of political harpies, who may come before
the people, politically pleading aplace,o
and makinga beggarly appeal for little to-
eat. The principal points upon which
office-seeking wranglers chiefly dwell, ap-
pear to be entirely forgotten as soon as the
excitement of partizan contention subsidies.
How Is this? Are they left, Intentionally
left, as the vehicles of political ambition;
or are they forgotten by the sad reflection
upon defeat on the one hand, or absorbed
IN the trlumphs of success on the other?
The " Ranch Act is one of the sub
jects, upon whicha discrepancy of opinion
prevails of the intelligent miners
being inyeterately opposed to any "Act"
of the kind whatever
The right of petition is free peoples
privilege, and if there is any thing in the
principle" of protecting g brush fence"
enclosures by law, that is injurious, or an
moving to the q honest MINER" why not, at
once, become their own mediator, and tell
their very humble, and obedient servants,
| (?) &C., what they wish. The fact, that
no active steps appear to be taken, either
to modify or annul this Z" Act" by the mi
ners, very naturally leads us to the con-
clusion that it is generally approved For
ourselves, NIr. Editor, although, following
mining, and mining only, for a living
never having followed or engaged in any
other occupation for the four years we have
been IN the State, and being as tenacious of
our own rights and the rights of the class to
which we belong, as any man, We cannot
perceive any harm done to the miner by
the g Ranch Act"
Every reasonable and candid individual
must at once acknowledge the Justice of
protecting the industrious in legitimate ay
ocations; and the occupants Of the few
alluyial deposits of any value for the growth
OF culinary vegetables, are certainly as
much entitled to protection, by law, as any
other class of citizens. We have vet to
learn that this +" Act" infringes upon the
rights of miners any further than they,
themselves, have consented that it should;
at the same time, knowing WE'LL that the
broad and equitable principles of equality
of privileges form the only sound basis of
individual as well as National prosperity.
There arc benefits resulting from this
Act, which are shared by the miner as
WeH as the claimants of the right to raise
crops IN certain sections, or rather, patches,
OF the mineral land The government of,
even free country costs money and the
revenue which is annually forthcoming
from this source is no inconsiderable item
III keeping the wheels of government in
motion. Ranch occupants have secured
permission to cultivate crops, unmolested,
Tor consideration; hence let us take away
their right to do so, we, of course, lose
all claims upon them for money. They
pay for certain privileges, which, if we
deprive them of, we cut our own fingers;
for other means must be devised to raise
an amount equal, at least, to that annually
paid by them-means, that in all likel-
hood, will have a more direct bearing upon
ourselves. Besides this, the general laws
of health demand, that we should have
fresh vegetables as an article of food; and
by having them raised in close proximity
to our several Camps, we are not solely de-
pendent upon the production of other lat
ltudes, for our supply, which are often
stale before they reach us.
We may take still another view of this
subject not unfavorable to ourselves. and
yet uphold the "Ranch Act The oc-
cupant of Ranch being sufficiently pro-
tected by law, the miner, instead of bank
ing-eiiectually and forever banking his
surplus earnings, or placing it on special
deposit for the accommodation of snecial
spectators In buying goods by the cargo.
to sell again to the miner at exorbitant
rates, could safely trust their money in
possession of men, who having the RIGHT
OF occupancy of certain garden patches.
guaranteed to them by law, can give relia-
Die security for monies Observation-Disclosures
retaining more moneyin the rural sections.
making it an engine of prosperity to them,
selves, instead of an instrument of rob
berry IN the hands of city capitalists. But
some one may question the right of the
people of California to legislate upon. or
give any title whatever, to any portion of
the mineral lands. If the " knowing onev
whose intellectual vision is quick and
Keen enough to perceive an unsightly gnat
on the summit of some ideal tower Of nor
Iectl0n' I9 should entertain misgivings as to.
the legality of such legislation, perhaps the.
miners may tell these professional settlers
q otherpeople,s business, that thesqueam-
isfl sentlmentalism of ideal moral;sts and