The Placer herald., 1857-10-10
Taxing Mining interests,

Francisco Herald, and indicates that the
movement Of last winter to tax mining
claims is to be renewed at the COM
ing session Of the Legislature, and pressed
with spirited determination. A COM
bination of commercial and agricultural in
terests is proposed to procure the passage
of bill declaring mining claims real prop
erty and tax them accordingly. This will
become a matter fruitful Of discussion ere
long, and be provocative of earnest advo
cacy and opposition. In this county, pro-
sal to tax mining investments differently,
or to a greater extent than is now done,
will meet, with strenuous opposition. In
Placer for 1857. mining capital is assessed
at sl79,493, and is principally in tunnel
claims, having value that is fixed, and
yielding cash returns. Tunnels that have
not reached pay dirt and are yet in the
rock, may be said to have no value. The
same is true to a great extent of surface
and river claims. What further taxation
then can be levied upon mining interests.
1t would be wrong to fix the value upon
the precious metal the miner seeks when
often, as experience proves, after long months
of toll and expense, none is found. The
Legislature cannot tax the lands covered
by mining claims, as the title is in the
General Government. What more then, can
agricultural counties ask than the present
mode of taxing claims-requiring them to
pay taxes when they have become an ar
ticle of merchandise and have fixed value:
"We have recently received several com
munications from various parts of the coun-
try favoring the formation of a combina-
ton or league of the representatives of the
agricultural and commercial counties, for the
purpose of securing the passage of a law
for the equalization, and consequently the
reduction of taxation throughout the State.
Seventy cents on the hundred dollars is
very onerous tax to levy for the support of
State Government. There is no reason
why it should not be reduced at least to
twenty five cents, and at the same time the
whole brood of obnoxious imposts, by which
trade is crippled and the poor shop-keepers
in every city of any magnitude in the State
are ground down, abolished. 1t is our
opinion that such a movement would be at
tended with success, for the agricultural
and commercial interests have a much arg-
er representation in both Houses of the
Legislature than is generally supposed
for the reason that it has never yet been
brought up. We have no idea that any
opposition will be offered by the repre-
sentatives from the mining counties to the
passage of bill declaring mining claims
real property, or any just and equitable
bill, the object of which would be to de-
rive revenue tor the support of the Gov
ernment from the mines, for the reason that
the justice of such An enactment cannot,
and is not controverted in any quarter
that many Of the most intelligent miners are
themselves in favor of some measure Of the
kind, from the ct that they could afford
to pay taxes for the additional security
which it would give them, and finally, that
at the present day, in almost every mining
county in the State, agriculture. more or less,
constitutes the occupation of the minority
of the people, and it is unjust and absurd
to force them to pay heavy taxes for the sup
port of the Government, because their in
clination leads them to employ their labor
in raising wheat or barley, and not in dig
ging gold"
Fremont AND THE MAwrosA GRANT,
The Mariposa Democrat learns that Colonel
Fremont has declnad to como to an accop, .