The Placer herald., 1857-11-21
AUBURN, NOVEMBER q, 1857.
Quartz Laws.

Legislature, prescribing the size, manner of
recording, and the amount Of work upon
quartz claims requisite to hold them, are
dissented from by our cotemporary of the
San Francisco Herald, who proposes as re-
nely for any embarrassment that surrounds
This branch Of industry that a law be passed
declaring mining claims real property.
We confess It being unable to perceive,
by this course, the removal Of obstacles in
the way of the development Of quartz mines.
The latter proposition has for its object tax
alton; orr proposition was for the object of
systematising, giving character to that which
IS destined to become the most important
and reliable mining in the State, and prevent
the retention of quartz odes in the hands
CT those who never will develop their riches.
We have before spoken of the impractical
hility of taxing mining interests other than
in the manner now pursued, at least in this
county; when by reason of sale and purchase
of interests in claims they have obtained
recognized value. In such cases our Asses
sors have returned the property and the taxes
have been collected; and in this way share
holders in the valuable mining cli inns of the
county are coming upon the assessment roll.
To tax the ground over which claim is
located, (which the State has no right to do
as it is tue property OF the General Govern
menO would furnish but little revenue, as
the largest claims cover bat few acres and
the surface over which mining is carried on
in a county bears but very small proper
ton to the whole number of acres within
its limit We do not expect mining
claims to become real property until the
mineral lands are disposed of and then the
hundreds and thousands Of aeres in the min
ing districts that contain no precious metals
will also aid in the production of handsome
revenue to the State.
Our proposition TO compel by law, quartz
companies "to do a certain amount of worl,
in every month, and to erect machinery Of
the value of not less than thousand dollars,
in two years from the time of location" ii
emanating in the "cow-countes" the Herald
believes sit would be impossible to calculate
the extent of the indignation ;het would be
felt throughout the whole Of the mining re-
gion." Our cotemporary is evidently not
familiar with the laws made by miners for
the working of claims They are generally
much more stringent than anything contain
cd in the above. In one OF the districts of
this county, quartz claimants are required to
do five days work on each claim in thi ty
days after locating, which will hold them for
year, provided that machinery to the value
Of S 600 has been erected on the claims at
the expiration Of that time. In other coun-
lies, we have Observed the regulations to be
equally as stlict.
In some of the counties, the laws regulat-
ing quartz interests are the same thoughout
the county, and the claims are recorded by
the Recorder Of the county, or by one select
ed by the miners; in others. each township,
or mining camp have separate rules. And
it sometimes occurs that q company locating
a quartz lode running from one district into
another, have to conform to two sets of rules
or laws. In placer or tunnel mpingno laws
made by miners would answer for whole
county. Il otherwise with quartz interests;
and if rules can be made general for a coun-
ty, they may with propriety be extended over
the State. And by the action Of the Legis-
lature in this matter permanence would be
given to an occupation that ere long will be
second to none in the state. A law of the
land would be respected and enforced; the
laws OF quartz mining are frequently loosely
drawn, indefinite, and stringency of their
provisions cause a continual evasion Of their
requirements.
The idea advanced by The Press, that the
claimant of lode, if he be poor, should not
be required "to use haste or industry in de-
veloping it." will be somewhat novel to min
ers who always require the prompt working
of claims whether held by rich or poor If
these auriferous veins are to remain in the
hands of men as dormant capital" to make
raise of machinery at some future time as
the Press suggests, there would be a mono
poly existent that would soon become in
tolerabe.
The Prees, farther suggests "that it might
be commendable in the Legislature to slim
ulate prosperity by authorizing the payment
of bountes to paties discovering lodes whose
yield should exceed remunerating value
Such legislation all would favor and none
oppose" Californans require no bountiea
from the State to stimulate them i'll the
search for gold; aud we doubt very much
whether man could be found in the legisla-
tive halls with sufficient hardihood to pro-
pose measure that would cause such an
enormous Treasury leakage. Such leg;sla-
ton all would oppose and none favor
Because the late State Quartz Conven-
tion did not suggest the passage for the
better regulation of quartz claims, is moth
ing in itself If our information is cor
rect, that Convention contained more Quartz
fanciers than practical miners, and we have
YET To hear that a sinole fact Mas elicited