The Placer herald., 1857-11-28
The Ditch Owners Convention.


for the approval of our next Legislature,
and urged upon Congress for adoption:
a BILL to grant the right of way over the pub
lie lands in the State of California for mining
purposes.
SEC. l. Be 1t enacted by the Senate and House
Of Representatives. Of the United States Of fine
RIGA in Congress assembled, That the right of
way for any and every line of ditch canal or
hume constructed for mining purposes over the
public lands in the State of California. is hereby
granted to the party or parties who have con-
structed and now own or hereafter shall construct
the same; such grant to include reservoir privi-
leges and the use Of timber and other materials
necessary to the construction and carrying on of
such works, and to be operative from the date of
the location OF the line or route Of such ditch
canal or tiIme, by actual survey, and the same
to become void upon the abandonment of the
work, or the nOn-use of such ditch, canal or
fume, for the period of one year. Prorided al
rays that it shall appear that such right of way
was located in good faith. and that the construc-
tion of such works shall be prosecuted with due
diligence.
SEC. 2. The United States guarantees not to
claim or enforce any riparian rights which she
may have by virtue of her ownership of the lands,
against any owners of bitches, canals or fumes
Tor mining purposes in the said State of Califor-
MA.
by ditch men in support of this measure is,
that legislation of the kind is necessary
to induce foreign capitalists to engage in
ditch enterprises in California. If asked
to invest in stocks of the kind, they natural
ly inquire by what tenure companies hold
the ground upon which reservoirs and canals
are located and when answered that they
hold and occupy upon the same terms as the
miners-by the permission of the United
States Government-and that possession is
the only title, they decline to invest, on what
they deem such hazardous terms.
Ditch men also express fear that in few
years the mineral lands bordering the foot
hills may be sold, and that unless protection
be extended to them by the provisions of an
act similar to the above, they will be left to
the mercy Of the land purchasers.
This to some extent may be true, but we
very much doubt the correctness of the poll
cy of egislatng for particular interest in
the mining districts of this State, by Con
gress. If bitches require protection, miners
in deposit, and quartz claims, town lot hold
ers, and farmers are equally deserving. The
dependence Of water companies and miners
upon each other is reciprocal, and one in
terest is as much entitled to the fostering
care of the General Government as the
other.
The bill granting the right of way is liable
to objections; not the least of which is that,
no provision is made for companies becoming
liable in damages for property they may
njure or destroy in constructing new or ex-
tending old bitches.
We are not prepared to say, as some en-
press themselves, that an attempt is here
made to monopolize large tracts of valuable
mineral lands but are not without misoiv-
ings that there is more in this move than
appears upon the surface. The combination
Is strong one-represens large interests,
talent and enterprise, and it is well that the
people of the mountain counties inform them
selves well upon the subject in order to act
at the proper time unitedly and inteligently.
A LARGE CROP IN PRosPEcT.-Messrs.
Chamberlain, farmers, on Coon Creek, in this
county, have sowed three hundred acres of
wheat this fall, and expect to raise large
crop therefrom. These gentlemen confne
their operations in farming principally to the
raising of wheat, and have never failed, we
believe, in having good yield.
DlscHARGED.-The jury, IN the case Of
Henry Bates, who was tried in the Court of
Sessions of Sacramento county this week,
for using the money of the State, failed to
agree Those who saw the jury in the box,
made up their minds to this verdict, or an
acquittal from the commencement of the
trial. So say the Sacramento papers.
The mountain people are not Indifferent
to the proceedings in these Bates trials, and
are beginning to suspect there is something
wrong in the way they are conducted.
HoMEwARD.-Mr. Mcdonald, an old resi-
dent and valuable citizen of Rattlesnake.
leaves on the next steamer for visit to the
States, and to his native land, bonnie
Scotland He expects to be absent about
six months. We wish him safe voyage
"o'er the waters wide," and speedy return
to his adopted State.
IANKEE JIM's.-Messrs. Todd & Rogers,
and Bloomingdale a. Friedlander at Yankee
jims, have completed their fire-proof brick
stores, and moved into the same. These,
with Wm. Ducks new building, make three