Amador weekly ledger., 1858-03-06
Another Scheme to Tax Mining Claims.

February Z3d, rs ioho"s'
AN ACT for the taxation and protection Of
Mining Claims in this State.
The People of the State of California, rep
resented in Senate and Assembly, do en-.
act as as follows:
Sec. |. Any person now occupying or
claiming, or who may hereafter occupy or
claim any of the public mineral lands in this
State, containing any Of the precious metals,
for the purpose Of working the mines therein
contained, may commence and maintain an
action for interference with, or for injuries
done to his possession or claim, against any
person or persons so interfering with or inju-
ring such possession or claim. PrOrided
That every such claim, to entitle the claimant
to maintain an action as aforesaid, shall be
marked by metes and bounds, so that the
boundaries may be readily traced, and the ex-
tent of such claim easily known, and no per
son shall be entitled to maintain such action
for possession of, or for injury to, any snch
mining claim, unless he shall have complied
with the provisions Of the second section Of
this act.
Sec 2. Any person or persons, now occu-
pying or holding any such mining claim or
claims, or who may hereafter occupy or hold
any such mining claim or claims, according to
the laws in such cases provided, shall, within
sixty days from and after the passage of this
act, or within sixty days from and after the
locating and occupying any such mining claim
or claims, by such person or persons, pay to
the treasurer Of the county in which claim or
claims shall be situated, the sum Of ten dol
lars upon each placer claim not exceeding one
hundred feet square, with the rights and
privileges pertaining thereto, upon each
quartz claim not exceeding one hundred feet
along the ledge with the dips and angles, aud
the rights and privileges pertaining thereto,
according to the laws for locating and work
ing the same; upon which payment the treas
urer shall issue receipts for the same, de-
scribing each claim by its number, or mctes
and bounds according to the laws governing
the locality as furnished by the claimant
But the section shall not be SO construed as
to prevent the holder of any claim from pay
ing the said sum of ten dollars on each claim
at am time, to the treasurer, and procuring
the receipt therefor as aforesaid but said re-
ceipt shallin no case bear date previous to the
payment, and in default of such payment
within the time prescribed, any person may,
upon payment of said sum as aforesaid pro-
cure the receipt from the treasurer as afore-
said
Sec g. The receipt issued by the treasurer
according to the provisions of this act, shall
be transferable and shall, for the next twelve
months after the date hereof, be received as
prima facie evidence Of possession, in any
court having jurisdiction in such cases, for
the recovery Of the possessory right, to or
for injury done to such claim; and no claim
shall be deemed abandoned by reason of the
absence of the holder of said receipt for the
said period of twelve months next after the
date hereof
Sec A. Seventy per cent of all moneys col
ected under the provisions of this act shall
be paid into the state treasury, and shall con
sttute part Of the general fund; the re-
naming thirty per cent. shall be paid into the
general fund of the county
Sec s. The controller of state shall issue
to the auditor Of each mining county sufi-
cient number of receipts for said county, and
the auditor shall deliver to the county treas
urer such number as may be required; each
to make returns Of the same according TO
law.
Sec g. Any treasurer who shall issne any
other than receipt signed by the controller,
and any person who shall make any alteration
or cause the same to be made, in any receipt
issued under the provisions of this act, shall
be deemed guilty of misdemeanor, and up
on conviction shall be fined in a sum not ex-
ceeding one thousand dollars, and imprison.
ed in the county jail not exceeding six
months.
Now, with all due respect to Mr.. Davis, We
have no hesitation in pronouncing this bill the
most transparent humbug of the session; aud
we have copied it entire, in order that the
intelligent miners, of this section, may have
an opportunity to make themselves acquainted
with some of the ridiculous lodges that are
resorted to in the effort to levy tax upon
their labor
We do not propose lengthy comment Al
this time; the bill itself bears upon its face
its own condemnation Only print it--shoW
it to the miners themselges-and they vii
simply laugh at its extreme stupidity. Mr.
Davis, from the "cow county" of Solano
teaching the miners of the mountains how tC
protect their mining claims Won't Mr.
Davis be rather inclined to smile little
himself, when he comes to think of this2-
Oh, yes-our COW county friends are very
anri0Hs about the protection" of mining
claims and it's kind Of them to thus vonn
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