Amador weekly ledger., 1858-01-16
Should the General Government Cede the
Mineral Lands to the State

representation in Congress 10 use thelr best
efforts to induce the General Government TO
cede the mineral lands of California to the
State. If the honorable gentleman makes
his notice good, the resolution, or resolutions,
should be promptly voted down Coming
from member representing a mining county,
the movement must be looked upon either as
matter of transparent buncombc, TO secure
favor from those who would tax mining claims,
or else as an evidence that the author does
not understand the true interests Of his con-
stituency. The miners themselves, who are
the most deeply interested in whatever dispo-
sition is to be made of the mineral lands, do
not desire that they should be ceded to the
State. They have good and sufficient reasons
for preferring that the proprietorship should
remain in the General Government, which
generously and rightly permits any Of her
citizens to work the placers at will
The common law Of England, as laid down
in the books of her ancient law-givers, teach
es that the gold in the soil belongs to the
Crown In the United States, we have had
no Supreme Court decision either directly of.
firming or denying this doctrine; but the
practice Of the Government, particularly with
reference to California, has established diff,
ferent policy, in so far as to substitute the
people for the crown or government. The
common blood and treasure of the country,
all the States Of the Great Sisterhood uniting
their strength for the purpose, acquired Cali
fornia; and when it was afterwards discover
ed to contom rich treasures Of precious met
al, the Government said to the people, "You
are the sovcreigns, and the gold is yours-go
and dig it without let or hindranceD
What good reason is there to change this
liberal and equal policy? 1t is beyond a
question the most purely Democratic system
which could possibly be adopted or devised
The ownership Of the lands is conceded TO
vest 10 the General Government and there
fore the whole people of all the States have
an equal interest in them. So il is with the
gold which they contain, and so it should be;
citizen of Maine or Texas does have and
ought to have as much right TO come aud dig
in the gold mines of California as any present
citizen of the State. Therefore it is best
that there be no change Of the present policy.
The General Government is the only proper
owner of the mineral lands; aud it is this
ownership, existing where it does, that secures
10 all the citizens Of the country the right to
dig the gold which belongs to them as the
soyereigns of the land.
"But" it viii probably be contended, il
the General Government consent to cede its
right in the mineral lands to the State how
can citizen Of California, having her welfare
at heart, refuse to accept so magnificent q
presentt1 1t will be upon this ground that
they II expect to coerce members to vote
for Mr. Lees resolutions: but it is reasonable
to suppose that there are men in the Legisla
turc made Of sttrner stuff" We con
tend, and are not backward to speak it, that
the true interests of the State would be made
to suffer instead Of being enhanced by tn,
donation; and this for various reasons, few
Of which, only, can we find room for in thi
article. alm
The one thing that California most needs
to develop her vast wealth, is population
hardy, industrious, acoSkiag population -sucl
as might be expected to cross the plains nolr
after the fererash gold excitement has subside
in the Atlantic States and everywhere else
population that would come to settle pei
manently, and be content with good payn
wages or profits atether mining or farming
But, (and to great extent by system {
/ swindling), nearly all the valuable farmin
i land has been monopolized by the holders 9
Mexican grants, so that there is no induc,
ment held ont for farmers to conc. Let I'll
General Government cede the mineral lane
q to the State, and it would be almost literall
n notice to the citizens of other States VIII
l. would come among us and mine, to stay {
IS home What does the State want with I'll
r mines, in bcr own right, if she does not wal
0 to sell them? Oh, says Mr. Lee perhaps, Ssh
J, only wants to tax them!i "Well, then, twoal'
Q be useless to levy the tax without also pre-
/ yiding for the sale of the mining ground, I