The Placer herald., 1863-12-26
[From the San Francisco Bulletin.
A NEW EPIDEMIC.

The Eastern itch to tax the mines nfects
men in California as we'll as Nevada. Viii
the mining interest pause from its picking
tunnellipg, drifting, blasting, hydraucing 2
grinding, amalgamating, specializing and
paying assessments, moment and see what
forces muster to wrench from it its tools
stop its mills, and shut up its mines? The
Secretary of the Interior advises and the
President calls the attention Of Congress to
the advice, to tax the mines which are Gov
ernmental property, that such grand sources
of wealth may like lever of gold lift the
national debt off the shoulders of the Union
which are are all unused to such burdens
The Convention which met to make a Com
stitution for Nevada, provided in that Com
stiiulion for the taxation of the mines of Ne
vada and those who calculate the resources
Of that Territory will see that the intention
was to make the mines pay for the luxury
of being located within a State rather than
territory. Thence the rage spreads to
California, and Mr.. Hittell has introduced
into our Assembly bill for the repeal OF
the clause in the Revenue Act, which ex-
empts mining claims from taxation. The
argument for taxing mining claims by State
authority and for State Revenue is very diff
ferent from that which urges the propriety
of taxing the mines for General Government
revenue. Mining claims and the litigation
that grows out of them occupy great deal
of the time of the Courts-they cos: the
State great deal, why not, we are specious
y asked, make them pay the State for the
trouble they breedl The General Govern
ment's argument is different: we own the
wealth they wiring from ourproperty; why ex.
empt that property which enriches citizens
from contributing to pay for the peace we
are bound to get and saving the Union we
are bound to knit iudissolubly? Of the two
arguments, that of the General Government
is the strongest, for certainly he who a prop
erty has better right to raise revenue out
of it than he who has not even squatter's
allegation of title, and if the State which has
no ownership, leads the way, we have no
earthly right to complain if the General
Government, which absolutely owns the
Mines follows with a tax.
But our doctrine is that neither can afford
to tax the mines. When farmer concludes
ia fatten fine heifer for the slaughter, he
does not reasonably expect to make her pay
much longer by her yield to the millopail.
The flock that is kept for its wool is not ex'
peced to enrich the owner by the sale of
mutton. The land owners who build a raill
road to enhance the value of their land, do
not wisely grumble because the road does
not pay in its infancy by the tolls and pas
sage money it collects. When any interest
pays nobly in one direction, it is not requir
ed at the same time to pay another set of
owners in another direction. Now our
mines are the leading interest of our State.
They have built up the Pacific slope of the
Great Republic, and made California the
respectable and wealthy member of the ss'
terhood Of States that she is.
Whatever interposes an obstacle to the
mining interests lays block in the path to
hamper, clog, njure in any way the mining
interests of California, and CALIFORNIA; agri.
culture, mechanics, commerce, everything
feels that the brakes are crowded on This
one interest governs and controls every 9th
er, and for that reason the best friends of the
State have watched with soicitude the fevel
for incorporating companies with millions O.
paper capital-fearng that the inevitable
reaction must check prospecting and depresl
mining interests. Mining claims have been
favored, this style Of property has been *