Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1863-12-22

| question OF taxing the mines Ill SO clear
and just light that 1 think you will con-
fer favor OH the "don't want Office" por-
ton of your readers by rcpublishing it i'll
YOUR columns. Yours, etc. Il. Is.
Anew Epidemic.
The Eastern itch to tax the mines infccts
men in California as well as Nevada.
Will the mining interest pause from Its
picking, tunnclling, drifting, blasting, hy-
draulicing, grinding, amalgamatinS, spccu-
lating 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 In
terror advises and the President calls the
attention of Congress to the advice, to tax
the mines which are Government proper
tv, that such grand sources of wealth may
like lever of gold lift the National debt
off the shoulders of the Union which arc
all unused TO such burdens. The Con-
vcntion which met to make a Constitution
| for Nevada provided i'll that Constitution
for the taxation of the mines Of Nevada
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 State rather than
Territory. Thence the rage spreads to
California, and Mr.. Iittell has introduced
into our Assembly bill for the repeal OF
the clause in the Revenue Act, which en-
cmpts mining claims from taxation. The
argument for taxing mining claims by
State authority and for State revenue Is
very different from that which urges the
propriety of taxing the mines for General
Government revenue. Mining claims and
the litigation that grows out of them oc-
cupy a great deal of the time OF the
Courts-thcy cost the State a great deal,
why not, we are speciously asked, make
them Day the State for the trouble they
breed: The General Governments arSu-
mcnt is different: we own the mines, the
people arc waxing fat with the wealth
they wiring from our property; why eX-
cmpt that property which enrichcs cltl-
zcns from contributing to pay for the
peace we are bound to get and saving the
Union we are bound to knit indissolubly:
| Of the two arguments, that of the Cen
rral Government is the strongest, for cer-
tainly he who owns property has bet
ter right to raise revenue out OF 1t than
| he who has not even squattcr's allcga-
ton 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 tax.
But our doctrine is that neither can af-
ford to tax the mines. When a farmer
concludes to tax fine hcifcr for the
| slaughter, he docs not reasonably expect
to make her pay much longer by her yield
to the milk-pail. The flock that is kept
for its wool is not expected to enrich the
owner by the sale of mutton. The land
owners who build railroads to enhance
the va NC of their land, do not wisely
grumblc because the road docs not pay III
its infancy by the tolls and passage money
it collects. When any interest pays no
blv in one direction, it is not required 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 ol
the sisterhood of States that she IS.
Whatever intcrpOscs an obstacle to the
mining interest lays block III the path OF
California. Hamper, clog, injurc in any
way the mining interest of California, and
CALIFORNIA; agriculture, mechanics, COM
mcrcc, everything feels that the brakes are
crowded on. This one interest governs
and controls every other, and for thai
reason the best friends of the State havi
watched with solicitudc the fever for i'll.
cooperating companies with millions Of
paper capital-fadring that the inevitable
reaction must check prospecting and de-
press mining interests. Mining claims
have been fayorcd-this style of property
has been exempt from taxation, bccaus;
it was held that production from the mine'
must be encouraged, not necessarily as thu
thing that finally would be of the most
worth here but as the one which would
quickest develop all the virtues of oul
rich land, and put us in condition to enjoy
and improve the position which is to gly'
San Francisco and California finally 1t:
chief consideration among States. W.
do not believe the time has yet arrived
when we can afford to raise State revenue
out of our mining claims, though mining
improvements may be fairly subject tt
tribute, and are paying their quota.
Nor do we see that the General Govern
mcnt would exhibit any wisdom by tax
ing the mines, which unqucstionably they
own. 1t cannot collect a tax, large OF
small, without creating an army of oiticc-
holders, and the invasion of such an army
is always dcplorable. From perhaps,
dozen mines in California and Nevada the
Federal tax collector would gather up his
dues without difficulty, but from the Sreat
multitude he never could collect It. lc
raise Sl,OO0,GO0 revenue i'll this way
would probably cost twice or three tunes
that amount. But put the tax high
enough to make its collection an OBJECT
and YOU effectually close up the mines
The New Almaden, a quartz mine OF TWO
of California, and the great silver fields on
the Comstock lead might so on, but the
thousand and one mines which assess
oftcncr than they divide profits, could not
stand any considerable tax. The placer
diggcrs make living and little more.
Tax them, by requiring a license tor that
is the easiest way) and hundreds OF fields
will be left to Cinnamon alone to glcan the
doubtful harvest from. Is not the Gene
raj Government reaping anything from its
mines because it does not levy a direct
tax: Could this war have been waged so
well, would Mr.. Cbase's greenbacks have
been so acceptable at the East, would the
Unions credit have stood at its present
figure, if there had not been this steady,
unabated flow of gold from California and
its vicinity into the markcti Without
the three -tines-monthly steamers treasure
our credit would have tumbled long ago
| 49, ,.o,,o, would bava rnnrpenT1tnd. indeed,