The Shasta courier., 1864-12-24
Mineral Lands--Is it Policy 70 seli Themf

The Sacramento Rec Of the 9th inst. gives
us column on this subject. taking erbund
that the best interests of the miners and Of
the State woald be subssrved by selling, in
small parcels, the mineral lands Of the Gov
ernment Within the bounds Of the State. As
this is question vital to the interests of tho
State and the Government, it Is the duty of
every newspaper, and every citizen, to fully
investigate the matter ard be prepared to
vote ON the question, as sooner or later it will
be brought before the people.
Emphatically, we are opposed to any med
ding with these lands, and for the reasons
following: No title to the mineral lands of tho
Government can be be better or more .gener-
ally recognized than that by which thesmine'
now holds his rights. Every cammunisy-or
every mining district-framcs its own laws.
declaring what shall be claim, and how
that claim shall be held. In the framing Of
such laws every individual interested has
voice, and it is no more than reasonable to
! suppose that they make just such laws they
want-such as they believe to be for their
own interests, and for the Development of the
district for which the laws are made. The
laws so made are held to be good by the su.
| preme tribunal of the State.
Yet, in the face Of all this,-and no man of
ordinary intelligence exists that doubts it,
and in the absence of any petition for redress
or change from the miners interested, the
Bee tells US that g. such system would ben
eft the miner by giving him greater securi-
ty." We can't see it. The miner, by his
own will. bv the law he himself has made,
has a title equal to any that can be made
under which he can work or sell his claim
Capital knows the title is good, and hesitates
not to invest when it can find a good thing
and controlit it.
The Bee says it g would benefit the State
and mining counties by giving them more
permanent and industrious population" As
an illustration of the last point made, we beg
most respectfully to instance the county Of
Mariposa. Any one familiar with the iisto-
ry OF that county can get very good idea Of
what would be the result Of placing the min
eral lands in the market to be located in
large or small quantities. Nor would law
authorizing the location of mineral lands in
small quantities, at small prices, as further
recommended by the Bee, prevent the own.
ership of all that is desirable by capitalists
but, on the contrary, would only be holding
out inducements for capital to monopolize the
whole mining interest of the State.
We will suppose for moment that a new
district is discovered Some enterprising
prospector has found rich lode of god, sill
yer or copper bearing quartz. He immedi-
ately fees to the Land Office and enters the
largest amount permitted by the laws of his
country. and then applies to capital for the
means ia work it. Capital at once inquiries
whore his locality is, his prospects. &C..
which as necessity are freely answered.
Capital then takes time to investigate; takes
with him if he has doubts of finding them on
the ground, sufficient number of men to
locate the valuable portion of the district, by
paying these men a trtf1e for making the
locations and deciding them to him, thus se
curing district where poor miners NAV work
atany wages capital may be pleased to offer.
The present SYSTEM" says tie Bee, is
| injurious to nearly all-benefc;al only to
| jumpers Under it man having a valua-
BILE claim. obtained at much expenditure Of
money and labor, which lie cannot work ow.
ing TO an excess or want Of water, must law
by and watch it. at great EXPENSE, to prevent
| it being jumpei." Now, all this is simply
ridiculous. and without foundation. We
venture the assertion that there is no dry
digsin-s camp III the State, ar vet diss;nsS
camp. where the laws do rsu provide way
tar holding their claims. without expense or
| risk. If the party cannot work hecause o: an
: excess OF want of water" or lacapse the
ownor ar owners must necessarily absent
themselves for Il reasonable time. Their
laws provide for such contingencies. and
there should be TO hardship in conforming to
laws they themselves make for their own
government, nor have we yet heard of any
complaint.
Says the Bee: 1t now custs a man more
to hold a claim than he would have to saw
for clear title and for taxes on his property
and after all his expense aad trouble he Is
left without any real security for his prop-
erty." The expense of holding a claim is
simply nothing. and the title to the cisisn i
as good as it can be made by anv Legislation,
is all the answer we have to make to the last
point made by the Bee.
In conclusion we h .ye only to say that the
mine Of our State are the equals in inte5li-
gence. industry and morality of amy other
class of citizens within its boundaries, and it
is strange that it has been f. to Sacramentss
and San Franc SEQ editors to discover the
great hardships they are suffering because OF