Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-12-15
STATE oEoLooIsr.

The Reese River RsveiAe, in it, issue OF
Tuesday. contains a long reply to some
structures upon its former expressions in
regard tota State Geologist appointment,
from which. without wishing Or intending
to interfere as between the two papers
mentioned, we may be permitted to make
some quotations, We do so, because they
exactly tally with our ideas on the sub!
ject, and furnish strong support to the
plan we have persistently advocated. The
Rsusias says: Gt uZl el.asa<
"Now, we were very far from denoun-
cling q National survey Of the mineral
lands as q pure humbug.' On the con-
trary, we think such action on the part of
Congress a most desirable project. But
such a survey would not create q cabinet
for Nevada, end the General Government
would not pay an officer to perform the
thousand local services that would demand
the attention of our State Geologist. More
over, . National survey is.a remote con
tingency, that may not happen for twenty
years; while Legislature last winter
provided for an immediate survey, and to
insure is being done, to make the Cabinet
q fixed fact, and to prevent the project
falling through for want Of means, the
State Council said in the act that the Geol-
ogist should only make apreliminary sur
vey, and should only spend eight months
in doing the same, besides creating the
Specimen Cabinet, in order that the six
thousand dollars appropriated might pay
all his expenses.
1T was the attempt Of the appeal to
make a proposed National survey of Ne
vada, which We may never get, suffice for
the loss of an immediate State survey, and
a State Cabinet, for which the peoples
representative had made provision, that
we denounced as "pure humbug =. and
we now say that tho Appsars logic has
not changed u mind in the least. Ne
vada is not yet q Territory, depending for
existence on the National tit, Mr.. Appeal;
but a sovereign State, with the great right
to labor and compelled to earn its own
living.
s"The Board Of Regents, by refusing to
act on the recommendation of the Legisla-
ture, have probably deprived the State Of
fossils and mineral specimens that might
have proved as valuable as Alladin's
lamp to scientific minds enabled to read
them, and doubled our riches. The Re-
gents have no excuse for their conduct,
except it be the want Of sufficient money
in the Treasury, and they can only make
this a plausible reason for not appointing
the Geologist, on the ground that the act
merely authorized but did not instruct
them to make the appointment. F
1.-THE ensuing Legislature, we trust,
will express their wishes In a way that
public servants will not find it convenient
to disobey, in relation to important inter-
estf, II they would save impeachment"
The idea Of a State situated as is ours,
not attempting, at least, to make a pre-
liminary survey Of its resources, is one not
commended to US BY any plea we have
yet heard made. The State Geologist
Bill. now on the Statute.book. was intro
duced last Winter, by Senator Sumner,
and after all the objections that could be
urged against it were brought forward,
the author replied to those who opposed
the measure, and urged its passage in a
lengthy speech, delivered on an evening
appropriated to the discussion Of the
matter; and the Bill passed the Senate by
a vote Of is to l; and the negative voter
(Mr. Lockwood, Of Ormsby,) based his
opposition, and his final ballot, on the
ground Of entire disbelief in geology as a
6xed science. The almost unanimous
vote of the Senate, where alone the meas
ure had q full consideration, shows what
our Legislators thought Of the project,
and would seem to have been sufficient
notice to the Regents that "may" was q
courteous substitute for "shaR," in the
Rrst section of the law. The Board of
Regents could have appointed q capital
man for the place; and we understand
that they excuse themselves wholly on the
ground Of there not being money in the
Treasury wherewith to pay the a~ppoiutee's
salary with promptness. But we are ap-
pri,ed that the man who solicited the
position would have been willing to have
accepted the place, performed the duties,
and waited until this Winter for his pay.
The fact Of 1t is, there was a source Of
opposition to the practical carrying out Of
this measure which may or may not still
exist; which, however, will in no event
hinder the character Of Legislative action
on this subject this Winter which the
RsusiHs recommends. We might have
had, by this time, just as we'll as not, a
State cabinet worth $4,000 in actual
value, and Of i%ncalculable service in mani
fold directions and for . much have
had the alarming additional State indsbt-
adneaa nf @8 000 ..f 50 . ....