Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1866-04-21
New Mining Law.
[ ours, truly,
CALAvERAS.

The Legislature which has lately adjourn.
ed enacted no law during its session, of more
Importance to the people of the mining coun-
ties of California than the one we publish
below. Its necessity has long been known,
and seriously felt; and the absence from our
statute books of a law compelling men to pay
their assessments, or give bills of sale of their
claims, when once their names had been
placed on mining notice, has done more to
retard prospecting than anything else.-
Heretofore, unless company was incorpor-
ated, there was no legal method Of forcing
individual members to pay assessments, it
they refused to do SO. If person could
prove that his name had originally been
placed on mining notice, it made no differ
ence how long his partners might have
worked the claim, or how much money they
might have expended in its development, if
it eventually proved valuable he could
hold his interest, although he had refused to
pay cent to aid in prospecting. Such
state OF things was radically wrong. and we
are glad that the Legislature has obviated
the difficulty. The Act will repay careful
perusal.
AN ACT ENTITLED AN ACT CoNcERN1ss
PARTNERSHIPS FOR MINING PuRPosEs-
APPROVED.
The People of the State of California, repre
sented in Senate and assembly, do enact as
.folloaos:
SECTION /. Whenever any two or more
persons being owners, occupants OF locators,
of any mining claim, or when any two or
more persons shall have associated themselves
together, with or without any written agree
ment, (but not as body corporate,) for the
purpose of working or prospecting any min
ing claim on any of the public lands of the
United States, shall, after being notified in
writing by any member of said mining COM
pany that they have been associated in said
mining claim. be deemed to be copartners
for the purpose of prospecting or working
said mining claim, and shall be subject to
the provisions and liabilities imposed BY this
Act.
SEC. 2. After a mining claim shall have
been located any person who shall be a
member of the company desiring to work
said claim, may notify the other members of
the company of his or their desire to have an
assessment levied against the owners of said
claim for the purpose of prospecting, work.
ing, or developing such claim, designating
time and place for meeting of the members
of such company for the purpose of levying
such assessment; such notice shall be given
as provided in the fourth section of this Act,
and if majority of the shares in such min
ing claim be represented at such meeting,
then a majority of those present at such
meeting shall be authorized to levy such as
sessment; but if majority of the shares in
such company be not represented at such
meeting, then majority of these present
shall be authorized to cause the said mining
claim to be prospected or worked. and there
after the owners in such mining claim shall
be liable for the respective proportion of the
expenses incurred in prospecting. working
or developing such claim, to the extent OF
the value Of their interest in such claim, and
thereafter assessments may be levied from
time to time, not oftener than once in thirty
days, by any member not delinquent of said
mining company. against delinquent mem
bers for the collection of sufficient amount of
assessment to pay for the working and pros
pecting of such claim up to the time such as
sessment is made, and such delinquent as