The daily mountaineer. (Dalles, Or.) 1861-1866, 1866-01-26
GOLD AND SILVER MINEs--BRANCu
MINES AND ASSAY OFFICES.

the Treasury, in 1864, contains hints which
may be taken as indications of the prevail
ing sentiment at the East in relation to the
disposal of the gold and silver mining lands
of the United States. The Secretary says !:
{" That they should y;eld revenue to the
owner, (the United States, independent of
tbe collateral advantages derived from indi-
vidual enterprise I'm extracting the precious
metals, would seem to admit of no dispute.
On the one hand it may be said that to sell
them absolutely is to part with an unequalled
and inexhaustible source of wealth and
power, the control of which should always
remain in the lrnntfs of the, government; ON
the other, that all attempts, hitherto, to re-
alize any considerable amount of revenue
from any system of rents have proved unsEc-
cessful."
The Secretary then refeys Congress TO q
paper upon the subject, which he has caused
to be prepared by James W. Taylor, formerly
on agent of the United States for the collec-
tion of rents from the lead miners of Illinois,
Wisconsin and Iowa. This gentleman fur
nishes a statement of the operation of the
laws for the collection Of mining rents wbteh
is puegnant with interest to- the government
and the peope. He shows that these laws
were totally imperative, and that when it
became plain that no revenue was derivable
by leasing the lands, the United States de-
termined to sell them.
Col. Benton was the author of the scheme
for the sale of these lands. Every person
conversant with the history of the Nor,h-
West will remember the outcry which was
raised wheD the, measure was introduced in
Congress. The Hsiners, particularly, as
serted that it would prove the destruction
of the mining interests; but with that bull
dog pertinacity, which was his distinguishing
trait, Col. Benton forced the bill through,
and the safe ofthe lands went on the min
imum price being fixed at So SO an acre.
The gist of Benton's arguments on this
question wero derived fiom the mining ex.
periences of the British. He demonstrated
that the real development Of the mines of
Eng and only commenced after they were
vested in private hands. The reasons may
be briefly stated, thus: The lease-hold sys-
to any considerable depth it prevented as
sociation for tho purpose of working mines,
which conld not be rendered productive
withou, Joint effort it added the uncertainty
of tenure, to the pursuit of an uncertain
| business, and collected q rent from the
earnings of the unsuccessful miner as well
as the moro fortunate it prevented the
erection of valuable Improvements and tha
eaa hvation Of the soil, except as a make-shift
and ruined its produStirsness, by tho lack
of inducements to increase its fertility. Col
Benton set forth that the great tin mines O
Cornwall were leased for one hundred ma nix
year; and the salt mine of Chelsea, al
though near the surface of the ground, wa
not deemed worthy of being worked until
became the property of private individuals
While IL is not probable that any immedi
ate steps will be taken for the sale Of til
mineral lands, the government doubtless ha
in view wthtil project q rdakiag sono permo
!, nsnt disposition ,of them obstaSe many years
In Mr.. Tayior's payssske has very abl
shown thsdiujustics of taifing,te cyrm. ppo
ceeds of the mines, Sh&feeeB BamRtnds 4te ap
plicaton of the laws fopHihe collection q
+ income-tax, and the property-tox Ito minin
incomes and mining property.
Mr.. Taylor also includes in his essay
, new project to- saaane. economy. in assay in
and mintirg the gold and silver Of miner!
We append his estimate Of bhe aggrega,
: annual production, of gold and silNerr wit
the number.of assay offices he proposes I
?, establish, &C.: a.,,i .qss.s,i "a
!, EtqiI-3 Three assay Offices in California