Arizona miner., 1866-02-14
'CuIroRNrA MINERS CONvENTTON.


 at Sacramento on January l7th and 18th. Nearly every county in the State was repre- sentcd by regularly elected delegates, the total number in attendance being lGG. Hon. \. 4. Sargent, of Nevada, was elected chair man. In taking his seat he made a stirring speech, in which he said:
 \ pregnant fact was that which few days agu was tclcgraphcd across the continent tO US, that when that bill prepared by Senator Sherman, of Ohio, and which | may properly characterize as a bill Co create confusion m Che mining districts of the country, was in- troduced m Congress, and when a resolution was telegraphed back in response, stating that the people of California were opposed to the sale of the mineral lands, that response was received by Mir Sherman and others with astonishment Why, gentlemen, if they knew barely the A B C of the mining inter ests of this State and the adjacent States and Territories, they must have known that such a law would inevitably work most ire trievahle confusion, not only tO the mining but to all the business interests of our com munities. Here are mining interests and business interests which have been going on and intertwined for the last fifteen or sixteen years, and it is proposed now to discover them at blow without drawing blood.
 The speaker proceeded to refer to some of the most absurd and impracticable features of Mir. sherman's bill, his remarks being re- ceiyed with emphatic approval, and his clos ing point was as follows:
 It is, take it altogether, bill of abomina- tiOns, as have no doubt every miner will re- gard it. I am sorry that the impression has prevailed in Washington that we in Califor- mia favor anything of tbe kind, and l think 1t is time that an emphatic voice should go forth from us announcing that we are unqual- ifiedly opposed to it. have no doubt that it will be the tone, as l conceive it to be the principal business, of this convention.
 The following resolutions were adopted by the convention:
 WHEREAS, Since the discovery of gold mines in California, 1t has been the policy of the general government to allow all those who desired to mine for the precious metals in this State a free and unrestricted right to search for and discover the same, and when found to hold and develop their several claims, subject only to such restrictions and rules as might be adopted by conventions
  mining enterprises in the several mining dis tricts of the State; and whereas, we believe that by the adoption of that policy the min ing interests of the State have been devcl- oped more thoroughly and to much greater extent than they would have been under any other policy that could have been adopted :; and whereas, legislation for the survey and sale of mineral lands is threatened in the Congress of the United States, and it is seri- ously proposed to destroy the property inter- ests which have been created in this State, under the license of the general government for seventeen years past, and to revolutiOnize the whole sy----n of mining business and ten ures under which the mines have been so far developed, the State has prospered, the gov has been supplied with the sinews of war, trade with advantageous markets, and revenue valuable and increasing resource 1; be it
 Recyrsi bg he Miaers ef Califor7siG, Co Con- reatioa assemJied, That we are opposed to any survey, lease or sale of the mineral lands 0f this State, as injurious to the best interests of the general government, and of this State and utterly rlinous to the mining comInuni- ties
 Resolre3, That any increase of the tax up- on the proceeds Of the mines would be oner- Olis aud injurious to the mining interests of this coast.
 Resoire3, That the bill introduced into the . Senate of the United States, by John Sher- I man, of Ohio, Is siugularly calculated to work l the utmost confusion and loss to the present holders of mining property, who have in- vested their labor and capital in developing the mines to destroy the vast canal inter asts of the State, the existence of which is necessary tO the prosecution of mining, and To expel the great bulk of the population of he mining districts from their homes, their business and possessions.
 Resolred, That the miners of California re- spectfully petition the Congress of the United States to respect the rights and prop erty interests which the policy of the govern ment, long continued, has created and fos- tered.
 Reso'red, That a committee of five be ap- pointed by the President of this convention, the said President to act as chairman there of, to prepare a memorial to Congress embod- yiug the sentiment contained in these resoiu- tiOns. and tO cause the same to be presented through our delegation in Congress, to the President of the Cnited States, the Secreta- Y of the Interior, and Commissioner of the General Land Office.
 lnsDced, mat a copy of these resolutions be forthwith forwarded by the officers of the convention to each of our Senators and mem bero of Congress, with the request of the convention that the saint 5c !.!i before their respective houses of Congress.
 The committee on resolutions reeom- inended the adoption of the following.
 Resoleea That in the opinion of this con yention the Legislature should at the present session enact few plain, comprehensive and uniform laws in relation to the location, pos session and evidence of abandonment of quartz mines situated upon the public lauds within this State.
 A minority of the committee offered the following:
 Resolred, As the sense of this convention, that no legislation by the State Legislature