Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-01-08
Central pnelae Railroad LID.

ed attention to the danger OF ne mineral
lands in this section being abS6rbed in the
grants to the Pacific Railroad Company,
we believed that the company were en-
deavoring to quietly obtain patents for
lands which did not rightfully belong to
them. Information subsequently acquired,
and the statements put forward by the
officers Of the company, have confirmed
this belief. The story Of Stanford, that
the people OF Grass Valley might have
their lots at the Government price II it
was situated on an odd section, is evidence
that he expected the company would get
patents for lands on which the mining
towns are built. Recently, the company
has put forth another manifesto, in oppo-
sition to the passage Of the concurrent
resolution and memorial introduced in the
Senate by Belden. 1t gives six reasons
why the resolution should not pass, but
which are nothing more than attempts to
distort the facts and deceive the public.
We shall examine the reasons IN their
order
"First-The concurrent resolution vir-
tually asks Congress to repudiate Its SOL
emn contract with this company, by which
it was agreed upon the completion OF
every twenty miles of railroad and tele-
graph patents should issue, conveying the
RICH, and title to the lands granted to SAID
company"
The resolution does not ask Congress to
do any such thing. II merely asks that
no more patents be issued to the company
until provision is made for s~egregating the
mineral from the agricultural land. This
is no more than justice, and If the COM
pany were not endeavoring to procure
patents TO the mineral lands they would
not object TO it.
Second-Thc Withholding Of the land
patents 10 which the company arc entitled
would deprive i, Of an important source
Of revenue, essential. at this time, to the
speedy completion Of the work over the
mountains, to accomplish which they are
now using every exertion, and would de-
prive the numerous bona fde purchasers
from the company OF tho means OF per-
fectins their titles"
The company are now receiving more
than money enough from the Government,
State, and counties, to build the road, and
the withholding Of the patents for a short
time need not stop the work.
"Third-There is at this time no appli-
cation before the United States land Off.
GERS for land claimed to be more valuable
for mineral than agricultural purposes,
and none can be made for lands in the
districts mentioned, until the surveys shall
be made and approved, which can not be
for months from this time
It will be seen by this that the company
make no secret Of their intention 10 get all
the land that is considered more valuable
for agricultural than for mineral purposes;
but the intention of the law undoubtedly
was TO exclude all lands containing gold
and silver in quantities sufficient to pay
for working. We know nothing as TO
what lands the company may have appI'-
ed for but we have a report, issued from
the Land Office in 1860, showing that ut
that time the lands were surveyed east OF
Neyada and as far north as the South
Yuha. The company have a standing
advertisement in the Sacramento Union,
offering land for sale extending as far east
and to within a few miles Of as far north
as Nevada. Much of this land is undeni-
ably mineral, and we presume the COM
pany already have patents for It. The
other three reasons are as follows:
Fourth. The memorial asks legislation
by Congress BY which the company would
be compelled to li,iga,e for the right OF
way with every kind of claimant. and
with all ditch owners on the line of the
railroad. subjecting us 10 delay from APP
peals. necessarily resulting in delaying the
construction Of the railroad for months, II
not for years, and absorbing q large por-
ton of the means Of the company needed
for construction.
"Fifth-The present Pacific Railroad
Acts secure the right Of every person hsv-
ing a valid homestead or pre-emption
claim, but the memorial asks Congress to
recognize as valid, claimants who have no
presumption or homestead right, or any
other claim known TO the United States
land laws; claims which would no, have
been recognized had the railroad acts not
been passed.
"Sixth-The memorial asks Congress TO
compel the company to sell its lands for
one.half the Government price for the ad-
joining tracts"
The memorial merely asks Congress that
the ditch companies may be secured IN
their right of way and the fact that the
company object TO this is evidence that
they intend to freeze out the ditch COM
panies. By acquiring half the land over
which the bitches are running, they would
have the owners of the bitches completely
in their power, and either levy a tribute
for allowing the water to run over their
land, or force the owners to sell out to the
railroad company at whatever price the
latter might choose to give. In some con-
Guiding remarks. the circular says:
AVE would state, however, that mineral
lands are already expressly excepted from
the grant to the company, and II the pres
ent laws are insufficient we have no objec-
ton to any reasonable provision by which
such lands shall be ascertained and segre-
gated from the agricultural lands granted
to the company"
This is Just what the memorial asks for
"A provision by which the mineral lands
can be ascertained and segregated. What
ever the railroad company may think OF
the matter, we think all the lands, from
the t0OtnlllR OF tDe olerra NSNnuo W Nli0
eastern boundary Of the State, should be
| classed as mineral. The memorial asks
no more than what is right and just; and
il the officers of the railroad company were
not intending to acquire everything OF
value in the counties Of Nevada and
Placer, and make the people who would
consent to remain here their serfs, they
would not object to its passage. They
have evidently been playing a deep game,
and it remains with the Legislature and
Congress TO defeat their plots.
Since the above was written, we learn
that the resolution and memorial has
passed both branches Of the Legislature,
and will be telegraphed to Washington.
l, was adopted by the Assembly on Sat
urday. after a full discussion, by a vote OF
ffty-se seven to three.-Neraaa (CGk) Ga
Sstte.
BALL.-Don'. forget tho ball, this evening"
at Chrysopolis Hall, Silver City; for, you
know, the Silverites have no equals in the
line. Grand preparations have been made
for n good time,