The Placer herald., 1871-12-30
"AN ORDER TO PREVENT SEIlLhhh'i
In THE FOOTHILLS"

The bulletin of the 10Th instant contained
q, article under the above heading critelsIng
in strcng terms the late order OF Coinin's-
sioner Drummond Withdrawing all the iahd7
in the foothills from market or pre-eInp'lon
until their agricultural and non mineral char-
acter was clearly proven. We give 'ne
main portion Of the Bulletins remarks De-
law. az it contains matter Of deep interes! 10
the people Of these mountains, and Is al Tue
same time question that has two sides 10 It,
"a will be seen in another column:
.sThe Commissions Of the General Lana VI
fee issued an order, on the Cd instant, suspend
ing for mineral All The lands in the footAlAs IL
Tuolumne, Calaveras, Amador, Il Dorado SAC
raraeuto, Placer and Nevada countiei-.lSA'y-
three townships, or one million, eight hundred
an1 tventy-siv thousand acresl The eject oi
this order i. 10 require all people who have sci
tad or who may hereafter sett.-, IN the IootA4s
to apply at the Land Once, advertise foF tAf'l
days. and have O trial with witnesses to SHOW
that the land is more valuable for agriculture
thsp for mineral. H. altar the decision that the
settler. land is agricultural has been sent to
Washington, and, a'tor delay for year OF '"o'
confirmed, there is no other contestant, the set
tier will 10 allowed to prove up and obtain
title. The cost of both Of these trials, and OF
adyer.ising, and tho employment OF an attorhe!
in each case, will more than double the Govern
ment price Of the land The practical result IS
that ti.lo to IGo acres Ct Government land III
the foothills OF the counties named can hereafter
be had only at the erd OF expensive and comph-
catod litigation, which, when aided 70 TIE Gov
eminent price Of the lend, viii cause each acre
to cost from three 10 SIX dollars. This order Is
reversal Of the rulipg3oi Commissioners wilson
who held all land to be agricultural unless shown
to be mineral. The new order MAKES ell the AiA
lands mineral, and requires the farmer and set
tier to have a lawsuit with the Government, to
show that each forty acres Of the wheat teld,
orchard or vineyard contains no known mines.
"The mining counties have Tor some years
been going through transition state. Placer
mining bad nearly ceased, and the people who
remained were beginning to devote their time to
vineyards, orchards farming and grazing. A.
soon as they commenced to plant and make per
manent im proven uts, tEsy desired title, and
upon their requests daring the past three year
Surveyor Generals Day aul HArdenburB have
caused great many townships OF the foothills
to be soctiouizol and plats returned to tie local
land Offices, 80 that these settlers might obtain
tito from tho Government. The greatest part of
all the large valleys Of the State is either covered
10y Mexican grants or claimed aud held IN larg=
tracts as swamp lands, OF else owned in large
bodies by capitalists, who have entered them
from the Government Most Of the land lefl
| open 10 settlement a. Government prices is in
the foothills. This order from Commissioner
Drumnond suspends these lands Most Of the
mining counties are poor, and taxes, to pay in
terest on bonded debts contracted il the flush
times, are correspondinsly high Those who
have most earnestly thought as to what would
best promote the welfare u these counties had
arrived at the conclusion that their future pros
perity depended upon their early settlement by
people devoted to agriculture in It's various
branches, Of vineyards, silk cultugn, fruit, wool
growing and dIirying, and to accomplish this
they have urged, as the first aud most important
| step that the land should be surveyed and de-
clared open to settlement and purchased from
the Government. Men will not make yaluabl
and permanent improvements when they have
no title, and the hand cannot be taxed while the
title remains in the Government.
by this unfortunate order Of Commissioner
Drummonl, the difficulties of obtaining title are
so increased as to make the cost of the land.
when obtained greater than that asked by grant
holders for better land in the valleys Now that
The ioot-hill lands have by this order been prac-
tcally taken ont OF marke; and virtually declared
not open to settlement, we know Of little land
to be obtained from Government by settlement
except in the extreme northern and southern
counties OF the State and if the order is to re-
main, immigrants must purchase from grant
holders, the railroads, or from the capitalists
who hold large bodies by private entry The viz
tual withdrawal Of this large body of land from
settlement and sale-eXcept as mining ground
is only injurious to the pubIo welfare, and is Of
| no hanel; except to enhance the value Of the
land now held by the railroad companies and
large land-hoilors. 1t is perhaps necessary to
the ends Of justice that arbitrary power should
occasionally be exercised by the Commissioner:
bui II Is unfortunate for tho people. when the
power Is not exercised m,eGnty. or when ex-
erc'sed without knowledge of an the facts"
New No1UNr.-Ihe Wala Walla States
man has entered on its eleventh volume and
year. 1t is an excellent paper, the best in
the Territory Of Washington. 1t is pros
perns and bound to prosper under the man
Agement Of frinnd Nnnnli (. Son