Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-03-01
Important Legislation Relative to
Mining or Mineral Land Loca.
ti0ns.

WASHINGTON, February 29.-Ths con.
ditions for acquiring title to mineral
lands prescribed in the new bills recon-
mendsd to Congress by the Public Land
Commission are a. follows : First-The
marking the position Of claim on ground
by monuments and posting notices
thereon. Secondly the discovery
within said claim Of . lode, placer or
other valuable mineral deposit. either
before the posting Of said notice or
within 30 days thereafter. Third
Within 90 days from the posting Of said
notice the locator must 6ls with the
United States Surveyor General for the
surveying district In which the claim
lies . copy Of said posted notices,
together with . proof OF mineral dis
covsry. and an application for survey Of
his claim and evidence that he has de-
posted to the credit Of the United States
In q proper United States depository the
sum OF $50. Fourth-Within q year
from the approval by the Surveyor Gem
sral Of the survey (which shall b made
by soms duly appointed deputy mineral
surveyor chosen by the applicant for the
survey the locator, his assigns or his
duly authorized agent must 6ls in the
proper land Office an application for q
patent. under oath. together with q copy
VI the plat aud 6eld notes Of the claim,
duly certified by the United States Sur
veyor General. and proof that $50 worth
Of labor has been expended. or OF i'm
provements made upon the claim by the
claimant or his grantors; whsreupon he
shall pay the amount per aero to be
hereafter fixed by Congress. and shall
DO entitled to . patent for his claim.
Failure by . locator to make applica-
ton for . survey and satisfactorily prove
the mineral discovery within ninety days
after the posting Of notice, shall subject
his claim to location by any other quail
ned party. Failure Of the claimant to
make proof Of work and payment within
the time hereinbsfore prescribed. shall
work . complies forfeiture OF the claim.
and the survey therstofore made shall be
Cancelled. The Commission make no
recommendation a to the number oil
acres that shall be fxsd a. the maximum
area OF future locations, but their bill
provides that all mining claims located
after the - day Of -, 1880, shall
be bounded as to surface by straight
lines, and oil right to minerals contained
therein shall be confined within vertical
planes passing downward through said
straight boundary lines.
Another very important section OF this
bill provides that all rights which have
attached to mining claims under previ.
| Gus Acts OF Congress shall not be Affect
ed by the operations Of this chapter;
| provided, that where such claims have
not been or shall not, within one year
thereafter, DO contaminated by the re-
| quirsd payment Of purchase money,
such unoonsummated claims shall lapse
and the land embraced therein shall
thereafter be subject only to the opera
tons Of this chapter.
The Commission, on their argumenta.
tive report accompanying this bill. say:
1--WE find that Q large majority OF the
miners consulted during the examination
Of the Western States and Territories
clearly shared our conviction-irst, that
the local regulations are Of no use; seo-
ond, that they are Q great positive harm;
third, that by Congressional enactment
they should Be- promptly abolished a. to
al future locations.
The testimony given BY Mr.. Whitman
Of Nevada, on behalf Of the bc:anza
arm. il quoted to the effect that the
interests Of deep mining would be pro-
NOTED by the adoption Of square loca-
ton, Q common law system, and that
mining men would DO more willing to
invest on Q square location than ON .
ledge location. which almost invariably
lead to expensive contests and htiga-
tons.
The Commission. in the course Of the
general argument, use the following en-
phatic Language: 1.-The existing laws
hold out these conditions for obtaining
patents; having permitted on the incep-
ton Of title. dangerously vitiated by acts
Of local agents, outside OF the Federal
Jurisdiction; having permitted the rob.
bsrs and blackmailsrs to acquire q cheap
and secure sighting title-the govern.
mont then causes its unfortunate victim
to set himself up a. . target for attack
BY advertisement for o patent, and when
attacked calmly turns its back and per.
mits him to be dragged into the local
Courts. In short. the present law might
be fully entitled An Act to cause tho gov
ernmsnt to join upon an unknown Sec
ond party to convey to a third party an
illusory title to an indefinite thing, and
encourage the subsequent robbery