Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-10

rsther investigate this matter, so as 10 De aoie 10
report TO succeeding Legislature ONE plan o. re-
| lief Mr. Berry in a speech upon this question
said that he had too much faith n the engineering
capacity OF the American people to oeiiere tnat
they could not find some solution OF the dliheulty
| The Committee Agriculture SAID that they han
no intention OF interfering with mining interests,
| believing il to be as important as any other IN
dustry in the state: and that they only sought TO
| introduce a measure that would IN the enc result
| in benefit to their section OF countrg Inc Mining
| Committee at the same time, after due lnyestlga-
! ton and after hav ng stated the products OF the
mines and their relation to the prosperity OF the
State also reported in favor OF memorial 10 Con
| gress asking APP ortonment and the
| apDoiutmeut of a Commission TO investi-
| gate this matter The press OF the State
at that time recommended the passage OF tine memo
rial to Congress- and also recommended the passage
OF law authorizing the appointment OF State
Board of Engineers to investigate tie question
The result was, that investigation was commenced,
and it continued along till 1875 when the Legsla-
ture again convened, and taking as data what had
been established by the action Of the previous Legs
latura passed another law which empowered the
Governor to appoint Board oil Engineers And
there Sl000 600 appropriated Tor the support ana
wears Those engineers reported at the last session.
and upon their report and upon their recommenda-
ton, and upon the investigation which had been
going on for four or fve years: we acted ana we
passed what is known as the debris law.
| Now Mr. President the people have been well
aware Of what the Legislature had been doing upon
! this question: and the people have sanctioned it.
| claim that they sanctioned 1t IN way tnat no
senator upon this floor who regards the platform of
! his party can disregard. They have demanded
OF their representatives TO lesate upon the matter
so as to subeve the hest interests OF the agricultural
| and mining localities. l have what was saiu ny
| those parties in their platforms and What they
| pledged each member OF this Senate to do, and IL
shows that the whole subject was understood and
had been agitated previous to 1879, ana that the
people at that time knew that these valleys were IN
| that there u great interest Dach OF
| The Workiucmens platform said "SOme pre-
monitions that under the new Constitution ad-
verse legislation to the mining interests may be had
1t is hereby declared that the vested rights OF the
mining population must be respected Every
| Workingman on the floor was elected under that
| platform, and is therefore pound III hoAof 10 Keep
| the pledge.
the Republican State Convention, which con-
| vened in Sacramento in June OF that year, re-
! solved. That the Republican party, as the Just
arbter of the people, pledges itself to insist upon
| the passage of such laws will prevent any con
fct between the mining and certain portions OF the
agricultural districts and the interests OF the ate
and declare that vested rights oil ali parties sha
| be scrupulously protected
The New Constitution Partys Convention, which
assembled in june 1879, said " That the New Con-
stitution party pledges itself that 1t will stand im
as the miners friend, and in any attempt shall
be made at any time to pass unfrlendly legislation
the New Constitution party will openly and boldly
oppose any and all attempts ito infringe upon the
| vested rights of miners and dltch-owners.
| The Democratic Convention said " Resolved,
| That mining, as the original and still very nm
portant interest OF California is entitled to fostering
care and should be fostered and receive the fullest
| protection from the State government; and the
property the possession OF all engaged IN mining
enterprises should be guarded by the legislative,
judicial and executive departments OF the State ana
Federal Governments
Now, Mr.. President, only read these to SHOW
that this question has been ventilated and was well
understood by the people Of the State. 1t was I'M
Gerstood by the political parties that nominated
their candidates to take seats upon this floor and 1t
was well understood BY those members when they
voted for the debris bill last winter. IRe law and
all its bearings was discussed by both houses, and it
was adopted, because those who voted for 1t be-
lieyed it was the way best to carry out what their
constituents had pledged them to do. They all
agreed that something must be done, and the report
OF the State Engineers being the best solution OF
the question: it acted upon. Is the situation
changed to-day? Does not the same danger exist,
and are not the same mining interests demanding
protection? l don't understand how members, in
the face OF these edges, arise and openly avow
here that they are III favor OF stopping mining, or
vote for the repeal OF the debris oul, until they
present a better one. Nor can see how the people
whom they represent can ask of them to depart
from the instructions they gave them when elected,
unless platforms still made to catch flies, as
it has been said they used to be. Well, say they
are, because they have boldly announced them
selves upon this floor. Let such men reconcile their
position with the platforms upon which they were
elected | ask those who propose to vote for this
reDeal hill what they intend to substitute? This
plan has been Endorsed by the most eminent engi-
of the age. There is the best reasons for an
tcipating success from 1t. 1t has stood the test
better than its most sanguine friends expected.
Before it has begun to have fair trial, do you Pro-
nose to abandon it and offer nothing in its stead but
to close up the mines-the very interest you and
| your party pledged yourselves to protectT
Now, MI President, l believe the dams devised by
the State Engineer will do their work. believe
they will do it, because he and his assistants tell me-
| so | believe it, because the consulting engineers,
| CAPTAIN Eads and Colonel Mendsn both say they
will and believe it. becaus similar dams elsewhere
| have accomplished the objects these dams in
| tended TO accomplish. in Ohio there are several
such dams in streams much larger than the Bear or
| Yuba rivers There is one on the San Joaquin
where the Kings river 10 MS it, that has stood for
years There are dams OF milar instruction
nea- Nevada cits, which, although not half as strong
have withstood the torrents OF winter for dozen
wears believe it, because the works on engineer
ing say such stTu lures are strongest that can be
adopted on a sandy foundation. Because one Of the
heaviest floods known in the State since its settle
ment by white people has causej the dams o settle
IN places it is no reason to condemn the prime pie
| But Senators upon this floor, and the newspaper
whl oppose the scheme have called the dams
damned failures
Now, Mi President, it was expected they would
settle the first year. The books engineering say
thev will settle the first year State Engineer Hall
in his report to the Governor, written before the
food says they will SETTLE and they did settle. But
all unite in saying that the second year no sueh
trouble will arise. The Engineer. Mr. Hall, in his
evidence before the investigation committee, read
quite extensively from different authorities to show
that the dams built across the Bear and Iuba
rivers were not original with him, but
had been III successful use elsewhere.
One of the books SAYS We have in this chapter
an illustration showing with some minuteness the
construction OF log dam which may be relied
upon resist almost any conceivable pressure from
the current and which is IN very little dagger OF
being undermined. 1t is adapted, moreover to
river beds which are OF so yielding character as
not to afford safe foundation for stone DAM 1t
is brush and timber dam" II gives picture of
the DAM which is perfect fac smile Of the dams
constructed across the Guba and Bear rivers. Tee
DAM the book says, IS SUCCESS, and mas proven
so wherever it has been used. 1t has been found
that dam OF this kind Will settle about eighteen
inches the first year, for which due calcutta
! ton and allowance should be ma ie. After
] that time it viii remain nearly stationary
/ The State Engineer in his report to the Governor
which was written previous to the couveniDg Of the
/ Legislature, but which happened not To get into
| type in time to be left on members desks before
! this discussion commenced, says; 1t is intended
that these dams shall admit the passage OF the
water through them freely until the lodgment Of the
sands behind them forces the sitting up of the whole
structure, and it is expected that they will settle
| uuevei.ly the first year, because they have been
built wide flats OF recent deposits and variable
/ quality on uneven depths, and because they them
Selves according to the undulatious of the ground
on which they rest, vary in hight This settlement
i'll.
deep channels once existed, and sufficient
| in extent to detract from the efficiency
| of the structure in holding back sand during the
first year; but the second year they can be brought
| to grade and will probably remain there without
further material settlement" The books say such
dams Will settle the first year, the engineer says
they viii settle, and they did settle But these wise
opponents of the measure thought they had solved
! the whole question when they found it out-ignor-
ant of the fact that it was just what was expected
OF them l remember how the press placed the
news under double-leaded head lines. How they
shouted with glee " l told you so, and how COM
placently members approached those dams, when
we all visited them, expecting TO deoish the engi-
neers by confronting them with their own failure.
But Mr.. President, the dams there, and are
doing their work in every part except at the points
| where the settles have occurred. They have been
subjected to the heaviest flood that ever came down
from the mountains and the latest reports saw
one in the San Francisco Chronicle yesterday
to the effect that the water had gone down sufficient
" to show that the dam still there doing work
Now, Senator Baker says that it is not the slickens
but that it is the fine materials which passes over the
crest of the dam which renders the dam useless
Mr.. President, those who have kept track OF the
plan OF the builders and the engineers who brought
| about those plans, will remember that they never
| proposed to stop this fine material In fact trey
did not want to stop il. They have shown that
this fine material does no damage. 1t has so far
done but very little damage if any, and H. the fli-
ture when the heavy material which comes along
and blocks up the currents vi the river is stopped
that silt. with the escaping water, will pass on to
the ocean. If it is ever lodged the lands below
by floods it will only fertilizer. Su Ii de-
poslts or deposits made from the Sacramento below
this int do not iniure the soil which it lodges
The Mississippi river carries nearly much sedi-
! ment as the Sacramento, with all the sands from
/ the mines flowing into it. II carries by hulk par.
ticle of material to 1900 of water while the Sierra
mento carries l 10 1000. Yet the Mississippi is