The record-union., 1892-11-17
Second Days Proceedings of the
Stale Convention.
CONGRESSMAN CAMTNETTTS BILL
INDORSBD
Some Additional Legislation Asked For
at the Hands OF Congress-The Pres
ent State Officers Unanimously
Reelected to Serve During the En-
suing Term.
Special to the RECORD UNION.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 16.-The mem
bers Of the Miners Convention assent bled
this morning at 10 o'clock, but il was not
until some time after that hour that the
convention was called TO order. Secretary
Ralston in the meantime was kept busy
indorsing the railroad tickets of the MEM
bers in order to entitle them to reduced
fares on the return trip to their homes.
The first business of the morning was
the report OF the Committee on Creden-
tials. The Chairman of the committee
stated that he was glad to report thai
there had been no contests. 1t had been
the object of the committee to admit to
membership all persons from the mining
districts and all persons in san Francisco
interested in mining interests. As con-
sequence the committee reported favor
ably on the names of all persons who had
applied. The complete list was then read
by Secretary Ralston, the reading occu-
pying some time, as it comprised several
hundred names. The report of the COM
mittee was adopted, with the addition OF
the names of DR.. Matthews of Tehama, A.
Lacy, w. II. Cleary and William Jeffries
OF CalaveraS, A. ID. Spence OF Shasta, Dr.
King OF San Francisco and CongreSsma
Geary.
Chairman Nef then appointed John
kirkpatrick and Seth Martin, both OF
San l. Francisco, as Sergeants-at-Arms.
Secretary Ralston announced that the
membership Of the Miners Association
amounted 10 4,37S.
The Report Of the Committee on Reso-
lntlnnG auiS Sl4tinr1 and Add (,
taken up. The memorial. which read as
follows, was first taken up and adopted:
DRIFT MINING IN CALIFORNIA.
"T7o tie Honorable the Senate and the
House Of Representatives IN Congress 4 s.
SeHt6Lcd Your memoralists, the Miners
Association of the State of California. i'll
convention assembled in the Citv OF San
Francisco for the purpose of considering
questions relating to the mining interests.
respectfully represent:
THAI there are in the State of Califor-
MIA numerous volcanic-capped mountain
ridges which contain, underneath the
volcanic Gaping, ancient river channels,
with bottom layer Of goid-bearing
gravel, which is sought by the miner and
worked by the so-called drilt-mining
plocess-said process involving an eX-
lensive system of tunneling or deep-shaft
sinking through barren material, before
the pay-lead may be attacked. The drift
miner must locate his claim upon the sur
1ace of the barren volcanic Gaping. and
In order to justify the extraordinary ex-
pense of the dead work. in opening the
claim, there must be included in one en-
terprlse considerable length of the pay
lead, requiring number of locations to
cover il.
Experience shows that the drift miner
finds II practically impossibl to secure a
title TO such group Of claims until the
nlne IS almost worked our, owing TO the
recent rulings of the Commissioner of the
Land Office and the Secretary of the In
terror, TO the effect that the presumption
mat the gold-bearlng channel extends
under said hills, or that it contains gold
in appreciable quantities, will not answer.
ana Inc miner must show the actual ex-
lstence of the gold; in other words the
existence of the gold must be shown bv
actual development in each one of the To-
cations separately before the Land Office
will admit its mineral character and pro-
ceed to issue patent therefor. The drift
miner is thus deferred from obtaining A
patent until his mine is nearly WORK ed
out, having no guarantee for title in the
meantime.
Congress is hereby respectfully re-
quested to so alter the mining laws. at
least in so far as they affect Drift mining,
that the drltt miner may be able to OBJ
tain title eXpeditiously. Let the practice
OF the Land Once be so altered tnat pa
tent may issue to group OF consolidated
and contiguous claims upon mineral land.
provided an actual discovery is made
upon any one of them, since the present
conditions are such as to deter labor and
capital from opening, developing or work.
ing this important neld OF The gold-min-
ing industry. Naturally capital requires
showing OF title. Under present rulings
title cannot be shown until the mine is
practically worked out, and consequently
enterprise Is stopped. 1t is respectfully
suggested that to meet this difficulty Con
gress might take the necessary steps to
determine definitely what shall be re-
garded rs mineral and what as non-min-
eral land"
CAMINETTTs BILL INDORsED.
The Committee on Resolutions then
presented the following report, which
was adopted:
BeSotred, That the State Miners Association
OF California hereby reaiiirms the declarations
contained in the memorial. preamble and
resolutions adopted at the last Miners Con
Vention OF this State.
Resoteed. That the state Miners Convention
OF CaIIornla approves of the Caminettl bill
with the amendments proposed by senator
feltons and recommend IN the interests of tne
mining industry of California the passage OF
tDat blll with the amendments that we mr.
tner recommend that all reasonable efforts be
Htue 20 secure an appropriation OF S450.00O
Tor the purpose OF the construction of dams
provided for IN said Act: and we recommend
that the word must. - contained in Secijon q
as proposed by the amendment OF Senator
teton. be rejected, and the word -.navu rs
contained IN the original bill, be restored On.
1hat there be added to the bill the following
QfoNlsO: "froNided, THIS Act shall not be so
construed as to prohibit the carving on OF
any mining operations prior 10 the construc-
ton OF said dams which can be eonduc.ed
without material injury TO the navigable
streams OF the State, or lands adjacent to said
streams"
Rescued That this convention recommends
that the Legislature OF California make an
appropriation TO assist in the construction of
sucn ina oundlng works as shall be recon-
luenued by any committee of engineers orIV
appointed Tor the purpose, unoer any Act OF
Congress which may be hereafter enacted.
heSOfred That the interests OF the gold min
ing industry OF California requires that Con-
gress should pass an Act. the Iorce ana eject
of which shall oe that all lands tuat have ever
lem returned by the United states Surveyor
General as mineral IN character. or lands
within the well-recognized mineral belt snail
be presumed SO to be before the Land Depart
lnent, until the contrary is clearly proved.
And that the Chairman OF this convention be
required TO appoint committee OF i've 10
draft such legislation as shall reach the wishes
OF The miners OF California upon this subject.
report tue same 10 the Executive Committee
otthiS association for their adoption ana that
The same be transmitted TO our Senators and
Representatives in Congress.
ReSUfred That this convention is in favor OF
and recommends the passage OF law rovid.
ing Tor the tree coinage of silver
BENEFIT TO MINERS.
The following preambl and resolutions
were also presented by the same commit
tee. and after little discussion adopted:
WHEREAS, The geological map of the State
Mineralogist, in the Stale Minerllogist's re-
uo-t ana issued by the State Mining bureau,
has teen OF great benefit to the mining COM
munity,
edition with progressive work thereon be
1. on that shall contain de-