The record-union., 1892-06-13
VALLEY CONVENTION.
Resolutions Adopted Opposing the
Caminetti Mining Bill.
Conservative Amendments Rejected
Congress Asked Not to Permit
Hydraulic Mining.


called for the report OF the Committee on
Resolutions. The report was ready, and
Il was agreed 70 consider it section by
section.
Y. S. McClatchy moved to amend that
portion of the report which declares that
dams viii rot be a sufficient means of re-
straining the debris from hydraulic
mines by inserting unless reinforced by
other restraining works, settling reser
voirs, etc., which will prevent the min
ing debris from entering the navigable
streams"
There was lengthy discussion on the
amendment. Before vote was reached
r. 7. Devlin presented minority report
from the Committee on Resolutions, and
as it practically embodied the object Of
McClatchy's amendment, the latter was
withdrawn.
Mr.. Devlin's report recited that the
convention was opposed to hydraulic
mining only in so tar as IL might l. jure
the navigaDle streams or valley lands;
that ii had no objection to the passage Of
the Caminetti bill, provided that such re-
Straining works could be built as would
keep back the debris from entering the
streams. and further provided, that the
Dlll De SO dilleuuCd as I'd say lnaL HOGDlHS
therein shall be construed as opposing or
modifying the decisions of the courts;
and also that the United States District
Attorneys be instructed to proceed
against hydraulic mining whenever
iilicitly pursued.
There was another long debate on Mr..
Devlin's report, and it was finally voted
down.
\. B. kirtley of Sutter offered an
amendment to Section Z, declaring that
the convention stood by the decision of
the courts, but had no hostility to mining
that might be conducted without injury
TO the streams or adjacent lands.
This met the same opposition as other
amendments, and was finally with
drawn.
George Ohleyer of Sutter offered an
amendment to Section 5, demanding that
the United States officers enforce the
laws and DEGREES of the courts already
settled. The amendment was adopted
without debate.
Edward Woodward of Yuba offered an
amendment to Section 3, substituting for
the words las cure for the evils of
hydraulic mining" the expression ''for
the farther prosecution of hydraulic min
ing" The change was adopted.
Mr.. McClatchy offered an amendment
which pledged the convention absolutely
against any attempt to rehabilitate hy-
draulic mining. The amendment pro-
vided for a modification of the section,
excepting such hydraulic mining as may
be prosecuted absolutely without injury
to the streams from mining debris. He
urged that II the convention meant to be
fair and was not opposed to hydraulic
mining itself, but only to the injury it
causes, it could not refuse to adopt the
amendment.
a. II. Rose of Colusa offered substi-
tute for the amendment, interposing the
words ito the injury Of the rivers and
valleys" and the substitute was accepted
by the convention.
G. w. Hancock of Sacramento offered
as substitute for the entire set of reso-
lutions offered by the committee a reso-
luton setting forth that the valley was
opposed to any hydraulic mining which
would lnjure the rivers or valleys. and
had no objections to any mining which
could be prosecuted under the decisions
of the courts.
Senator Dray spoke in favor of the plan
and Rose opposed it, upon the ground
That 1t embodied suggestions objected to
in previous rejected amendment The
substitute was defeated.
AS finally adopted, the resolutions were
IS follows:
The people of the Sacramento Valley affected
by the results of hydraulic mining on the
watersheds of the navigable rivers and their
tributaries, in convention assembled recoo-
nizinS that the position of the valley has not
been correctly represented, do now declare:
First-That the navigable rivers have been
almost irreparably injured by hydraulic
mining vast bodies OF fertile land ad ia ent to
the streams have been irretrievably ruined
and the prosperity of the valley ana its towns
and cities has been retarded by the constant
lear that their rivers would be filled up by the
vast deposits therein of mining debris
Secomd-Ihat at no time have the people of
the valley consented to the continuance OF
hydraulic mining, but on the contrary have
expended vast sums OF money to protect their
homes and the navigability of the rivers.
Ihlrd-Ihat no concessions have been made
or VIII be made whereby hydraulic mining
may be resumed to the detriment of the rivers
or the adjacent lands.
Fourth-Thdt. contrary to the law rs de-
cared py the courts, various persons still con-
Jtnue to mine by the hydraulic process and to
dump their tailings into the streams
Fifth-That we do urgently request j the
AttorEey-GeneraIo OF the United States and the
United states District Attorney OF the North
ern District of California to commences imme-
diately proper proceedings in the name of the
Government TO prevent hydraulic mining to
the injury of the navigable rivers of Califor-
mia. and to enforce the laws and DEGREES nro-
Vided for their protection.
Sixth-lnasmuch as it has been stated that
the people of the valley favor or have no OBJ
lection to the erection OF dams in the nayjga-
bic rivers OF California or their tributaries for
the purpose OF permitting the resumption of
hydraulic mining, and in the belief that they
will be enectual for that purpose, we solen1nly
declare that such dams will not restrain tha
debris and suspensory matter that has done
SO much Damage IN the past, and are ynalter-
ably opposed 10 the erection of dams for the
further prosecution of Hydraulic mining We
deny that the engineers OF the United Stales
have reported that the erection of dams will
restrain the matter that has injured the riy-
ers and as proof OF this assertion quote their
own language. viz: "IheSe dams however
will not be effective in impounCiiug all the
material delivered into the canyons from The
mines. Beng in the streams and in the path
way of the freshetS, portions OF the heavier
material VIII be carried over the creSts OF the
Y fitnn lode
below. The finer sands and clay cannot be
etfectually impounaed by such barriers. but
will be carried OFT in suspension
Seventh-The bill recently introduced in
Congress by Hon. a. Caminetti is in effect a
license for the resumption OF hydraulic min-
ing by the United States Government and a
rehabilitation OF system of mining placed
under the ban by the courts and suited only to
an uninhabitable country and we are unalter-
ably opposed to It's passage, and demand of
gress that they use every effort to secure its
defeat.
Resotred, That an Executive Committee
be appointed by the Chair, 10 consist of fifteen
members, including the Chairman of this
convention. who shall have full power TO
take such action rs they may deem proper
tion.
Resotued, That We pledge ourselves anew to
resist with all the power at our command
every and any act and attempt to rebabilitate
hydraullc mining on the Sacramento and san
Joaquin Rivers and their tributaries, to the
INJURY OF the rivers and the valleys and would
recommend to the several Boards of sinner
V1sors OF the river counties the formation of a
state antl-debris organization, for the purpose
OF enforcing the laws and DEGREES prom uloafed
for our protection; and to that end
ReSotced, That the members of the Boards
of Supervisors of the various counties en-
braced in the call for this convention be re-
quested to meet at Sacramento on the 9Th
day of August, 1892, at 10 O'Clock a n for
the purpose OF consulting and consolidating
their efforts IN preventing hydraulic mining