The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-06-24
Two Important Measures Drafted
For the Inspection of Congress.

For the Inspection of Congress.
California miners are taking the in
iuative in the matter of reforms in the
/ mining statutes of the United States,
and the State Miners association has
drafted two important bills for pas
sage at the next session of Congress.
One of these interests California peo-
PIE only and provides for the appro-
priation of $780, 600 to be expended
under the direction of the secretary of
war, in accordance with the plans and
specifications of the debris commits
sion, for the construction of works for
the restraining and impounding of
mining debris of the Sacramento and
San Joaquin rivers, and is designed to
permit the complete resumption of hy-
draulic mining in this state.
The second measure provides means
for determining the character Of land,
whether agricultural or mining, for
the transfer Of all disputes from the
federal land offices to the local courts
of each county, and for the protection
of drift mining. 1t is declared in sec
ton 1885.
That whenever any contest shall
arise as to the mineral character of
any land claimed to be subject to en-
try or sale under an act Of Congress,
1t shall be the duty Of the register OF
the land office in which such contest
- lllduE ~ 4UllntQid Ltlg CeILllS SUCH
contest to a court Of competent juriS-
Giiion in the county where such land
is situated, and to Immediately notify
the contestant and cOntestee thereof.
Within thirty days after such notice
the contestant shall file in such office
a verified statement of the facts upon
which he bases his contest, in plain
and concise language, and shall serve
the same upon the contestee, and
thereafter and within the time pro-
vided by the laws of the state or. terri
tory where such land is situated, for
answering in any civil action, the con-
testee shall file his verified answer to
such statement and thereupon the
contest shall be tried and determined
as are ordinary actions in such court,
and when determined such determine
ton shall be certified to the register,
and such determination shall be bind
ing upon him and shall be forever con-
elusive as to the character Of the land
in question"
Whenever land is shown to be in g
we'll defined mineral belt, such land is
TO be deemed mineral land, unless the
contrary be proven. 1t is further pro
vided that the provisions Of the chap.
ter shall be literally construed in IA
vor of the miners, and that the rules
and regulations of the land depart.
ment shall be so formulated and ad.
administered as TO assist the government
in disposing of the lands to bona fide
applicants rather than to land grant
railroads, as has of late years beer
the practice.
Drift mining is cared for by the
amendment of section 537, which pro
Vides:
That where non-mineral land not in
cluded in a lode claim is used or oc.
cupied, or is intended to be used oil
occupied BY the proprietor of such
vein or lode claim for mining or min
eral purposes. such non-mineral sur
face ground may be embraced or in.
cluded liz an application for a paten
for such vein or lode claim, and the
same may be patented herewith. oil
separately, subject to the same prelim
mary requirements as to survey and
notice as are applicable TO vein or lode
claims, but no location hereafter made
of such nOn-mineraI land shall exceed
zen acres, and payment for the same
must be made at the same rate as
fixed by this chapter for the superfices
of the lode claim. The owner of {
quartz mill or reduction works moi
owning mine in connection there
with may also receive patent for his
mil site as provided in this chapter.