Year: 1863

The Secretary of the interior, in lis
report, a synopsis of which has been re-
ccivcd by telegraph, still persists in his IA
voritc theory of taxing the mines. The
Secretary states that at the time OF the dis
coycry Of the great mineral wealth of
portions of the public domain, the nation
was i'll the enjoyment Of domestic tran
guilty and unrivalcd prosperity, and
could well afford to throw open her Itch
mines Of precious metals to the unrcstric.-
cd enterprise Of the world; but having
now been forced in'o war for the prescl-
va:ion of our national existence, as lmcN-
amplcd i'll expense as III magnitude, the
question as to whether we Can, in justice
to other branches of industry and enter
prise, longer exempt this immense source
of individual revenue from It's equitable
share of public burden, becomes Of much
Importance. \ small proportion of the
profits OH gold mines would largely i'll
crease the means of the treasury, and aS
no good reason seems to exist why the ma
ton should not, in its hour of need, de-
rive some direct assistance from Its cXtcn-
siye fields of gold and silver mines, he
earnestly presses the consideration of the
subject with Il view to that end.


BY the provisions Of the income tax the
mines of the Pacific coast are already
taxed i'll proportion to all other industrial
pursuits, and we do not know that any
serious objection has ever been urge |
against such policy. There isno di,po-
sition on the part of the miners of Cali
fornip to seek exemption from their just
proportion of the burdens which the pres
cnt unhappy war imposes. No especial
tax could well be imposed upon the mines
except i'll the way Of licenses, and such all
imposition would most aSsurcdly re ;ult i'll
producing falling off in the yield of the
precious metals, which would work far
greater damage to the general interests of
the government than could possibly be
rcmcdied by the direct income 1t would
receive from such Il source.


The benefit which the General Govern
mcnt is even now rcapinS from the mines
of the Pacific Slope is by no means con-
fined to the three and .fec per cent. in
come tax already imposed. The credit OF
the Government could never have been
| nllntltllCu ilJ an LiiliiS llhS Us past dIti
present status had it not becn for the mil
lions of treasure which are going forward
every month from her mines on this coast.
Without this constant supply Of golL
government paper would not to-day have
been worth more than one-half its present
price. 1t can scarcely be con il:rsd cx-
travagant to assert that the mines Of Cali
fornia arc actually b2ncii:ting the Govern
mcnt pccun:arily each month, quite aS
much as ain income equal to the entire
yield of the mines for that period would
do, if drawn from the ordinary sources of
government support.


1t is only by keeping these mincs open
and free to all that this yield can be kept.
up to its present standard. Impose such
a tax upon the mines, as is indicated by
tic Report Of the Secretary of the Into
rior, end the falling off in our monthly
Weld of the precious metals will affect
government securities to an extent many
times greater that the entire tax which
can po sSibly be collected. Let the Cow
crnment beWa lcss, by tampering, itkill5
the goose that lays the golden cgy.-.Wa-
| iay and Scientific Press.