CALIFORNIA. 



87 



the map of Central California, and that there 

 is a largo quantity of work in various stages 

 of preparation. 



The operations during the past two years 

 have been confined to trips to Yosemite, Al- 

 pine, and Calaveras Counties, the earthquake 

 region in luyo County, and a geological ex- 

 cursion from San Diego to Los Angeles. 



Work was also done on that particular geol- 

 ogy of the San Francisco Bay Map, the imme- 

 diate publication of which was promised eleven 

 years ago. No other geological work was 

 done; nothing in the mining districts. So far 

 as the survey is concerned, the world is yet in 

 ignorance of the geological features of the 

 mining region on the western slope of the 

 Sierra Nevada, excepting such information as 

 can be gleaned from the generalizations and 

 scientific descriptions contained in the one vol- 

 ume of geology published. A scientific de- 

 scription, and the accurate geological mapping 

 of tlie auriferous area bounded by the Stanis- 

 laus River, Spanish Peak, in Pluinas County, 

 the Sacramento River, and the summit of the 

 Sierra, would be of greater service than all 

 that has been accomplished and made public. 

 The topographical maps are beautifully exe- 

 cuted, exhibiting original and compiled work 

 of great value ; but no maps have been pub- 

 lished showing elevation of areas, and there is 

 nothing in the books, maps, or reports, unless 

 incidentally, that will assist to solve the great 

 problems of drainage, irrigation, or reclamation. 

 There are now in preparation, and it is con- 

 templated to eventually publish, the following 

 volumes, together with numerous maps : Phy- 

 sical Geography, General Geology, Economical 

 Geology, Ornithology, Botany, Paleontology, 

 Fossil Plants, Ichthyology, Conchology, and an 

 Atlas Folio. 



The subject of the grant to the State of the 

 Yosemite Valley as a "Public Park" is pre- 

 sented in the report of the " Commissonsrs to 

 manage the Yosemite Valley, and the Mari- 

 posa Big Tree Grove." Little has been done 

 by the State in fulfillment of the obligation she 

 imposed upon herself by accepting the grant 

 made by Congress $4,000 only having been 

 devoted to the trust during the nine yvurs 

 which have elapsed. By decisions of the Su- 

 preme Court, as well as that of the United 

 States, the ample power and authority of the 

 commissioners, within the limit of the grant, 

 have been established, and there remains to do 

 the one thing always requisite to he done when 

 good results are expected or demanded the 

 appropriation of funds commensurate to the 

 re (Hired results. 



The subject of Chinese immigration natural- 

 ly comes up for consideration, in the Govern- 

 or's message, and his views are tersely ex- 

 pressed as follows : 



The increased volume of Chinese immigration in 

 the past year has excited unusual attention. Those 

 who are BO far removed from m u.i to tuna tln-ir 

 opinion* on this miliject from ^eiieni! -principles, 

 rather than from the special facts, and many per- 



sons here who are not brought in competition with 

 Chinese labor, but are benefited by its cheapness, 

 have often indulged in harsh criticisms upon the pre- 

 vailing sentiment of this State in regard to Chinese 

 immigration. Upon this subject 1 beg to repeat 

 substantially what 1 have beforu said. The Chinese 

 immigration constitutes a marked class a dis- 

 tinctive element of society. We cannot be blind to 

 the fact that China, with a population of more than 

 three hundred millions, is as near to us, practically, 

 as New York, and may send here such a volume of 

 immigration as would modify our society, and sub- 

 stantially change the relations of capital to labor. 

 That modification would not be such as wo desire in 

 American civilization; that change would not be in 

 the interest of free labor. The labor of the Chinese 

 who come here is cheap, because in the mass they 

 have no families to support, no children to educate, 

 and are free from the wants which differentiate our 

 civilization from theirs; and, in order to success- 

 fully compete with them in price, other laborers 

 would be compelled to reduce themselves to the same 

 conditions. 



Besides these considerations, the presence ol a 

 large population in our midst, to whom we are un- 

 willin" to accord equality of political rights, estab- 

 lishes, to that extent, a system of caste, and is at 

 variancd with the genius of our institutions. 



I believe the general sentiment of the people of 

 the State will concur in the view that, while tho 

 Chinese who are hera, or who may come under the 

 stipulations of our treaty, should be protected from 

 violence and persecution, the General Government 

 should call for such a readjustment of the treaty as 

 will restrain their further immigration. 



One point, which the Governor does not 

 make, is important in this connection; viz., 

 that, with very few exceptions, tho Chinese do 

 not come to stay; that their only object is to 

 accumulate, by a few years of labor, sufficient 

 property to enable them to live in comparative 

 luxury in China, and then to return there. 



Under the operation of tho laws of the 

 State, a large portion of its inland waters, 

 available for purposes of irrigation, have passed 

 under private control. This right of control 

 has been acquired simply hy appropriation, 

 and although the law requires such appropri- 

 ation to be for some useful or beneficial pur- 

 pose, the terms are so broad any useful or 

 beneficial purpose fulfilling the definition and 

 the legal means of determining what is useful 

 or beneficial, within the meaning of the law, 

 so defective, that the control is practically ab- 

 solute, and will he regulated only by tho self- 

 interest, more or less enlightened, of the ap- 

 propriators. It is in their power to carry the 

 waters appropriated over one arid district to 

 another, to make their own prices, to dis- 

 criminate in prices, and between owners of 

 lands. In many districts in the State the con- 

 trol of the waters necessary for irrigation is 

 of as great value as the lands to he Irrigated. 



The present laws grew up from the immedi- 

 ate necessities of mining, and were, to some 

 extent, justified by the hazards of mining en- 

 terprise's, the impossibility of determining in 

 advance the value of a mine, or the amount of 

 water its working would require. Privileges 

 were granted to compensate risks. The agri- 

 cultural development of the State presents dif- 

 ferent conditions. 



