Doc. No. 9.] 81 



finds that his operations mnst be continued through a series of years- in order 

 to secure a fair remuneration for his labors, and if he removes to other parts 

 of the State, his interests in the locality he left does not cease, as his capi 

 tal investments still remain and continue a permanent source of revenue to 

 the State and county in which they are located. The implements of the 

 placer miner are few, and easily obtained or disposed of if he wishes to re 

 move but, it is widely different with the other. He is obliged to obtain ex 

 pensive machinery to obtain profitable results from his labors, and heavy 

 sacrifice is often the attendant, if it is his misfortune to fail in his operations 

 from any causes either natural or artificial. 



The effect of placer mining in all parts of the world has been, to produce 

 a wandering and unstable community, no Jbetter example is to be found than 

 in our own State ; it is a true illustration of what has occurred in other 

 countries whose features simulate our own ; and to remedy this has been the 

 aim of our State government almost from its earliest foundation ; how far its 

 efforts have been attended with success its present history will clearly elu 

 cidate. The attempt to induce a permanent settlement in the mountains can 

 be said to have partially succeeded only, and this has occurred in those in 

 stances where the parties thus locating have been enabled to avail themselves 

 of interests that would partake of a degree of permanency for a series of 

 years ; their titles to improvements on the lands such persons occupy, being 

 retained only by the law of sufference, subject to the decrees of the majority 

 residing in their vicinity if found to be auriferous. 



On the broad platform of "equal right and equal privilege," which has 

 been the governing principle of this State in its most extended sense from 

 its earliest occupancy, the dim outline of a desire to establish permanency 

 in the settlement of the mountain districts has been manifested, and at the 

 present time it has become a distinguishing feature in a large portion of the 

 mining population, in mining employments it is equally apparent as in agri 

 culture ; among the most stringent advocates of a "masterly inactivity" in 

 regard to the government of the mines, two years ago, are now to be found 

 men equally earnest in their advocacy of vesting rights that shall partake of 

 the character of permanency, and protective where his operations require 

 investments, to secure competency and reward for his labours. Experience 

 has taught us that necessity, if we would foster those emploj^ments which it 

 has been our pride to boast, and where no subversion of those fundamental 

 principles on which our laws are founded can take place. 



In every county of the State where quartz mining has been conducted 

 this will be found a striking feature in each and all of their operations, and 

 has been particularly manifested in some of the northern counties, where more 

 stringency in the enforcement of mining laws of former years existed, than 

 probably any other part of the State ; the effects of this course of action was 

 equally manifest abroad, in the Atlantic States and Europe, when the con 

 struction of the present mining code was published in those countries. In 

 one of our northern counties a system has been founded on this code which 

 under certain conditions, (consisting of a given amount of improvements 

 only) conveys a title in fee to all intents and purposes ; and another by 

 which parties have the right of holding all that they may be able to purchase. 

 This course of action among miners themselves must be viewed as a plain 

 and clearly defined wish, on their part, to extend over the country a system 

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