REPORT OF THE GEOLOGISTS. 
Albany y November Ibth, 1839* 
To His Excellency W. H. Seward. 
The Board of Geologists would respectfully call the attention of the 
Governor to the following subjects in connexion with the Geological 
Survey. 
1. The provisions of Title XL of the Revised Statutes which relate 
to the interest of the State in Mines — 
By this act, all mines of gold and silver discovered or hereafter to 
be discovered within this State, — -all mines of other metals discovered 
or hereafter to be discovered, upon any lands owned by persons not 
being citizens of any of the United States, and all mines of other me- 
tals discovered or hereafter to be discovered upon lands owned by a 
citizen of any of the United States, the ore of which, upon an average, 
shall contain less than two equal thiid parts in value of copper, tin, iron 
and lead, or any of those metals, — are declared to be the property of 
the people of this State. 
It must be evident that this act operates unfavorably upon the mi- 
ning interest in this State, and that it is a uselesis, nay perhaps odious, 
incumbrance upon property in the mining districts. In regard to the 
latter clause above cited, one or two facts deserve to be mentioned. 
The most valuable iron ores of the western part of the State contain 
on an average not more than 33j per cent of pure iron. Yet these are 
sufficiently rich to be profitably worked. Again, ores of copper would 
be considered very valuable if they yielded from 20 to 30 per cent of 
the metal. Indeed, there are very few ores which contain two-thirds 
of their weight of the metal which they contain ; and it seems to us 
