owners, and by which individuals, in the aggregate, have
realized some nine hundred millions of dollars.'

The Commissioner, therefore, very justly concludes that, under existing
circumstances, our mineral lands ought to yield a national revenue, and
he proposes a preliminary reconnoissance, and licenses, at $10 each, to
be paid in the mean time by the miners to the Government. Beyond these
suggestions he proceeds at present no farther.

The general estimate of the extent of our mineral lands of the public
domain, exceeds twenty millions of acres. It extends from near the 32d
to the 49th parallel of latitude, and from the lakes and the Mississippi
river to the Pacific. It is not supposed that every acre of these twenty
millions contains mines, but that all are so connected as to be embraced
in the same mineral region. These lands, at an average price of $25 per
acre, would be worth $500,000,000. I do not assert that this is their
value, but it is a fact that some of the mines already worked on our
public domain are worth many thousand dollars _per foot_, even in the
present difficulty of access by roads, and the enormous cost of
provisions. It is sufficient for the argument that these mines and
mineral lands are of great value, that they are public property, and, in
the present condition of our country, ought to be made a source of
revenue.

This question concerns the present and future miners. As to the present
miners, they are working these lands without any legal title, but by the
long acquiescence of the Government. They are the pioneers, who, amid
great dangers, privations, and sufferings, have explored these mineral
regions and developed their enormous value. As regards these pioneers
now working the mineral lands of the Government, I think, as a general
rule, the existing miners' code should be carried into effect. They
should be required to register their claims with the proper officer of
the Federal Government, to file copies and descriptive notes of their
surveys and locations, and to report the product of the mines. This
would form a good basis for the reconnoissance proposed by the
Commissioner, and for the exploration and resurvey of these claims by
the Government. Such proceedings would effect the following results:
1st. To prevent litigation among the present miners. 2d. To enable the
Government to separate their lands from the public domain, and to give
them a _perfect title_. 3d. To survey and d