deration of
the President, the Secretary of the Interior, the Commissioner of the
General Land Office, Congress, and the country.

Tho system proposed by me would bring here vast foreign capital to
invest in working our mines. As the law now stands, no title can be
acquired to any of our public mineral lands, and hence the capital
invested is extremely limited. By this plan, not only would a certain
title be acquired to the mines now worked, and at a nominal price to the
present miners, but also for new mines, at their proper value, and thus
our vast mineral wealth would be developed much sooner.

There are two considerations which will soon rapidly enhance the value
of our mineral lands. These are the Homestead bill and the Pacific
railroad. By the gift, substantially, of one hundred and sixty acres of
our agricultural public lands to every settler, the soil, in the
vicinity of the mines, will be far more speedily occupied and
cultivated, and, as a consequence, much cheaper provisions and
subsistence furnished to the miners. This result, also, will be greatly
accelerated by the construction of the Pacific railroad, together with
much lower transportation of emigrants and freight.

The plan proposed (as it ought to be) is just to the mining States and
Territories, and to the pioneer miners. Indeed, it is far better for
them than the present system.

The next question is, how should the sales be made, and at what price.
The gold and silver lands I would sell in one-acre lots, as above
designated; our other mineral lands in forty-acre lots, a subdivision
now recognized by law.

One surveyor, accompanied by one commissioner for each four townships,
should examine, and both should report to the register and receiver of
the proper land office, the value of each subdivision of the public
mineral lands, together with the proper maps. These views should,
together with their own opinions, be communicated by the register and
receiver to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, who, under the
supervision of the Secretary of the Interior, should fix the value of
these acre lots. These lands then should be advertised for sale to the
highest bidder for cash, at minimum rates, not below those estimated,
which should be published. The bids, after six months' advertisement,
should be received by the register and receiver of the proper land
offices, and also by the Secretary of the Interior, up to the same day
and hour, when su