THE MINERS' PETITION vs THE ABOLITION OF THE MINING ORDINANCES: the undersigned residents & natives of the Department represent that they have seen with sorrow the superior decree of 12 Feb suspending the abolition[sic] of the mining ordinances of the Mexican Republic — an important branch of universal mining observed in the Mexican Republic; that by the various proclamations of the U.S. commanders it was manifested that Mexican laws not militating against military possession of this country (acquired by right of war) would be observed until a definitive peace treaty ceded the department; the 12 Feb order to destroy this hope has annihilated the brilliant prospect of the mining spirit; mining cannot be developed without the safeguard of the wise laws that the 'única potencia del mundo' [Mexico] gave, knowing the little aptitude of the laborers & cattle-raisers to discover & work minerals; on the 'lesión enorme' the rancheros suffer for metallic discoveries in their lands, it is a manifest error, for the ordenanza does not indemnify the costly piece of terreno occupied but results in a great increase of value to their properties by proximity of mining operations, which bring a great concurrence of operarios & cause diseminación de dinero; the said decree has caused notable prejudice to many persons who erected costly works in soliciting veins; supplicate the execution of the decree be suspended until the U.S. govt resolves on the matter — ⭐⭐ a substantial gold-rush-era petition defending Mexican mining law against American suspension (companion to the Cambuston quicksilver case, doc 439)
| Date | 1848-03-02 (exact) |
|---|---|
| From | Los residentes |
| To | Gobernador — 'Sobre ordenanza de minería' |
| Place | Monterey |
| Series | Miscellaneous / Unbound Documents |
| Tomo | Unbound |
| Original tomo page | — |
| Savage copy page | 394 |
| Scan leaf | n396–397 |
| Document type | verbatim |
| Source | verbatim transcription |
Read this leaf on the Internet Archive ↗ · leaf n396–397
Los residentes to Gobernador — 'Sobre ordenanza de minería', Monterey, 1848-03-02, Miscellaneous / Unbound Documents, Unbound, —, Archives of California, C-A 63, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.Cite the document by series, tomo and original tomo page, as the literature does; the C-A number locates it in the repository. To cite this catalogue entry itself, use https://archivesofcalifornia.com/record/ca63/ca63-d528.html