Mr. JULIAN. Well, I wish to offer these amendments to the bill in case my 1st amendment. he voted down, and I will designate them without reference to the Senate bill. Mr. Speaker, this bill is a very extraordinary one, as shall endeavor to show by reference to its provisions. It declares that the mineral lands of the U.S shall be open to exploration and occupation, “subject to the local custom or rules of miners." It then provides that the miner shall locate his claim, which shall be extended and bounded according to “ the local custom or rules of miners." It provides that he shall improve or develop the mine according to “the local custom or rules of miners.” It provides, then. that he shall have the right to have his load or vein surveyed by the surveyor general of the land district, not according to the public surveys, and under the authority of the U.S.; not having reference to any base lines at all; but that he shall call upon the surveyor general to survey the vein according to the boundaries already fixed by “the local custom or usage of the miners, " precisely as I call upon the surveyor of my county to survey my private estate. Upon that survey the surveyor general is to make out a plat or diagram of the vein, and transmit it to the GLO at Washiniton, upon which it is made the duty of the and Office to issue a patent to the claimant. The bill further provides that in case of any conflict between different claimants of any vein or lead it shall be determined by the local courts having jurisdiction, without any appeal to the general 0r local land office or to any tribunal authorized to speak in the nation's behalf. The bill, in other words as thelloiise will observe, is an absolute deed of quitelaiin of all right, title, and interest of the U.S. in and to the mineral lands of the nation, and committing them to the management, keeping, and disosition of the miners, who alone are hence orivard to settle ever question as to boundary. title. survey, on every other matter and thing involved in this stu pendous innovation upon the policy of the nation. Now, I submit that this is an extraordinary measure indeed; and I take occasion here to refer to the argument, so persistently urged in support of this bill, that it is acceptable to Nevada and California and to the mining regions of our country. Why, undoubtedly it is acceptable to them. I should deem it mar velous if they did not accept a free gift of the gold and silver to be found interspersed over a million square miles of the richest mineral lands on the globe', at.the hands of the Government of the U.S., which is thns to renounce and abdicate in their behalfits owner ship of the whole ofit. If I had my home in the center of these mining regions, and owned an immense fortune in minerals, like some of the supporters of this bill, I should undoubtedly favor it. I would urge the passage of the bill Willi all the zeal which self interest and local. fer ling rcould prompt. I do not think I would resort to the crooked and indefensible legislative tactics to which I have already udverted in order to carry my point, but certainly I would be swayed very strongly by circumstances so controlling. It is altogether consistent with the interests of these mining districts that their Representatives should zealously labor for this bill, and that honorable gentlemen, not members of this House, should come upon this floor and perniiibulate these aisles as they did on Saturday and are again doing today, and tell us to vote for this bill, and command us, in the tone of slave drivers. to “Getup, get up, help us, this is ulocal measure. help us to carry it!” Admira bly natural and characteristic! But occupyin the stand point that I do outside these minera districts, and of the contagion of local opinion and feeling, and having no other desire than the establishment of a broad and enduring national policy