Mr. SHERMAN. I desire that that communication shall be referred to the ComPubLands, which has the whole subject under consideration; and perhaps I ought to reply in a few words to one or 2 observations made by the petitioners. Those who telegraph this long communication are simpl petitioners. I did not understand the Senator in his statement to say they were residentsof California, but I presume they are citizens of SanFranciseo and of his State. The bill introduced by me the other day simply provides for the ex, tension of our landlaw system to the mineral lands of the U.S. Under the present system there are no means by which a title can be acquired to mineral lands, unless it is under some old Mexican rant or under a possessory right, according to their minin laws or customs. The whole purpose of the bil is to extend our general land system to the mineral lands of the U.S. The bill was mainly prepared by a former Commissioner of Public and s, now one of the high officers of the Government. My conviction has been from the beginning that the best disposition that could be made of these lands is at onceto secure to private persons absolute title to them, to grant the fee. he old policy of this Government, of the Spanish Government, and many other Governments has been to held within the power of the Government the title to mineral lands. My own impression has always been that it would be wiser for the Government of the U.S. to give this land away to the settler rather than to hold thelegal title. But I do believe that the mineral lands are a legitimate source of revenuez and that; with the aid of wise officers, we might derive a considerable revenue from the sale of the lands after they have been carefully surveyed. Whether the price peracre fixed by the bill that I have introduced is too high or not is a question for future discussion. The whole purpose of the bill, it seems to me, has been entirely misunderstood by certain persons in the mining region. I believe if that ill, or a bill of a kindred character, were passed, presented resident and referred to by which the U.S. Would invest in the occupants of these lands a absolute title, so that the might have an in ucement to o on and his e permanent improvements an develo the resources of the country, that California, Nevada, nndall the mining States would ering idly grow far beyond their present limits. truth is, that in all mining countries the trouble has been that the population is simply tempo rary. Itissoin Cahfornia. it is prosperous and then sometimes vseormyedtcimeressvsceie y. here is no fixed and permanent population in the mining reon because there is no absolute title to the lan, and the greatest improvements, from all the information I can get, are on the Mexican grunts, where an absolute title was acquired under the Mexican law. his bein a subject relating solely to the public landst e mines are considered mere y as an incidentto the publiclandsI think this communication should be referred to the ComPubLands which has now charge of the bill that I introduced. The paperreates entirely to that. hill, and the 2 ought to go together. The subject of mines and minin and minerals is another subject to he considers by its appropriate committee. I, therefore, move that the communication be referred to the ComPubLands.