5240. MINES, Federal Government and.—
I am afraid we know too little as yet of the
lead mines to establish a permanent system.
I verily believe that of leasing will be far the
best for the United States. But it will take
time to find out what rent may be reserved,
so as to enable the lessee to compete with those
who work mines in their own right, and yet
have an encouraging profit for themselves.
Having on the spot two such men as Lewis and
Bates, in whose integrity and prudence unlimited
confidence may be placed, would it
not be best to confide to them the whole business
of leasing and regulating the management
of our interests, recommending to them short
leases, at first, till themselves shall become
thoroughly acquainted with the subject, and
shall be able to reduce the management to a
system, which the government may then approve
and adhere to? I think one article of it should
be that the rent shall be paid in metal, not in
mineral, so that we may have nothing to do
with works which will always be mismanaged,
and reduce our concern to a simple rent. We
shall lose more by ill-managed smelting works
than the digging the ore is worth. Then, it
would be better that our ore remained in the
earth than in a storehouse, and consequently
we give nine-tenths of the ore for nothing.
These thoughts are merely for your consideration.—
To Albert Gallatin. Washington ed. v, 210.
(Nov. 1807)
