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8th Arizona Territorial Legislature

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Arizona Territorial Legislature
7th 9th
Overview
Legislative bodyArizona Territorial Legislature
JurisdictionArizona Territory, United States
Council
Members9
House of Representatives
Members18

The 8th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which convened from January 4, 1875, till February 12, 1875, in Tucson, Arizona Territory.[1]

Background

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The Indian Wars continued throughout the territory, but General George Crook's strategies were showing clear progress. Beginning in April 1873, a majority of the territory's Apache population began converging on Camp Verde to seek amnesty. In exchange for food and protection, the surrendering Apache agreed to live on reservations and follow the instructions of Indian agents.[2] A secondary benefit of the military action was that the General had ordered his scouts to map the trails they discovered. As a result, many areas previously unknown to American settlers were mapped.[3]

While the 5th Arizona Territorial Legislature had approved building a prison near Phoenix, no funds had been appropriated for its construction. As a result, the territory still lacked a place to incarcerate convicted criminals.[4]

Legislative session

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The legislative session began on January 4, 1875.

Governor's address

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Governor Anson P.K. Safford gave his address to the session on January 6, 1875.[1] As with his previous addresses, he gave an overview of the Indian Wars within the territory. Thanking the area military commander for his progress in this conflict, the Governor said, "General Crook, in the subjugation of the Apache, has sustained his former well earned military reputation and deserves the lasting gratitude of our people."[2]

Economically, Safford reported the territory's mines were doing well but that low prices for grain was constraining the prosperity of area farmers. As there was a persistent shortage of qualified candidates willing to work for the offered salary, the Governor recommended doing away with the position Attorney General. Finally he requested creation of voter registration laws and creation of a territorial insane asylum to remove the need of contracting with California to handle the territory's mentally ill.[1]

Legislation

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Representative Granville H. Oury, representing Maricopa County, seeking to rectify an oversight by a previous session, introduced a bill to finance the previously authorized prison in Phoenix. He was outmaneuvered by José M. Redondo, a prominent cattle rancher and irrigation pioneer, and Representative R. B. Kelly, both from Yuma County, who managed to amend the bill to replace "Phoenix" with "Yuma." Thus the resulting US$25,000 bond authorization resulted in the territorial prison being built in Yuma.[4]

In other action, the session permanently located the territorial capital in Tucson, imposed a bullion tax on mined minerals, and created Pinal County from sections of Pima, Maricopa, and Yavapai counties.[5]

Members

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House of Representatives[6]
Name District Name District
John T. Alsap (Speaker) Maricopa A. L. Moeller Yavapai
Levi Bashford Yavapai John Montgomery Pima
Gideon Brooke Yavapai W. J. O'Neill Yavapai
S. H. Drachman Pima Granville H. Oury Maricopa
Jesús M. Elías Pima Samuel Purdy Jr. Yuma
H. Goldberg Yavapai Hugo Richards Yavapai
F. M. Griffin Pima Alphonso Rickman Pima
C. P. Head Yavapai George H. Stevens Pima
R. B. Kelly Yuma S. W. Wood Mohave
Council[6]
Name District
Peter Rainsford Brady Pima
John G. Campbell Yavapai
A. E. Davis Mohave
Sidney Randolph DeLong Pima
J. P. Hargrave Yavapai
J. M. Renondo Yuma
L. A. Stevens Yavapai
King Woolsey (President) Maricopa
William Zeckendorf Pima

References

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  1. ^ a b c Goff 1978, p. 57.
  2. ^ a b Wagoner 1970, p. 141.
  3. ^ Wagoner 1970, p. 142.
  4. ^ a b Wagoner 1970, p. 115.
  5. ^ McClintock 1916, p. 330.
  6. ^ a b Wagoner 1970, p. 512.
  • Goff, John S. (1978). Arizona Territorial Officials Volume II: The Governors 1863–1912. Cave Creek, Arizona: Black Mountain Press. OCLC 5100411.
  • McClintock, James H. (1916). Arizona, Prehistoric, Aboriginal, Pioneer, Modern Vol. II. Chicago: S. J. Clarke.
  • Wagoner, Jay J. (1970). Arizona Territory 1863–1912: A Political history. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. ISBN 0816501769.

Further reading

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