5th Arizona Territorial Legislature
Encyclopedia
The 5th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature
which met from November 10, 1868, to December 16, 1868, in Tucson, Arizona Territory
. It was the last of the annual legislative sessions.
had been officially moved from Prescott
to Tucson. Additionally, Governor Richard C. McCormick had won election to become Arizona's Territorial Delegate to Congress and was preparing to depart to Washington D.C. His replacement had not yet been named.
Hostilities with the native peoples continued with A. M. Erwin, who had won election to become a member of the session, having been killed by Apache
near his home. There was some progress however with most of the Hualapai
having been forced onto a reservation. There had also been several infrastructure improvements.
During previous year, a telegraph line to Santa Fe
had been completed with discussions being held of building a second line to California. Railroads were also in the process of being constructed across the territory.
During the session, the House of Representatives had difficulties maintaining a quorum
. Only one of the six representatives from Yavapai county
attended the session while the delegations from both Mohave
and Yuma
counties were both a representative short. Additionally, Councilman Octavius D. Gass and Representative Andrew S. Gibbons were late to arrive at the session.
via Camp Grant, Florence
, Phoenix
and Camp McDowell
. The second was between Prescott with Albuquerque, New Mexico Territory
A new request was made for establishing a court to resolve the validity of Spanish and Mexican land grants within the territory.
Reverting a change made by the 3rd legislature
, the session recreated the office of Territorial Attorney General
Added to this was the new position of county surveyor
.
To defray territorial expenses, a new tax of US$5 to US$25 was levied on dance hall
s. Additionally the session authorized building a territorial jail in Phoenix. The jail was never built.
Arizona Territorial Legislature
The Arizona Territorial Legislature was the legislative body of Arizona Territory. It was a bicameral legislature consisting of a lower house, the House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Council. Created by the Arizona Organic Act, the legislature initially consisted of nine members in...
which met from November 10, 1868, to December 16, 1868, in Tucson, Arizona Territory
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. It was the last of the annual legislative sessions.
Background
In the year preceding the session there had been several important political changes in the territory. On November 1, 1867 the capitalCapital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
had been officially moved from Prescott
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....
to Tucson. Additionally, Governor Richard C. McCormick had won election to become Arizona's Territorial Delegate to Congress and was preparing to depart to Washington D.C. His replacement had not yet been named.
Hostilities with the native peoples continued with A. M. Erwin, who had won election to become a member of the session, having been killed by Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
near his home. There was some progress however with most of the Hualapai
Hualapai
The Hualapai or Walapai are a tribe of Native Americans who live in the mountains of northwestern Arizona, United States. The name is derived from "hwa:l," the Hualapai word for ponderosa pine, "Hualapai" meaning "people of the ponderosa pine"...
having been forced onto a reservation. There had also been several infrastructure improvements.
During previous year, a telegraph line to Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
had been completed with discussions being held of building a second line to California. Railroads were also in the process of being constructed across the territory.
Legislative session
The thirty-seven day long session of the Fourth Legislative Assembly convened in Tucson on November 10, 1868. The session met in an abode building on Main street belonging to Hiram S. Stevens. Local stories from after the session claimed some meetings occurred in the Congress Street Saloon.During the session, the House of Representatives had difficulties maintaining a quorum
Quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly necessary to conduct the business of that group...
. Only one of the six representatives from Yavapai county
Yavapai County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*89.3% White*0.6% Black*1.7% Native American*0.8% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.5% Two or more races*5.0% Other races*13.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
attended the session while the delegations from both Mohave
Mohave County, Arizona
Mohave County is located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 200,186, an increase of 45,154 people since the 2000 census count of 155,032. The county seat is Kingman...
and Yuma
Yuma County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*70.4% White*2.0% Black*1.6% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.8% Two or more races*20.8% Other races*59.7% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
counties were both a representative short. Additionally, Councilman Octavius D. Gass and Representative Andrew S. Gibbons were late to arrive at the session.
Governor's address
Governor Richard C. McCormick gave his address to the session on November 16, 1868. He began by thanking the voters for his recent election as Territorial Delegate. The governor then noted that taxable property had increased within Arizona due to a growing economy. Social life was also prospering even though McCormick saw the need for additional volunteers to fight Apache.Legislation
The session accomplishments included a number of memorials to the U.S. Congress similar to those sent by previous sessions. Included was a request for additional military assistance in dealing with the Indian Wars. To this was added requests for two new mail routes, one connecting Tucson with WickenburgWickenburg, Arizona
Wickenburg is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 6,423.-Geography:Wickenburg is located at ....
via Camp Grant, Florence
Florence, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 17,054 people, 2,226 households, and 1,540 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,056.2 people per square mile . There were 3,216 housing units at an average density of 387.7 per square mile...
, Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
and Camp McDowell
Fort McDowell, Arizona
Fort McDowell is an unincorporated community in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Fort McDowell is 23 miles northeast of Phoenix, Arizona...
. The second was between Prescott with Albuquerque, New Mexico Territory
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
A new request was made for establishing a court to resolve the validity of Spanish and Mexican land grants within the territory.
Reverting a change made by the 3rd legislature
3rd Arizona Territorial Legislature
The 3rd Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which began on October 3, 1866 in Prescott, Arizona.-Background:...
, the session recreated the office of Territorial Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Added to this was the new position of county surveyor
County surveyor
1. A county surveyor is a public official in many counties of the USA. At the bottom of this page are working "External Links" as at 4 November 2011 to websites of a selection of such County Surveyor's departments. Most of these officials are elected on the partisan ballot to four-year terms...
.
To defray territorial expenses, a new tax of US$5 to US$25 was levied on dance hall
Dance hall
Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub...
s. Additionally the session authorized building a territorial jail in Phoenix. The jail was never built.
Members
| House of Representatives | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | District | Name | District | |
| John Anderson | Pima | Francis H. Goodwin | Pima | |
| Thomas J. Bidwell (Speaker) | Yuma | Oliver Lindsey | Yuma | |
| Thomas W. Brooks | Yavapai | William S. Little | Yavapai | |
| Sol W. Chambers | Pima | James P. Lugenbul | Yuma | |
| Robert M. Crandel | Pima | E. Lumbley | Pima | |
| Follett G. Cristie | Yavapai | John Owen | Pima | |
| U. C. Doolittle | Mohave | John Smith | Yavapai | |
| Jesús M. Elías | Pima | Hiram S. Stevens | Pima | |
| Andrew S. Gibbons | Pah-Ute | G. R. Wilson | Yavapai |
| Council | |
|---|---|
| Name | District |
| John T. Alsap John T. Alsap John Tabor Alsap was an American physician, lawyer, politician, and farmer active in the early days of Arizona Territory... (President) |
Yavapai Yavapai County, Arizona -2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*89.3% White*0.6% Black*1.7% Native American*0.8% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.5% Two or more races*5.0% Other races*13.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:... |
| John G. Campbell | Yavapai |
| F. M. Chapman | Yavapai |
| Octavius D. Gass | Mohave Mohave County, Arizona Mohave County is located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 200,186, an increase of 45,154 people since the 2000 census count of 155,032. The county seat is Kingman... and Pah-Ute Pah-Ute County, Arizona Pah-Ute County is a former county in the northwest corner of Arizona Territory that existed from 1865 until 1871. The majority of the county's territory is now in Clark County, Nevada, including the city of Las Vegas. Due to the transfer of most of the county's land to Nevada, Pah-Ute is known as... |
| Joseph K Hooper | Yuma Yuma County, Arizona -2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*70.4% White*2.0% Black*1.6% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.8% Two or more races*20.8% Other races*59.7% Hispanic or Latino -2000:... |
| Henry Jenkins | Pima Pima County, Arizona -2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*74.3% White*3.5% Black*3.3% Native American*2.6% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.7% Two or more races*12.4% Other races*34.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:... |
| Alexander McKey | Pima |
| Estevan Ochoa Estevan Ochoa Estevan Ochoa was a Mexican-born American businessman and politician who participated in the creation of the Arizona Territory.-Biography:... |
Pima |
| Daniel H Stickney | Pima |