The 10th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the
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 le ...
which convened on January 6, 1879, in
Prescott, Arizona Territory. The session was the last to be composed of nine Council members and eighteen members of the House of Representatives.
Background
There had been several significant changes to the territorial government since the
prior session. First, the territorial
capital was moved from
Tucson
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
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, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
to Prescott. Second, Governor
Anson P.K. Safford had declined a third term to seek his fortune in a number of mining projects. Territorial Secretary
John Philo Hoyt
John Philo Hoyt (October 6, 1841 – August 27, 1926) was an American politician and jurist. He served as the fourth Governor of Arizona Territory and was nominated to become Governor of Idaho Territory but declined the position. In his late ...
had been named to replace Safford on April 5, 1877. Then, in 1878,
John C. Frémont used his political connections to displace Hoyt and secured the governorship for himself. While Hoyt was well respected, most Arizonans were thrilled to have such a well known personality as their Governor.
The
Southern Pacific Railroad had reached
Yuma on September 30, 1877, providing the first rail service to the territory. They were at the time of the session building eastward across Arizona.
Legislative session
The legislative session began on January 6, 1879.
Governor's address
Governor Frémont gave his address to the session on January 9, 1879. In it he spoke to the potential for development within the territory. To this end he recommended spending US$500,000 on construction of new roads. He also proposed using the
Colorado River
The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...
to irrigate the territory's deserts.
To assist the territory's mining industry, the governor asked for creation of a territorial
assay office and proposed a
refinery
A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value.
Types of refineries
Different types of refineries ...
be built in Prescott to reduce the expense of transporting raw bullion to
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
.
Legislation
Governor Frémont's proposals were largely ignored by the session. They instead dealt primarily with issues affecting only individuals or limited sections of the territory. To this end an "Omnibus Divorce Bill" was passed which ending the marriages of fifteen couples. Separate bills granted
divorce
Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...
s to two other couples. Other legislation granted
name changes to eight people.
Gambling was another popular topic. An Arizona Lottery, patterned after the
Louisiana Lottery, was created. Proceeds of this lottery were supposed to offset the expense of constructing schools and other public buildings. A US$300 per quarter fee for gambling licenses, half payable to the county the other to the territory, was also imposed. Less serious was a
bill
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Plac ...
presented by Representative J. D. Rumberg of
Maricopa County
Maricopa County is in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,420,568, making it the state's most populous county, and the fourth-most populous in the United States. It contains about ...
, who had apparently lost a large wager on a slow pony, that would prohibit
horse racing within the territory. Other members of the House of Representatives, realizing the proposal was likely made in jest, solemnly reported their counties were not prepared for the change and had the restriction limited to Rumberg's home county. Representative
John T. Alsap, also from Maricopa County, then obtained further revisions that limited the prohibition to just Rumberg's ranch. While the bill was passed by the session the resulting law was never published.
From the eastern section of
Yavapai County
Yavapai County is near the center of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, its population was 236,209, making it the fourth-most populous county in Arizona. The county seat is Prescott.
Yavapai County comprises the Prescott, AZ M ...
was created
Apache County. Finally, the session authorized US$2000 for Governor Frémont and Judge
Charles Silent to travel to
Washington, D.C.
)
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, and lobby to have an order by
Secretary of the Interior Secretary of the Interior may refer to:
* Secretary of the Interior (Mexico)
* Interior Secretary of Pakistan
* Secretary of the Interior and Local Government (Philippines)
* United States Secretary of the Interior
See also
*Interior ministry ...
Carl Schurz extending boundaries of the
Gila River Indian Reservation
Gila River Indian Reservation was a reservation established in 1859 by the United States government in New Mexico Territory, to set aside the lands of the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and the Piipaash (Maricopa) people along the Gila River, in what ...
into the Salt River Valley.
Members
References
*
*
*
Further reading
*
{{AZ Territorial Legislature
10
10
1879 in Arizona Territory
Territorial Legislature