16th Arizona Territorial Legislature

Session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature (1891) February 2026 January 2025 16th 12 Fred G. Hughes 24 C. S. Clark 15th 17th The 16th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which convened in Phoenix, Arizona. The session began on January 19, 1891.Wagoner 1970 286 Background John N. Irwin had been appointed to replace Lewis Wolfley as Territorial Governor on October 4, 1890. His arrival in the territory had been delayed. First by Irwin taking a brief leave to settle some personal affairs.Goff 1978 118 Then, as soon as his affairs were in order, a member of his family contracted scarlet fever and he was forced to spend a month in medical quarantine.Goff 1978 118–19 It was not until January 21, 1891, that the new Governor arrived in the territory and was sworn into office.Goff 1978 119 A statehood movement had developed to correct what was perceived as the "second-class" status experienced by territorial citizens.Fazio 1970 35 Politically, the 1890 elections had resulted in the Democrats winning control of both houses of the legislature.McClintock 1916 340 Legislative session The legislative session began on January 19, 1891. Governor's address The address was given by Acting Governor Oakes Murphy on January 20, 1891.Goff 1978 130 He expressed concern for the territory's financial condition, calling for the legislature to "either reduce expenses of government or increase revenue, to prevent serious financial complications."Wagoner 1970 286 Murphy then expressed outrage over how common tax avoidance practices were used by territorial residents and estimated total territorial debt at US$3,427,000.Wagoner 1970 286 The Acting Governor suggested reducing operational costs of the territorial prison "by properly reducing the cost of maintenance, utilizing prison labor, and reduction in the salaries of officers and guards" while he felt the cost of the territorial insane asylum could be offset by better utilization of the facility's farm.Wagoner 1970 286 Murphy announced that he had found eleven "lost laws" that had been passed by the 15th Arizona Territorial Legislature before being stored in a desk drawer by Governor C. Meyer Zulick with neither the governor's signature or veto. The Arizona Territorial Supreme court had determined the laws were valid and Murphy planned to publish them unless they were repealed by this session.Wagoner 1970 287 In other matters, he asked for a bridge to be built near Phoenix over the Salt River, creation of usury laws and restrictions on gambling, and adoption of the secret ballot.Goff 1978 130 To against the Apache outlaws, Murphy asked for a mounted police force be organized.Wagoner 1970 286 Finally the Acting Governor requested the elimination of fiestas, noting "The Mexicans have little to do with the fiesta of the present day, as they are almost entirely conducted by Americans, and to our shame be it said that the annual exhibitions at the fiestas in the cities of Tucson and Phoenix are outrageous and a disgrace to the Territory. I recommend such legislation as will put an effective stop to these abuses."Goff 1978 131 Legislation Acting upon Acting Governor Murphy's recommendation, the session decided to publish the "lost laws" from the previous session.Wagoner 1970 287 They then eliminated the territorial offices of Commissioner of Immigration and Territorial Geologist.McClintock 1916 340 A new tax of US$30/month was imposed upon gambling tables.Wagoner 1970 287–88 Additionally gambling tables were banned from any fair ground, fiesta, park, or race track.Wagoner 1970 287 The ban had the added benefit of effectively fulfilling Murphy's request to halt the territory's fiestas.McClintock 1916 340 The legislature also established the secret ballot during territorial elections.McClintock 1916 340 The session granted an exemption from jury duty to volunteer firefighters and a means of promoting better fire protection.Wagoner 1970 288 Cattle rustling was discouraged by requiring any cattle sold to be branded and livestock inspections to be performed before the cattle could be shipped.Wagoner 1970 288 In transportation issues, the maximum railroad fare for railroads was set at $0.06/mileMcClintock 1916 340 Meanwhile, new railroads were granted a twenty-year tax exemption.Wagoner 1970 288 To aid in law enforcement, a ranger force was authorized.Wagoner 1970 288 Additionally a military code was passed that required all male inhabitants of the territory between the ages of 18 and 45 to be available for militia duty in times of need.Wagoner 1970 288 A new county, Coconino, was created from northern Yavapai County while a section of the Tonto Basin was transferred to Gila County.Wagoner 1970 288 Sensing the territory would soon achieve statehood, the session was authorization of a constitutional convention.McClintock 1916 340 This was done without the U.S. Congress passing an Enabling act and it was anticipated that having a ratified constitution when the next request for statehood was made would speed the statehood process.Wagoner 1970 288 Aftermath The authorized ranger force would not be organized until 1901.Wagoner 1970 288 Progress on creation of a constitution came much faster. Governor Irwin issued a proclamation calling for an election of delegates on March 24, 1891, with the convention convening on September 7 the same year.Goff 1978 122Fazio 1970 35 Unusual aspects of the document included provisions for public funding of railroads and water projects and women's suffrage in school elections.Fazio 1970 35 It was the document's support for bimetalism however that raised concerns.Wagoner 1970 289 The proposed constitution was ratified by Arizona voters on December 28, 1891, by a vote of 5,440 to 2,282.Goff 1978 123 Territorial Delegate Marcus A. Smith submitted an Arizona statehood bills that utilized the proposed constitution in the United States House of Representatives on January 15 and March 14, 1892.Fazio 1970 37 The first bill quickly died in committee while the second was passed by the House before being killed in a Senate committee.Wagoner 1970 290 Senate Republicans at the time not wishing to admit another predominately Democratic state.Fazio 1970 37 The proposed constitution met its final fate in 1893. The Democratic party won control of the Senate during the 1892 elections and Smith submitted an updated statehood bill which was passed by the House on December 15, 1893.Wagoner 1970 290 The newly elected Grover Cleveland administration was composed primary of gold standard advocates and the document's support for bimetallism led to Smith's bill dying in a Senate committee.Wagoner 1970 290 Members House of RepresentativesWagoner 1970 520NameCountyNameCountyJohn B. Allen PinalD. Gough GrahamC. H. Brinley YumaFrank Hart ApacheS. M. Burr CochiseF. W. Heyne CochiseL. H. Chalmers MaricopaGustav A. Hoff PimaC. S. Clark (Speaker) CochiseJ. T. Lesueur ApacheM. C. Copeland MohaveRansom B. Moore GilaJ. W. Dougherty YavapaiS. C. Mott YavapaiThomas Driscoll PimaGeorge Pusch PimaThomas Dunbar CochiseMariano G. Samaniego PimaT. E. Farish MaricopaC. C. Suter PimaJ. J. Fisher YavapaiJ. H. Tevis CochiseW. A. Freeze YavapaiJ. A. Vail Yavapai CouncilWagoner 1970 520NameCountyHarris Baldwin Northern DistrictPeter R. Brady Southern DistrictFoster S. Dennis MohaveAndrew J. Doran PinalA. Frank YumaJ. C. Herndon YavapaiFred G. Hughes (President) PimaGeorge T. Peter GilaE. J. Simpson Apache P. M. Thurmond GrahamJ. V. Vickers CochiseC. Meyer Zulick Maricopa The Northern District was composed of Apache, Maricopa, Mohave, Yuma, and Yavapai counties, while the Southern District encompassed Cochise, Gila, Graham, Pima, and Pinal counties. References 2 Fazio Steven A. Marcus Aurelius Smith: Arizona Delegate and Senator Arizona and the West 12 1 23–62 Spring 1970 40168029 Goff John S. Arizona Territorial Officials Volume II: The Governors 1863–1912 Black Mountain Press Cave Creek, Arizona 1978 McClintock James H. James H. McClintock Arizona, Prehistoric, Aboriginal, Pioneer, Modern Vol. II S. J. Clarke Chicago 1916 https://books.google.com/books?id=xEQOAAAAIAAJ Wagoner Jay J. Arizona Territory 1863–1912: A Political history University of Arizona Press Tucson 1970 0816501769 registration https://archive.org/details/arizonaterritory00wago External links David Leighton, "Street Smarts: Road honors husband of Tucson's first Christian Scientist" (Gus A. Hoff bio), Arizona Daily Star, June 15, 2015 16 16 Category:1891 in Arizona Territory Territorial Legislature