17th Arizona Territorial Legislature

Session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature (1893) February 2026 January 2025 17th 12 T. G. Norris 24 Frank Baxter 16th 18th The 17th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which convened in Phoenix, Arizona. The session ran from February 13 through April 13, 1893.McClintock 1916 341 Background Expectations were that Arizona would soon achieve statehood.Goff 1978 131 Following the constitutional convention authorized by the previous session, Territorial Delegate Marcus A. Smith had submitted an Arizona statehood bill that had passed the United States House of Representatives but was blocked in the Senate by Republicans who did not wish to grant the predominantly Democratic territory two new senators.Fazio 1970 37 The Democratic party won control of the Senate during the 1892 elections, removing the ability of Republicans to block the legislation, and Smith would submit a new statehood bill in the next Congressional session.Wagoner 1970 290 Oakes Murphy had been promoted from Territorial Secretary to Governor following the resignation of Governor IrwinWagoner 1970 290 With the inauguration of U.S. President Grover Cleveland imminent, candidates were vying to replace Murphy as the legislative session began. L. C. Hughes would be sworn in as territorial Governor on April 12, 1893.Goff 1978 132, 146 thumb|upright|right|The Apache Kid Of concern to the citizens of Arizona Territory was the Apache Kid, who had become one of the most feared outlaws of the prior decade.Wagoner 1970 300 Legislative session The legislature convened on February 13, 1893. During the 60-day session, 91 laws were passed.Wagoner 1970 299 Governor's address Governor Murphy gave the address on February 14, 1893. It began by the Acting Governor expressing his desire for this session to be the last before statehood.Goff 1978 131 A large portion of the speech was dedicated to territorial finances.Goff 1978 131–2 With the rapid increases to the territory's population, governmental services needed additional revenue to support educational and law enforcement needs.Wagoner 1970 298 Murphy criticized practices that allowed assessed property values to remain the same over multiple years despite steady gains in real values.Wagoner 1970 297 He was further concerned that the majority of the funds for territorial schools was derived from taxes paid by the gambling industry.Wagoner 1970 298 In the area of proposed legislation, Murphy sought to regulate the railroads "wherever the people's interests are concerned"Goff 1978 132 He asked to have the employment of women in saloons prohibited while seeking to require a "high license" for the sale of alcohol as an alternative to prohibition.Goff 1978 132 The Acting Governor additionally wanted to replace existing the territory-wide regulations on gambling with local option laws.Wagoner 1970 298 He desired to create a licensing requirement to practice medicine.Goff 1978 132 Additionally, Murphy asked for a law prohibiting Indians from carrying weapons off the reservation and wanted to move the territorial prison from Yuma to a more central location.Wagoner 1970 298 Legislation In a move intended to prepare the territory for statehood, the session created a board to regulate the dentistry profession.Wagoner 1970 299 A reform school was authorized to be built in Flagstaff.McClintock 1916 341 Similarly, a territorial library was authorized for Phoenix while a museum for preservation of the territory's archeological artifacts was authorized to be built at the University of Arizona.Wagoner 1970 300 The session passed a law requiring canal owners to remove sunflowers and cockleburs from the banks of the canals.Wagoner 1970 299 Finally, in a bill introduced by George W. P. Hunt, the session authorized a US$5,000 bounty for the capture, dead or alive, of the Apache Kid.McClintock 1916 341Wagoner 1970 303 Concurrent activities As the session was in progress, efforts were underway to have a new governor appointed. Territorial Delegate Marcus A. Smith wrote to President Cleveland on March 22, 1893, saying "The Legislature is now in session and will adjourn on the 13th of April. The newly installed Governor must have several days in which to make a judicious selection of the important officers under his appointment. The Federal Statutes ... provide ... that the Governor of the Territory, by and with the consent on the Council, shall name the Territorial officers. When the Legislature adjourns there will be no Council to act in harmony with him."Wagoner 1970 307 The new Governor, L. C. Hughes, was not nominated until April 4, 1893, and, following confirmation by the U.S. Senate did not take office till the last full day of the legislative session.Goff 1978 146–74 Unlike the 15th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the legislature did not extend the session to allow the new Governor a chance to make officer nominations of his own choosing.Wagoner 1970 309 Members House of RepresentativesWagoner 1970 521NameCountyNameCountyFrank Baxter (Speaker) MaricopaM. E. Hurley MaricopaS. P. Behan YavapaiRobert N. Leatherwood PimaA. D. Brewer GrahamJ. A. Marshall MaricopaJ. W. Bruce PimaLuther Martin ApacheDennis A. Burke YavapaiCharles A. Mehan PimaJ. D. Cook YavapaiJames Reilly CochiseW. T. Day PinalHenry C. Rogers MaricopaR. C. Dryden ApacheHenry D. Ross CoconinoD. M. Field YumaC. F. Schumaker PimaMike Gray CochiseGeorge Skinner GrahamThomas C. Graham PinalDavid Southwiick MohaveGeorge W. P. Hunt GilaAustin C. Wright Cochise CouncilWagoner 1970 521NameCountyGeorge W. Cheyney CochiseFoster S. Dennis MohaveAndrew J. Doran PinalE. J. Edwards GilaJohn J. Hawkins YavapaiJ. Lorenzo Hubbell Apache William M. Lovell PimaF. R. Nellis CoconinoT. G. Norris (President) At LargeM. J. Nugent YumaCharles M. Shannon GrahamW. T. Smith Maricopa At Large Council member chosen by entire territory 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 17 17 Category:1893 in Arizona Territory Territorial Legislature