Arizona miner., 1866-10-13
FIRST DISTRICT COURT.
EXTRACT FROM TIE CHARGE or JUDGE DAcKrs

Gen1emea--I am informed that at your present session there will be brought before you a case of murder, one of those ui,- fortunate cases of too frequent occurrence oi the too common and promiscuous use oi Ire arms, at once dangerous to the community, AS it is discreditable and wicked in the indi- yidual. Of the criminal | would say nothing. for it would not be proper for me, at thls time, to do so; but ot the crime would ein- phatically say, it is your imperative duty, m every way in your power, to dlscountenance and put stop to this dastardly and barba- rous practice of shooting, this peryersion oi firearms, an invention intended by Kind heaven for our safety and protection, to the purposes of the slaughter Ot our citlLens II blood IS found in the skirts of the deceased, your duty is to present him, without regard of consequences to the criminal. In all cases ofindvidual crime, your proper acdon 's by way of indictment. In all other matters oi which there are many not constituting indv'd- uaI crime, but yet great public grievances, seri- ously affecting public happiness, convenience and prosperity, it IS appropriate Tor you to act by way of prcsentmcnt of the grievance, SO as to bring the same authoratively before the public, and to the attention ot those hay ing the power Co correct the evil as well us to expose the wrong doer.
 "Of this latter class Iwould par'icularize the miserable mail arrangement under which the country has been and still is suffering not only suhecting it's business men to great and serious loss, but working an entire des truction of the social correspondence of it people It is an evil of immense magnitud' | to a new, feeble and frontier country tha ! perity and success, on its commercial and so cial intercourse with the older States. | paralizes all it's energies, both civil and mill tary. While the Government, with a fiber alty worthy it's paternal care for the progres and prosperity of the Territory, gives ou contracts, with h compensation adequate ( secure q sufficient monthly, weekly or othe mail service, and in manner to secure to th Territory certainty of ingress and cgress [ the country an interruptions and junketin set of contractors, defeat not only the pun poses of the Government, hut the progress , our people, and the fraudulent contractor seek impunity for the outrage in the feebl, ness and remoteness of the Territory and Ir dian troubles, which they have never seen c attempted to overcome. l suggest this mat ter; any acton therein rests in your soun discretion
 "The oath that your foreman has takei and you through him, points out your dut so clearly that none ot you can matcTiail err in the discharge of your important an responsible duties. Your deliberations wi he secret, as well as the result of your labor until delivered up in open court all of whic you are bound to kerp secret unless calle upon to disclose, in the course of the admin
 istration of justice. Twelve of your numb,
 are necessary to the finding of bill or pr
 sentiment, which when found, will be ei
 dorsed by your foreman n true bill, with tl
 names of the witnesses, and by him delivert
 in court. ou will meet on yoiir ow-n 2,
 journments, and from time to time, as sha
 best conserve the public business, retur
 your proceedings into court. As you sha
 discharge the various and responsible duti
 devolyed on you depends very much the pre-
 ent and future progress and happiness of Al
 zona. Convince our brethren of the old
 States that we are law abiding and Ia
 loving people that Arizona is not sanctu
 ry of assassins, or an asylum of crime, aI capital and population by an easy and nntur course of things, will flow in upon us, tran forming feeble and remote Territory i'm
 a sovereign State of the Union, making tl wilderness and desolatc places to bud ar blossom as the rose"