Arizona miner. [volume] (Fort Whipple, Ariz.) 1864-1868, 1867-05-04
OUR INTERESTS AT WASHINGTON.
LETTER FROM DELEGATE GOODWIN.

LETTER FROM DELEGATE GOODWIN.
The following private letter from Ex-Gov.
John n Goodwin, who represented Arizona
in the 39th Congress, gives some account Of
his efforts for the Territory, and will do
much to silence the charge Of inefficiency
which has been laid at his door. The Gov
ernor may not have been so demonstrative
as many have wished, but that he has had
the best interests Of the Territory at heart
and worked with sagacity and influence
would seem to be beyond question. He GER
tainly has achieved considerable success, and
left matters in good shape for our new Del
egate:
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 9, 1867.
The Both Congress has adjourned, aud
am only waiting to close up my business, and
to introduce Bashford and post him up.
am very we'll satisfied with what have
accomplished since | came here. For the
first two months after arrived here, ! was
occupied with the matters connected with
the contest with Poston. Then came in our
bill Tor the disposal of the mineral lands
This we all concluded was of greater impor-
lance to US, than any measure that could oc-
cupy the attention Of Congress. We kept
back everything that we thought could in
terfere with this, and / devoted myself to
nothing else. The passage of this bill left
me free to attend 10 other matters at this
session.
The Indian question has occupied much of
my time. have been able to obtain very
good appropriation for the Indian service in
Arizona. Congress has appropriated fifty
thousand dollars for a reservation for the
Colorado Indians, and in addition TO this we
have an appropriation of seventy thousand
dollars for the general care Of Indians in the
Territory. This makes one hundred and
twenty thousand dollars in all against twenty
thousand dollars for the previous year.
had TO fight before could obtain these sums
they were struck out in both House and
Senate, but induced the Committee Of Con
ference TO restore them.
enclose copy Of bill creating land
district in Arizona This will be done at
once. 1t will give our people an opportunity
TO acquire their titles. The Office will be es-
tablished at Prescott There will also be a
mineral district for the whole Territory.
You will see that Arizona is annexed TO
the surveying district Of California. think
this is better than separate land district
for if we are with California her Senators
will assist us 10 obtain appropriations, and
that is what we want at this time. What a
Territory wants is senatorial influence.
I introduced a bill to enable our people 70
acquire title 20 the site of Prescott, and had
il reported by the committee, but while IL
was pending. Stewart, Of Nevada, introduced
bill in the Senate regulating titles 70 town
sites on the public lands. His bill differed
very much from the bill which passed, and
which introduced in the House as a substi-
tute Tor il. You know it is quite difficult 10
get through a special act and I think this
bin is admirable-much better than any
special act could be made. You will see that
we must only account 20 the Government for
81 25 per acre, and that the Territorial leg
islature will hereafter regulate the sale of
lots and the disposal Of the proceeds. | am
astonished that we could get such a liberal
bin passed il il worth hundred thousand
dollars % the Territory. The land Office will
issue liberal instructions under il. These
bills have not yet been printed. An act
passed the House containing some important
provisions amending our organic law. ! sent
you Cube containing them This bail failed
70 pass the Senate for lack If time
| obtained favorable reports from The Com
mittee on a bill providing for land grants 20
the MOhave and the La paz toll roads, but
the time Of Congress was so much occupied
that We could not pass them.