Arizona miner., 1868-03-07
Territorial Matters.
pnrscorr. March ,. lS6s

PRrscorr, March 5 1868
 E.iHor Arizoua Miner While we are dis . cus,ng the necessity of selecting good and . true man to represent us as our Delegate m Congress, let us not overlook the great i'm portancc of clecting, this year, iirstclass
 Legislature. We alf know how most of our former Legislatures have been tempered with l and controlled by those high in authority :. over us We all know how the Territory has been involved in debt to pay certain ln- divduals holding offices created for their es- pecial benefit We all know that the offices of Attorney General and Adjutant-General
 for this Territory were sinecures we all
 know that the pay allowed other officers by
 that celebrated, or. rather notorious, Board
 of Territorial Auditors, composed of the Gov
 ernor, Secretary, and Attorney General, was outrageous in Territory where there were
 go few tax payers, and SO little work for
 them To do We all know that most of the
 claims against the Territory were held by
 Territorial officials, and that three of these
 officials passed upon and allowed their own
 accounts! All of which was contrary to law
 and custom throughout the States and Terri
 tories of this great "nation." The foregoing are facts that cannot be disputed
 The Third Legislature made a step towards reform in reducing the salaries of certain of ficers, and in abolishing tHat Board of Terri torial Auditors ard the office of Attorney General Even this much was accomplished under protest, and threat of the reto if certain bill was made to take effect before | certain day. The fourth Legislature went ! little farther and stopped the pay of Attorney ! General Bashford. Early in the session, the ] House appointed select committee to inyes- ! tigate and report upon the financial affairs of
 the Territory. The committee, after thorough
 investigation, reported to the House the total indebtedness of the Territory and how the
 same accrued, and recommended that the
 said indebtedness be funded, save and except
 that certain bonds and warrants, amounting
 to more than six thousand dollars, issued to
 Coles Bashfurd for services as Attorney-Gen
 eral, be left out. The report was unanimously
 adopted, and the Committee on Finance in
 structed, by a unanimous vote of the House
 to report bill funding the indebtedness O the Territory, in accordance with the recon f mendation of the select committee Ther commenced the lab0rS of certain indiyidus , who lived, at that time, across Granite creek } in a big log house. lie was seen here anC s there, button-holing this member and that and then all hands, except few, are invited f to onr house, to eat can or two of oysters and try a little of o"r No. "eye opener Meantime, the committee was at work; tn l bill was progressing. But, during this time
 the opponents of the bill (and they were tn a holders of exempt bonds and warrants) wer
 not idle. The cry of repudation was raised . The honor of the Territory was at stake l those arguments and sundry others of lik a character were current on the streets. A length the committee reported--and then va e discovered the effects of 'our No. eye opener l. For the bill passed by only small majority o By this act of legislation more than si q thousand dollars in gold have been saved
 the Territory And now let us see that non
 but true men are elected to the Legislature - men who will have the grit to think and 8; l. for themselves and the people they represen Unless we do this, law funding the Bashfor } bonds and warrants will be passed and u e people be forced to pay an unjust and illeg
 debt of more than six thousand dollars. '' 1t word to the wise is sufficient" VIGIL.