Arizona citizen., 1875-12-18
From The Auzonian, April 5, ls60i Proceedings Of the Convention for the Organization Of a Provisional Government for Arizona

tper previous call, assembled in Tucson
 on Monday, the 2d of April, 1860.
 At 10 o'clock a. h. the Convention was called to order by J Howard Wells
 of Tucson, who moved its temporary organization and the election of $. w. ! Cozzens, Esq, of Mesilla, as Chairman pro tenn, and c. II. Oury, Esq, as Secre- : tary. These gentlemen having been
 unanimously elected, the chairman de-
 clared the Convention convened, and in few brief but pertinent remarks, stated
 the object for which the delegates had
 assembled
 On motion of Judge E. McGowan of
 Mesllla, a committee of five were ap.
 pointed upon credentials.
 The chair appointed Messrs. McGow-
 an of Mesilla, Wordsworth of Sonoita,
 Lucas, of Mesilla, Wells of Tucson,
 and Neal of Gila City, as such commit
 tee.
 On mouon of !. D. Alden, Esq, of
 Tubac, the committee OF credentials
 were also authorized to report upon a permanent organization. Upon motion, the apportionment
 made by the Mesilla Convention, was. read for the information of the com
 mittee.
 Upon motion q recess of half an hour
 was taken by the Convention, to allow ! the committee time 10 report. l Convention met pursuant to adjourn ment, when the committee through its. chairman submitted the following re- port:
 l Your committee having examined ! the credentials presented, beg leave to- report the following persons entitled to seats, as delegates in this Conventions. Mesilla-James A. Lucas, Ygnacio Orrantia, Raphael Ruelas, $. W. Coz. zens, Edward McGowan, Dr. L. S Owens, s. c. Bean, T. J. Bull Santa Rita del Cobre-Leonardo Ii gueras, J. J. Thibault Las Cruces-Frank DeRuyther, ! Saml B. Ford
 Dona Ana-Pablo Melendre., Pedro Aguirre.
 La Mess-T ]. Miller, J. W. Putnam. Santo Tomas-Ramon Sanchez. Picacho-Jose Ma. Chavis
 Amoles-Josc Ma Garcia.
 Tucson-Wm. s. Oury, Col Palatine Robinson, John Capron, J. Howard Wells.
 Arivaca-Rees Smith
 Tubac-J. Dean Alden, R. II. Doss. Souoita-W. C. Wordsworth.
 Gila Cily-Judge B. F Neal, Thos J. Mastin.
 We also beg leave to report as per manent officers of this Convention, Jas. A. Lucas, Esq, of Mesilla, as President; and Granville II. Oury, Esq, as Secre- tary.
 $. ". Cozzeus having retired, James A. Lucas was conducted 10 the chair, and addressed the Convention as follows:
 GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION = For the honor you have conferred, in elGcting me to preside over the deliber- ations of your honorable body, l feel deeply sensible and grateful It is with no ordinary emotion I return to you my heartfelt thanks. There are others among you who, by age and experience in parliamentary matters, are far more able and worthy to ill the honorable position bestowed on me My efforts, gentlemen, will be used to preside overI your deliberations with impartiality and fairness; and to that end, I ask your earnest cooperation and assist ance.
 We have assembled, gentlemen, on this occasion, to organize a Provisional for Arizona The neglect of the General Government to heed our prayers and petitions-its refusal to ! grant us Territorial organization, not I our application renewed year after year-the slight hopes of any c favorable action from the present Con- | gress of the United States in our behalf, e US to look to ourselves, in our own defense. If Congress will do noth- i ing for us, it becomes us, as freemen V and American citizens, to act for our selves We would be menial to remain Il longer dormant in our present exposed md defenseless condition. without law ? pr protection, and such a course would u be suicidal to our best interests. c
 Our citizens cry aloud for protection. The varied interests of our Territory r gre paralyzed, through the insecurity o person and property existing at the n present time. Crime stalks abroad in it )ur midst, while our country is over -un by tribes of barbarOus savages, n who despoil our citizens of their hard II armed availS, murdering and carrying a nto captivity those who are weak and This state of affairs should c lot longer exist It Is our duty to or tC ,anize for ourselves q government s' some protection for the uture. It is useless to look to New a 'Icxico,-a government from which a ye have received only scorn and neglect they have been regardless of our o ,-..c~s-s.s-- ,.s,- ,ro