Arizona republican., 1890-10-31
A HOUSING MEETING The Opera House Packed
 Last Night. Great Enthusiasm Manifested
 By the People. Judge Webster Street Delivers Q Telling Address-Ed $. Gill on
 Territorial Affairs.

was filled from pit to gallery with the representative intelligence of the com munity. Many ladies graced the house and the best of order was maintained throughout the evening.
 Applause and cheers met the argu- ments offered and evidenced the con viction they carried, and, before the close, the universal sympathy of the audience.
 A number of prominent Republicans sat upon the stage.
 Henry l.. Wharton acted as Chair man and with short introductory ad- dress introduced the first speaker of the evening, Hon. Webster Street, who said in substance:
 "My speech will be confined in its scope to the subjects which will be of greatest interest to the taxpayers of the county. It may be so confined as to seem narrow, but out of the narrowness we expect to draw the great lessons which you would be most interested in adopting"
 The speaker then proceeded to dissect the official career of Frank Cox. He said:
 "While have great admiration and warm personal friendship for Frank Cox, as a man, my words shall be ad- dressed directly and as pointedly as l can make them to the acts which Mir. Cox, as the learned District Attorney, has thrown open to the public to look at.
 "He had been put in the office for the past three terms without opposition and for the last two terms without nominee on the Republican ticket. The Repub- licans this year propose to see in what Frank Cox has been the great benefac- tor of the people in that office. In reference to taxing the holders of pos sessory rights on the public domain, Frank Cox had said in his speeches over the country and in Phoenix that it was done and by his advice as District Attor- ney. He had given this advice by virtue of the statutes of the Territory of Arizona, irrespective of the statutes of the United States, the provisions of the constitution of the United States and irrespective of tine decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States. He had advised the Assessor that he must list these laws, that the Board of Supervisors must make levy upon the lands, the Tax Collector must collect, and, if not done, that the lands must be sold the same as though they were patented lands.
 ''l say it can not be done. You tread upon the ordinary rights of the entry men, that it is not good sense or logic and not in conformity with the statutes lE Ali, If int;A and violation of the Constitution of the United States and the Supreme Court of the United States has forbade it." (Applause.)
 The speaker then read from the re- vised statutes a provision excepting all lands belonging to the United States from taxation, and proceeded to show that lands with but first payment to the government under the various entries were yet owned by the government, and that title did not pass until the delivery to the claimant of q final receipt. The claimant stood simply as a contractor with the United States and no State, Territorial or municipal power could interfere in that contract. The speaker read authorities from California and other reports where decisions had been made in harmony with the argument.
 As a further result of the deplorable mistake, hardship was not only worked upon the settler but upon the county. Tax deeds had been passed from the county from the years 1887 to 1890, when 5l7 deeds had accumulated in the recorders office that had not been re- corded. The modus operandi of the Territorial law, as provided in the re- vised statutes with respect to the pass ing of these deeds to the Territory, was explained by summary in which it was shown that they are bid off to the Territory and if not redeemed sold, the proceeds going to pay expenses and taxes, and developed the fact of the inn possibility of the Territory becoming the title holder of government land.
 He also showed up the negligence of the District Attorney in permitting ex- travagant bills of the Recorder for recor- ding these tax deeds to be allowed by the Board of Supervisors, how printed blanks had been furnished the Recor- der, reducing the amount of actual writing in the recording of each deed to forty-one words, requiring two and fraction deeds to make one folio, the county allowing 20 cents for each folio. A bill for this work, amounting to $1362, had been put in and allowed, for which allowance was made by the recommen- mendation of Frank Cox.
 The addition each year to the assess ment wBs given it's proper attention, and the county hospital and it's man. agement's shortcomings were thoroughly gone over.
 In closing, the speaker appealed to the voters and claimed that honesty of gov ernment is what the people want, ire spective of party.
 Mir. Wharton then introduced Ed s. Gill, saying: Ladies and gentlemen One of the greatest influences of the Republican party is the interest taken in that party by the young men and now have the pleasure of introducing to you one of the young men of the Republican party and one of the young men of the city of Phoenix. Ladies and gentlemen l introduce to you Mir. Ed S. Gill. Cheers and applause lasting several minutes greeted the mention of Mir. Gill's name.l As soon as quiet was restored Mir. Gill began;
 LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: Surely no man could but feel proud of such re- ception as that with which you have just greeted me. In attempting to fol- low so able an address as that which the Honorable Judge Street has just de- livered to you l feel little like the great Henry Clay has said to express himself one time in one of the old Whig me eetings in Kentucky. That great orator, Thomas Corwin, of Ohio, haH haan cnaokiDn and foilow;ne, b,a