Bisbee daily review., 1901-12-25
ARIZONA STATEHOOD BILL.

mas been reterfeu 70 the mousse cotn- mittee on territories; is very compre- bensive document, and bears evidence of Mir. Smiths great desire to cover all essential points.
 The second section provides that not sooner than thirty days and not later than ninety days after the passage of the bill. the governor of the territory shall issue proclamation ordering constitutional convention. There are to be thirty six delegates in ai!. each county having the same representatioS that it now has in both branches of the territorial legislature. Thus the larg- est county, Maricops, will have five delegates, while no county will have less than two. Six months residence in the territory is tc qualify citizens to vote for delegates. The same qualit- cations will entitle citizens to vote on the adoption of the constitution, sub- ject to the rules and regulations for mulated by the constitutional conven- tion.
 The third section provides that the delegates elected are to meet at the capital on the second Monday after their election, and the convention after organization and adoption of the con- stitution of the United States, is au- thorized to form constitution and state government. The convention is required to provide by irrevocable or dinance for complete religious free dom; to disclaim all right to the unap- propriate1 public domain excepting the lands specifically granted to the new state by MT. Smiths bill; to assume the lawful debts and liabilities of the territory, and to provide for the estab lishment and maintenance of system of public schools, free from sectarian control.
 The fourth section provides for an election to be held on the general cleo tion day in November, 1902, at which the qualified voters are to ratify or re- ject the constitution formulated by the convention. The vote is to be can- vassed by the boards of supervisors of the several counties, and the result cer- tified by the governor, secretary and chief justice of the territory. Then, if the government established is re- publican in form, and all the provisions of the bill have been compiled with, the President of the United States is required to i sue his proclamation an- nouncing the result of the election. and thereupon the proposed state of Ari- zona shall be deemed admitted by con- gress, from and after the date of the proclamation.
 The fifth section provides that the state shall be represented by one rep resentative and two senators.
 The bill is unusually liberal in land graLts; because, undoubtedly, Mir Smith holds that on account of the lands in Arizona being arid, congress should make larger donation than has been customary. Also, he will doubtless argue, congress should be liberal in the land grants because the territory has had no assistance what ever from the federal government ir the construction of its public build ings. The sixth section grants four sections in each township to the sta:e for the support of the common schools. All lands so granted are to be disposed of ut public sale, the proceeds to form a public school fnnd, only the interest of which shall be expended for the support of the schools. Then. section eight grants one hundred sections fo , the purpose of erecting public build- ings. Seventy-ive sections are con- frmed py the tenth section for the use of the university. Two hundred thou sand acres are granted by the eleventh section for the use and support of an agricultural college. The twelfth sec tion grants one hundred thousand acres for the insane asylum; one hundred thousand acres for the penite ntiary; one hundred thousand acres for the deaf, dumb and blind asylum: one hun dred thousand acres for the normal schools; two hundred and fifty thou sand acres for charitable, penal and reformatory institutions: one hundred thousand acres for county hospitals, and fifty thousand acres for hospital for disabled miners. The thirteenth section extends the provisions of the "Carey Act" to Arizona, which pro- vides in effect for 8 grant of one mil lion acres to the state upon the same being reclaimed by irrigation. This section of the bill is not important, however, inasmuch as the Carey act is practically imperative on account of its restrictive provisions.
 The fourteenth section exempts all mineral lands from the grants above mentioned.
 Upon the whole, Mir, Smith is to be coneratulated upon the bill as drawn, and every loyal citizen of Arizona will fervently pray that it may become 8 law. Thus, if it is passed, Arizona will be full-hedged state of the Union be- fore this time next year, with all the machinery of a state government in operation. It :s 8 captivating vista, and is one to inspire the redoubled ef- forts of our citizens to achieve the free dom to which we are entitled