Bisbee daily review., 1909-12-11
STATEHOOD MEASURE
FIXES ELECTION DATE.

NuC NloAAAAtou StdiShoOu Jill hdAOS
t impossible to hold ratification cleo
don until the November following the
holding OF a constitutional election
and further makes it impossible to
hold an election of state officers in
less than thirty days after the CON
stitution shall be ratified. This Ia
provided for. by Section 4 of the bill.
which is as follows:
Section T. That in case of consti-
tuition and state government shall be
formed In compliance with the prcvi-
sions of this act, the convention form
ing the same shall provide by ordin-
ance for submitting said constitution
to the people of said proposed state
for it's ratification or rejection at an
election which shall be held on the
first Tuesday after the first Monday
in November, after the adjournment
of the convention, at which election
the qualified voters of said proposed
state shall vote directly for or against
the proposed constitution and for or
against any provisions thereof sep
arately submitted.
| The bill for the admission of the
/ territories of Arizona and New Mex
leo into the union of states, and the
bill which it is believed will pass the
United States congress at the session
just opened was introduced in the
house Of representatives Monday by
Representative Hamilton of Michigan.
chairman of the house committee on
territories.
This statehood bill is an admins
tration measure 1t is said to have
been written by President Taft in
collaboration with secretary of the
Interior Ballinger and Attorney Gen
eral wickersham 1t Is designed TO
meet the objections offered to former
measures of this kind and may go
through both house and senate prac-
tically without amendment.
The bill provides for the election
of delegates to constitutional con-
vention at which a constitution will
be drawn up for the new state Of Ari-
iona 10 be submitted to the people.
1t provides, however, that officers for
the state shall not be elected at the
time of the vote on the ratification of
the constitution. but shall be chosen
at an election to be held after the
constitution has been passed upon by
| the president and the state of Arizona
/ is formally proclaimed. Thereafter
the people will proceed to the cleo
ton of state government and until
such time the present territorial Of
ficials will remain in their positions.
The capital is to remain at Phoenix
until 1915, after which date the peo-
pie may vote on its location.
The bill makes liberal appropria-
tions of land for the support of ter
ritorial institutions, allowing 10000
acres for university purposes. and is
rs follows:
TO enable the people of Arizona to
form a constitution and state gov
eminent and be admitted into the
union on an equal footing with the
original states.
Be it enacted by the senate and
house Of representatives of the United
States Of America in congress assem-
bled, that the inhabitants of all that
part Of the area OF the United States
now constituting the territory of Ari-
IONA, as at present described, may
| become the state of Arizona, as here
matter provided.
| Sec. 2. That all the qualified cleo,
tors of said territory are hereby au-
thorized to vote for and choose dele
gates to form convention for said
territory. The aforesaid convention
shall consist of one hundred dele
gates; and the governor, chief jus.
tice and secretary of said territory
shall apportion the delegates to be
thus elected, as nearly as may be,
equitably among the several counties
thereof in accordance with the voting
population as shown by the vote cast
at the election for delegates in con,
gress in said territory in 1908.
The governor of said territory
shall. within thirty days after the
approval of this act, by proclamation
in which the aforesaid apportionment
Of delegates to the convention shall
be fully specified and announced or.
der an election OF the delegates afore
said in said territory on day desig
mated by him in said proclamation
within sixty days after the approval
OF this act. Such election for dele
gates shall be conducted, the returns
made and the certificates OF persons
elected to such convention issued, as
nearly as may be. In the same man
ner, as is prescribed by the elections
therein of members of the legislature
and the penal provisions Of said laws
are hereby made applicable to the
election herein provided for; and said
convention when so called to order
and organized shall be the sole judge
Of the election and qualifications Of
It's own members. Qualifications tc
eatitle persons to vote on the ratifi
cation OF rejection OF the constitution
formed by said convention when said