1st Congress of the Republic of Texas

First Congress, Republic of Texas
1st Congress of the Republic of Texas
2nd Congress of the Republic of Texas→
The building that housed the House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas in Columbia (shown c. 1897)
Overview
Legislative bodyCongress of the Republic of Texas
JurisdictionRepublic of Texas
Meeting placeColumbia and Houston
TermOctober 3, 1836 (1836-10-03) – June 13, 1837 (1837-06-13)
House of Representatives
Members31 Representatives
House SpeakerIra Ingram (1st session)[1]
Branch T. Archer (2nd session)
Senate
Members14 Senators
Senate PresidentMirabeau Lamar
Senate President pro tem.Richard Ellis (1st session)[2]
Jesse Grimes (2nd session)[3]
Sessions
1stOctober 3, 1836 (1836-10-03) – December 22, 1836 (1836-12-22)
2ndMay 1, 1837 (1837-05-01) – June 13, 1837 (1837-06-13)

The First Congress of the Republic of Texas, consisting of the Senate of the Republic of Texas and House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas, met in Columbia at two separate buildings (one for each chamber) and then in Houston at the present-day site of The Rice from October 3, 1836, to June 13, 1837, during the first year of Sam Houston's presidency.

All members of Congress were officially non-partisan.[4] According to the Constitution of the Republic of Texas of 1836, each member of the House of Representatives was elected for a term of one year.[5] Each county was guaranteed at least one representative.[6]

Each Senator was elected for a three-year term to represent a district that each had a nearly equal portion of the nation's population. Each district could have no more than one Senator.

Members

Senate

House of Representatives

Austin County

Bexar County

  • Thomas Green

Brazoria County

Colorado County

  • J. G. Robertson

Goliad County

  • John M. Chenoweth

Gonzales County

  • William S. Fisher

Harrisburg County

  • John W. Moore, until October 11, 1836[a]
    • Jesse H. Cartwright, from October 11, 1836

Jackson County

  • Samuel A. White

Jasper County

  • Col. Samuel S. Lewis

Jefferson County

  • Claiborne West

Liberty County

Mina County

Matagorda County

  • Ira Ingram, 1st session*
    • Daniel Davis D. Baker, 2nd session

Milam County

  • Francis Marcus Weatherred, Jr., until October 31, 1836[a]
    • Samuel Tabor Allen, from October 31, 1836

Nacogdoches County

Refugio County

  • Elkanah Brush

Red River County

Sabine County

  • John Boyd

San Augustine County

  • William W. Holman
  • Joseph Rowe

San Patricio County

  • John Turner, until October 20, 1836[a]
    • John Geraghty, from October 20, 1836

Shelby County

  • Richard Hooper
  • Sydney Oswald Penington

Victoria County

Washington County

  • William Warner Hill
  • W. W. Gant, from October 21, 1836

  1. ^ a b c d e Resigned upon evidence presented that he was not duly elected

Standing committees

Senate

  • Ways and Means
  • Judiciary
  • Post Office and Post Roads
  • State of the Republic
  • Military Affairs
  • Roads, Bridges, and Ferries
  • Claims and Accounts
  • Public Lands
  • Indian Affairs
  • County Boundaries
  • Naval Affairs

House of Representatives

  • Ways and Means
  • Judiciary
  • Post Office
  • State of the Republic
  • Military Affairs
  • Roads, Bridges, and Ferries
  • Claims and Accounts
  • Public Lands
  • Indian and Indian Affairs
  • County Boundaries
  • Naval Affairs
  • Foreign Relations

Employees

Texas Capitol at Houston

Senate

  • Sergeant at Arms – William King (1st session),[7] Noah T. Byars (2nd session)[8]
  • Clerk – Richardson A. Scurry (1st session),[2] Arthur Robertson (2nd session)[3]
  • Doorkeeper – Joshua Canter (1st session),[7] Marshall Mann (2nd session)[1]

House of Representatives

  • Sergeant at Arms[1] – A. L. Harrison (1st session), George S. Stratton (2nd session)
  • Clerk[1] – Willis A. Farris (1st session), William Fairfax Gray (2nd session)
  • Doorkeeper[1] – W. T. Hendricks (1st session), Abner S. McDonald (2nd session), S. L. Johnson (2nd session)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Raines, C. W. (1901). Year Book for Texas. Austin, Texas: Gammel Book Company. pp. 59–60. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Officers of the Senate". Telegraph and Texas Register. Vol. 1, no. 45 (1 ed.). December 9, 1836. p. 2. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  3. ^ a b McDonald Spaw, Patsy (1990). The Texas Senate: Republic to Civil War, 1836-1861, Volume 1. College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University Press. p. 24. ISBN 0890964424.
  4. ^ Erath, Lucy A. (October 1923). Barker, Eugene C.; Bolton, Herbert E. (eds.). "Memoirs of George Bernard Erath IV". The Southwestern Historical Quarterly. 27 (2). Texas State Historical Association: 140. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  5. ^ May, Janice C. (1996). The Texas State Constitution: A Reference Guide. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 4. ISBN 0313266379.
  6. ^ Steen, Ralph W. (June 12, 2010). "Congress of the Republic of Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Officers of the Senate". Telegraph and Texas Register. Vol. 1, no. 45 (1 ed.). December 9, 1836. p. 3. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  8. ^ Laughlin, Charlotte (June 12, 2010). "Byars, Noah Turner". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  • Senate Journal: 1st Congress Regular Session. G. & T. H. Borden, Public Printers. 1836.
  • Senate Journal: 1st Congress Second Session. Telegraph Power Press. 1838.
  • House Journal: 1st Congress Regular Session. Telegraph Power Press. 1838.
  • House Journal:1st Congress Second Session. Telegraph Power Press. 1838.