Prior to the organization of Mississippi Territory, territorial governments had been based "an Act of Congress for the government of the North-Western Territory" and "this model was applied, without any material alteration, to the territories of Tennessee, Indiana, and Michigan," but "the first material change of this model was made for the Mississippi territory, where the people were entitled to a legislature of nine members, whatever might be the number of citizens. The next very important alteration occurred in 1804, in forming the government for the territory of Orleans, since constituted the state of Louisiana. The legislative council in this territory was to be appointed by the President, and formed the entire government. Even trial by jury, except in capital cases, was left at their option."[1] As organized by the U.S. Congress in May 1800, there were to be four representatives from Adams County, four from Pickering County, and one each from the Tensaw and Tombigbee settlements "until the number of free male inhabitants of full age, in the Mississippi territory, shall amount to five thousand."[2]
The General Assembly was bicameral, and the Legislative Council was the upper house, and the House of Representatives the lower.[3] Initially, there were five members of the legislative council, and the number was increased to nine in 1814.[4] The Assembly elected the Mississippi territorial delegate to the U.S. Congress until 1808 "when popular election of congressional delegates was instituted."[4] The territorial assembly was succeeded by the Mississippi General Assembly at statehood in 1817.[5]
1st General Assembly
First session: The first election of legislators was to be the "fourth Monday in July" 1800, and the first session was to begin in Natchez on "the fourth Monday in September."[6] The first election, in 1800, resulted in the apparent election of Cato West, Thomas M. Green, John Burnet, Thomas Calvet, Henry Hunter and James Hoggett, but the latter two, along with Anthony Hutchins and William Dunbar were not seated, on the grounds of "improper credentials" and/or incomplete returns. A petition was sent to Congress asking for intervention was declined.[7]
Third session: Met at Washington on May 3, 1802; printed a report.[8]
2nd General Assembly
First session: The second meeting of the General Assembly was conducted for about five weeks beginning in July 1801.[3] Bibliographer McMurtrie reports that the second session met December, 1802, to March, 1803.[9]
Second session: Incoming Governor W. C. C. Claiborne addressed the General Assembly on December 1, 1801.[10] The legislature remained in session until February 2, 1802, repealed many existing laws, tried and failed to pass a law prohibiting the importation of male slaves over 16, changed the name of Pickering County to Jefferson, and created Claiborne and Wilkinson counties.[11] Most significantly they voted to move the territorial capital from Natchez to Washington, about six miles up the Natchez Trace.[12]
The Assembly met again in October 1803, as a total body of nine people. John Ellis headed the Legislative Council.[13] William Connor was the speaker of the house.[14] A report from this session was published by Andrew Marschalk.[15]
3rd General Assembly
The third legislature first met December 3, 1804.[16] The session ended in March 1805. A report was published.[17]
Extra session: A report from an extra session held in July 1805 was published by the Terrell brothers in Natchez.[18]
Joseph B. Baker served on the legislative council from 1805 to 1808.[19]
4th General Assembly
Statutes of the Mississippi Territory (1807)
First session: A session of the general assembly was convened December 1, 1806.[20] The session was continued to February 10, 1807.[21]
Second session: The second session of the fourth assembly was convened December first Monday, 1807.[22]
New apportionment in 1808 allocated two representatives each to Claiborne, Jefferson, Adams, Wilkinson, and Washington counties.[23]
The fourth legislature convened again in February, 1808, and "both houses were dissolved by the Governor Robert Williams on the 1st of March," with the apparent intent of "obliterating" the legislative council.[24]
A session of the House of Representatives was convened September 15, 1808.[22]
In November 1808 Thomas Jefferson appointed John Flood McGrew, Thomas Calvit, James Lea, Alexander Montgomery, and Daniel Burnet, to the Mississippi Territory Legislative Council.[25][26]
In November 1807 there was an election to replace Samuel Bridges, deceased.[27]
First session: The first session convened on February 5, 1809, and was dissolved by Governor Robert Williams on his resignation as governor on March 3, 1809.[29]
Daniel Burnet was president of the legislative council as of February 24, 1809.[30]
6th General Assembly
The Mississippi Territory House of Representatives met July 3, 1809, and recommended the following membership for the legislative council, later approved by James Madison: Alexander Montgomery, Adams County; David McCaleb, Jefferson County; Thomas Barnes, Claiborne County; Joseph Carson, Washington County; Joseph Roberts, Wilkinson County.[31][32][33]
First session: A report was published of acts passed at the session beginning November 6, 1809.[29]
Second session: Convened November 5, 1810, adjourned January 1811, report published.[34]
7th General Assembly
There are two reports from the second session of the seventh assembly, convening November 4, 1812.[35]
8th General Assembly
The first session of the eighth general assembly convened December 6, 1813.[36]
The second session of the eighth general assembly convened November 7, 1814.[37]
The first session of the ninth general assembly convened at Washington, M.T. on November 6, 1815.[42][43] The legislative council had six members.[43]
The second session of the ninth general assembly convened November 4, 1816.[44] This was the last session of the Mississippi territorial legislature.[44]
Legislative Council
Members of the legislative council of the Ninth General Assembly of Mississippi included Thomas Barnes, president; Messrs. Carson, Grayson, Runnels,[c] Titus, and Robert Beatty.[43]
↑ Bloom, John Porter; Carter, Clarence Edwin; United States (1934). The Territorial papers of the United States. Publication (United States. National Archives and Records Service). Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O. pp.95–98.
↑ “John Graham to James Madison, 1 September 1809,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/03-01-02-0385. [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, Presidential Series, vol. 1, 1 March–30 September 1809, ed. Robert A. Rutland, Thomas A. Mason, Robert J. Brugger, Susannah H. Jones, Jeanne K. Sisson, and Fredrika J. Teute. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1984, pp. 348–349.]
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