1st Congress of the 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 ca. 1897)
Legislative body	Congress of the Republic of Texas
Jurisdiction	Republic of Texas
Meeting place	Columbia and Houston
Term	October 3, 1836 – June 13, 1837
House of Representatives
Members	31 Representatives
House Speaker	Ira Ingram (1st session)[1] Branch T. Archer (2nd session)
Senate
Members	14 Senators
Senate President	Mirabeau Lamar
Senate President pro tem.	Richard Ellis (1st session)[2] Jesse Grimes (2nd session)[3]
Sessions
1st October 3, 1836 – December 22, 1836 2nd May 1, 1837 – June 13, 1837

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 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

• José Francisco Ruiz - District of Bexar
• James Collinsworth - District of Brazoria (1st session)
• William Green Hill - District of Brazoria (2nd session)
• Alexander Somervell - District of Colorado and Austin counties
• Edwin Morehouse - District of Goliad, Refugio, and San Patricio
• Robert Wilson - District of Harrisburg and Liberty
• Stephen H. Everitt - District of Jasper and Jefferson
• Albert Clinton Horton - District of Matagorda, Victoria, and Jackson
• Sterling C. Robertson - District of Milam
• James S. Lester - District of Mina and Gonzales
• Robert Anderson Irion - District of Nacogdoches
• Richard Ellis - District of Red River
• Shelby Corzine - District of San Augustine (1st session)
• Henry William Augustine - District of San Augustine (2nd session)
• Willis H. Landrum - District of Shelby and Sabine
• Jesse Grimes - District of Washington

House of Representatives

Austin County Moseley Baker Bexar County Thomas Green Brazoria County Branch T. Archer, from October 4, 1836 John A. Wharton, from October 4, 1836 Colorado County J. G. Robertson Goliad County John M. Chenoweth Gonzales County William S. Fisher Harrisburg County John W. Moore, until October 11, 1836[lower-alpha 1] Jesse H. Cartwright, from October 11, 1836 Jackson County Samuel A. White Jasper County S. L. Lewis Jefferson County Claiborne West Liberty County Edward Thomas Branch Mina County John Wheeler Bunton Jesse Billingsley Matagorda County Ira Ingram, 1st session* Daniel Davis D. Baker, 2nd session

Milam County Francis Marcus Weatherred, Jr., until October 31, 1836[lower-alpha 1] Samuel Tabor Allen, from October 31, 1836 Nacogdoches County John Kirby Allen Haden Edwards, 1st session[lower-alpha 1] Hayden S. Arnold, 2nd session Refugio County Elkanah Brush Red River County Mansell Walter Matthews George Washington Wright William Becknell, until October 13, 1836[lower-alpha 1] Collin McKinney, from October 13, 1836 Sabine County John Boyd San Augustine County William W. Holman Joseph Rowe San Patricio County John Turner, until October 20, 1836[lower-alpha 1] John Geraghty, from October 20, 1836 Shelby County Richard Hooper Sydney Oswald Penington Victoria County Richard Roman Washington County William Warner Hill W. W. Gant, from October 21, 1836

1. 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

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. Raines, C. W. (1901). Year Book for Texas. Austin, Texas: Gammel Book Company. pp. 59–60. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
2. "Officers of the Senate" 1 (45) (1 ed.). Telegraph and Texas Register. December 9, 1836. p. 2. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
3. 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 (Texas State Historical Association) 27 (2): 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. "Officers of the Senate" 1 (45) (1 ed.). Telegraph and Texas Register. 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.