2nd Ohio General Assembly

The Second Ohio General Assembly was the second meeting of the Ohio state legislature, composed of the Ohio State Senate and the Ohio House of Representatives. It convened in Chillicothe, Ohio, on December 5, 1803, and adjourned February 17, 1804.[1] This General Assembly coincided with the second year of Edward Tiffin's first term as Ohio Governor.

2nd Ohio General Assembly
1st 3rd
Ohio's first statehouse at Chillicothe (1800)
Overview
TermDecember 5, 1803 (1803-12-05) – December 2, 1804 (1804-12-02)
Ohio Senate
Members15
President of the SenateNathaniel Massie (D-R)
Party controlDemocratic-Republican Party
House of Representatives
Members30
House SpeakerElias Langham (D-R)
Party controlDemocratic-Republican Party
Sessions
1stDecember 5, 1803 – February 17, 1804

Background

Under Ohio's first constitution, State Senators were elected to two year terms. For this class, half were elected for one year and half for two years.[2] Members of the House were elected for each term. Article I, section 2 and 6 of Ohio's first constitution called for an enumeration of white male inhabitants of 21 years age every four years, with the number of representatives and senators for each county apportioned by the legislature based on this census.[3] Article I, section 3 called for elections the second Tuesday in October.[3]

State Senate

Districts

For this session, the legislature apportioned four senators for Hamilton, Warren, Montgomery, Butler and Greene Counties, two senators for Washington and Gallia Counties, two senators for Ross and Franklin Counties, one senator for Adams and Scioto Counties, two senators for Jefferson and Columbiana Counties, one senator for Clermont County, one senator for Fairfield County, one senator for Trumbull County and one senator for Belmont County.[1]

Members

District Senator[1][4] Party notes
Adams
Scioto
Thomas Kirker Democratic-Republican
Belmont William Vance
Clermont James Sargent Democratic-Republican
Fairfield Robert F. Slaughter
Hamilton
Warren
Montgomery
Butler
Greene
John Bigger
William C. Schenck Federalist
Daniel Symmes Democratic-Republican
William Ward
Jefferson
Columbiana
John Milligan Democratic-Republican
Bezaleel Wells Federalist
Ross
Franklin
Abraham Claypool
Nathaniel Massie Democratic-Republican elected Speaker of the Senate
Trumbull Benjamin Tappan Democratic-Republican
Washington
Gallia
Joseph Buell Democratic-Republican
Elijah Backus

Ohio House of Representatives

Districts

For this session, the legislature apportioned eight representatives for Hamilton, Warren, Montgomery, Butler and Greene Counties, three representatives for Washington and Gallia Counties, four representatives for Ross and Franklin Counties, three representatives for Adams and Scioto Counties, four representatives for Jefferson and Columbiana Counties, two representatives for Clermont County, two representatives for Fairfield County, two representatives for Trumbull County and two representatives for Belmont County.[2]

Members

District Representatives[2][5] Party notes
Adams
Scioto
Daniel Collier
Abraham Shepherd Democratic-Republican
John Wright
Belmont Josiah Dillon
James Smith
Clermont Jonathan Taylor
Daniel Feagans, Sr.
Fairfield William Gass
Philemon Beecher Democratic-Republican
Hamilton
Warren
Montgomery
Butler
Greene
Samuel Dick
William Dodds
Abner Garard
Ephraim Kibbey
William McClure
Ichabod B. Miller
John Wallace
Stephen Wood
Jefferson
Columbiana
Richard Beeson
John Sloane Democratic-Republican
Samuel Dunlap
Joseph McKee
Ross
Franklin
William Creighton, Sr.
James Dunlap Democratic-Republican
Elias Langham Democratic-Republican elected Speaker of the House
John Evans
Trumbull Ephraim Quimby
David Abbot Democratic-Republican
Washington
Gallia
William Jackson
Charles Mills
Jesse Fulton

Major events

The Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on December 28 and signed on December 30.[2]

On January 7, the State Militia was organized in four divisions, and Major Generals and Quartermaster Generals were named for each division by a joint session.[2]

On February 16, judges were elected for a new county, and to fill vacancies in other counties.[6]

An enumeration in each county of “free white male citizens of the age of 21 years” was made as follows:[2]

County Free white male citizens of the age of 21 years
Adams 906
Belmont 1030
Butler 836
Clermont 755
Columbiana 542
Fairfield 1050
Franklin 240
Gallia 307
Greene 446
Hamilton 1700
Jefferson County, Ohio 1533
Montgomery 526
Ross 1982
Scioto County, Ohio 249
Trumbull 1111
Warren 844
Washington 1246
total for Ohio 14762

Major legislation

On January 7, a new county was formed from portions of Washington and Fairfield counties. It was originally to be called Livingston, but was amended to be Muskingum before final passage, with county seat of Zanesville.[7]

Acts were passed to allow alien ownership of land, regulating admission of attorneys to practice, and for opening and improving roads.[8]

A crime and punishment act was passed. Treason, rape, murder, malicious maiming and 1st degree arson were punishable by death. Manslaughter, 2nd degree arson, maiming without malice, by a fine of not more than $1000 and two years in prison. Perjury and subornation of perjury, the same punishment with disenfranchisement; forgery, 30 lashes and fine equal to sum fraudulently obtained and disenfranchisement; counterfeiting, 39 lashes, fine not exceeding $1000 and disenfranchisement; burglary not more than $500 fine and imprisonment of not more than one year; robbery, 59 lashes for 1st offence and 100 lashes for 2nd offence; larceny, 15 lashes for 1st offence and 30 lashes for 2nd.[8]

See also

Notes

  1. Taylor & Taylor, p. 38.
  2. Taylor & Taylor, p. 39.
  3. Taylor & Taylor, p. 23.
  4. Gilkey, p. 150.
  5. Gilkey, p. 186-187.
  6. Taylor & Taylor, p. 40.
  7. Taylor & Taylor, pp. 40–41.
  8. Taylor & Taylor, p. 41.

References

  • Gilkey, Elliot Howard, ed. (1901). The Ohio Hundred Year Book: a Hand-book of the Public Men and Public Institutions of Ohio ... State of Ohio.
  • Taylor, William Alexander; Taylor, Aubrey Clarence (1899). Ohio statesmen and annals of progress: from the year 1788 to the year 1900 ... State of Ohio.
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