North Carolina General Assembly of 1868–1869

The North Carolina General Assembly of 1868–1869 met in Raleigh from November 16, 1868, to April 12, 1869, with a special session from July 1, 1868, to August 24, 1868. This was the first assembly to meet after the approval of the new Constitution of North Carolina in 1868. As prescribed in this constitution, the assembly consisted of the 120 members in the North Carolina House of Representatives and 43 senators in the North Carolina Senate elected by the voters on August 6, 1868. This assembly was in control of the Republican Party and was dominated by reconstruction era politics.[1][2][3][4]

78th North Carolina General Assembly (1868–1869)
1866-1867 1869–1870
Overview
Legislative bodyNorth Carolina General Assembly
JurisdictionNorth Carolina, United States
Meeting placeRaleigh
Term1868–1869
Senate
Members43 Senators
Lieutenant Governor/President of the SenateTod Robinson Caldwell
President pro temCharles S. Winstead
ClerkT. A. Brynes
Clerk pro temWilliam M. Barrow
DoorkeeperJ. T. Ball
Party controlRepublican
House of Representatives
Members120 Delegates
SpeakerJoseph W. Holden
Speaker pro temJacob W. Bowman
ClerkJohn H. Bonner
Party controlRepublican
Sessions
1stNovember 16, 1868 – April 12, 1869
2ndJuly 1, 1868 – August 24, 1868

Changes in assembly from the North Carolina Constitution of 1868

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The Constitution of North Carolina was rewritten at the North Carolina Constitutional Convention of 1868, which met in Raleigh from January 14 to March 17, 1868. The House of Commons was renamed the House of Representatives. The new constitution spelled out that the legislature would convene annually on the third Monday in November. The number of senators was set as 50. There would be one or two senators for each district composed of one or more counties. The boundaries of the districts would be re-evaluated in 1871 after the federal census. A state census was required every 10 years, beginning in 1875. This census would be used to re-evaluate the districts, so that an approximate equal number of residents would be included in each district. The House of Representatives was set at 120 members. Each county would have at least one representative and some counties would have up to four representatives, based on population. The population would not include non-taxed Indians or aliens. Elections would be held the first Thursday of August. The terms of the members of the house and senate would commence when elected and continue till the next election.[5][6]

The lieutenant governor was designated as the President of the Senate, albeit without a vote unless there was a tie vote. A president pro temp would be elected by the senators to serve in the absence of the lieutenant governor.[5][6]

The 1868 Constitution included provisions to establish public education for the first time, prohibit slavery, and adopt universal suffrage. It also provided for public welfare institutions for the first time: orphanages, public charities and a penitentiary.[7]

In January 1868, at the same time as the Constitutional Convention, a Black Caucus came together in Raleigh. Many of these members would be elected to the 1860[dubiousdiscuss] General Assembly.[8]

In April 1868, voters of North Carolina ratified the new constitution.[9]

Legislation

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This assembly met in regular session from November 16, 1868, to April 12, 1869. They met in an extra session from July 1, 1868, to August 24, 1868.[4] The assembly ratified the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as required by the United States Congress, on July 4, 1868. Ratification of the Fourteenth amendment readmitted North Carolina to the United States. This assembly also ratified the Fifteenth Amendment. In anticipation of readmission to the U.S. Congress, on June 25, 1868, the assembly elected John Pool of Elizabeth City and Joseph Carter Abbott of Wilmington to the United States Senate. The state's first public school systems, one for blacks and one for whites, was created by this assembly. Funding for the first state penitentiary, Central Prison was authorized by this legislature.[9]

Every Southern state subsidized railroads, which modernizers believed could haul the South out of isolation and poverty. Millions of dollars in bonds and subsidies were fraudulently pocketed. One ring in North Carolina spent $200,000 in bribing the legislature and obtained millions in state money for its railroads. Instead of building new track, however, it used the funds to speculate in bonds, reward friends with extravagant fees, and enjoy lavish trips to Europe.[10]

For additional details on legislation, see Legislative Documents.

Assembly membership

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This was the first assembly that Blacks were represented in the assembly, including three Black senators and 18 representatives in the House of Representatives.[4]

House of Representatives members

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Rep. Thomas Jordan Jarvis, Tyrrell County
 
Rep. John S. Leary, Cumberland County
 
Rep. James L. Robinson, Macon County

The House of Representative delegates elected a speaker (Joseph W. Holden, William A. Moore), clerk, assistant clerk (John H. Boner), doorkeeper, and assistant doorkeeper. Alleghany, Clay, Mitchell, Polk, Transylvania, and Wilson counties sent delegates to the assembly for the first time. The following delegates to the House of Representatives were elected by the voters of North Carolina to represent each county and district:[2][3][4][11]

County No of County
Delegates
Name
Alamance 1 John A. Moore
Alexander 1 Robert P. Matheson
Alleghany 1 John L. Smith
Anson 1 D. Ingram
Ashe 1 Matthew Carson
Beaufort 1 Hiram E. Stilley
Bertie 1 Parker David Robbins[note 1]
Bladen 1 F. W. Foster
Brunswick 1 B. T. Morrell
Buncombe 1 William Gaston Candler
Burke 1 John R. Sudderth
Cabarrus 1 John P. Gibson
Caldwell 1 James C. Harper[note 2]
Caldwell 1 W. H. Malone[note 3]
Camden 1 W. B. Ferebee
Carteret 1 Joel Henry Davis
Caswell 2 William Long[note 4]
Caswell 2 Wilson Cary[note 1][note 5]
Caswell 2 Philip Hodnett
Catawba 1 James R. Ellis
Chatham 2 William T. Gunter
Chatham 2 James B. Long
Cherokee 1 J. R. Simonds
Chowan 1 William A. Moore
Clay 1 John O. Hicks
Cleveland 1 Plato Durham
Columbus  2 Daniel P. High
Craven 3 B.W. Morris[note 1]
Craven 3 Augustus S. Seymour
Craven 3 A. W. Stevens[note 1]
Cumberland 2 John S. Leary[note 1]
Cumberland 2 Isham Sweat[note 1]
Currituck 1 Thomas C. Humphries
Davidson 2 George Kinney
Davidson 2 Jabez Mendenhall
Davie 1 James A. Kelley
Duplin 2 N. E. Armstrong
Duplin 2 Isaac B. Kelly
Edgecombe 2 Henry C. Cherry[note 1]
Edgecombe 2 George Peck
Forsyth 1 John P. Vest
Franklin 2 James T. Harris
Franklin 2 John H. Williamson[note 1]
Gaston 1 Jonas Hoffman
Gates 1 John Gatling
Granville 3 A. A. Crawford[note 1]
Granville 3 Cuffie Mayo[note 1]
Granville 3 J. W. Ragland
Greene 1 Joseph Dixon
Guilford 2 David Hodgin
Guilford 2 Stephen G. Horney
Halifax 3 H. T. J. Hayes[note 1]
Halifax 3 Ivey Hutchings[note 1]
Halifax 3 John H. Renfrow
Harnett 1 Neill S. Stewart[note 6]
Harnett 1 B. C. Williams[note 7]
Haywood 1 Walter Brown[note 8]
Haywood 1 W. P. Welch
Henderson 1 W. D. Justus
Hertford 1 Thomas Snipes
Hyde 1 Tillman Farrow
Iredell 2 George Davidson
Iredell 2 T. A. Nicholson
Jackson 1 Joseph Keener[note 9]
Jackson 1 E. M. Painter[note 10]
Johnston 2 B. R. Hinnant
Johnston 2 Edward W. Pou
Jones 1 L. D. Wilkie
Lenoir 1 Wallace Ames
Lincoln 1 A. C. Wiswall
Macon 1 James L. Robinson
Madison 1 George W. Gahagan
Martin 1 Jesse J. Smith
McDowell 1 W. W. Gilbert
Mecklenburg 2 W. Grier
Mecklenburg 2 Robert D. Whitley
Mitchell 1 Jacob W. Bowman
Montgomery 1 George A. Graham
Moore 1 Abel Kelly
Nash 1 William W. Boddie
New Hanover 3 Joseph C. Abbott[note 11]
New Hanover 3 George Z. French
New Hanover 3 Llewellen G. Estes[note 12]
New Hanover 3 R. C. Parker[note 13]
New Hanover 3 John S. W. Eagles[note 1]
New Hanover 3 George W. Price[note 1]
Northampton 2 Roswell C. Parker
Northampton 2 John T. Reynolds
Onslow 1 Franklin Thompson
Orange 2 J.J. Allison[note 14]
Orange 2 Thomas M. Argo[note 15]
Orange 2 Frederick N. Strudwick
Pasquotank 1 Thomas A. Sykes[note 1]
Perquimans 1 Jeptha White
Person 1 Samuel C. Barnett
Pitt 2 Byron Laflin
Pitt 2 Richard Short
Polk 1 Ashbury Waldrop
Randolph  2 Joel Ashworth
Randolph  2 E. T. Blair
Richmond 1 Richmond T. Long
Robeson 2 Edward K. Proctor
Robeson 2 James Sinclair
Rockingham 2 Henry Barnes
Rockingham 2 D. S. Ellington
Rowan 2 Joseph Hawkins
Rowan 2 Isaac M. Shaver
Rutherford 1 James M. Justice
Sampson 1 John C. Williams
Stanly 1 Lafayette Green
Stokes 1 W. W. McCanless
Surry 1 A. L. Hendricks
Transylvania 1 James W. Clayton
Tyrrell 1 Thomas Jordan Jarvis
Union 1 Hugh Downing
Wake 4 Joseph W. Holden
Wake 4 Stokes D. Franklin
Wake 4 Fielding G. Moring
Wake 4 James H. Harris[note 1]
Warren  2 William Cawthorn[note 1]
Warren  2 Richard Falkner[note 1]
Washington 1 James J. Rea
Watauga 1 Lewis B. Banner
Wayne 2 John T. Person
Wayne 2 D. E. Smith
Wilkes 1 William B. Segrist
Wilson 1 George W. Stanton
Yadkin 1 J. M. Vestal
Yancey 1 David Proffitt

Senate members

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Lieutenant Governor Tod Robinson Caldwell
 
Sen. Abraham Galloway
 
Sen. John Adams Hyman
 
Sen. Bedford Brown

The lieutenant governor, Tod Robinson Caldwell, served as president of the Senate when it was in session. The senators elected a president pro tem (Charles S. Winstead), clerk (T. A. Brynes), assistant clerk (William M. Barrow), doorkeeper (J. T. Ball), and assistant doorkeeper (Francis W. Gibble). The following senators were elected by the voters of North Carolina to represent the numbered districts:[2][3][4][12]

District Counties Senator Home County
1 Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Pasquotank, Perquimans Elihu A. White Perquimans
1 Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Pasquotank, Perquimans Joseph W. Etheridge Currituck
2 Martin, Tyrrell, Washington Franklin G. Martindale Martin
3 Beaufort, Hyde J.B. Respess Beaufort
4 Northampton William Barrow Northampton
5 Bertie, Hertford James W. Beasley Bertie
6 Halifax Henry Epps[note 1] Halifax
7 Edgecombe N.B. Bellamy Edgecombe
8 Pitt W.A. Cherry Pitt
9 Nash, Wilson Joshua Barnes Wilson
10 Carteret, Craven W.A. Moore Carteret
10 Carteret, Craven W.H.S. Sweet Craven
11 Jones, Lenoir D.D. Colgrove Jones
12 Duplin, Onslow William A. Allen Duplin
13 Brunswick, New Hanover Abraham H. Galloway[note 1] New Hanover
13 Brunswick, New Hanover Edwin Legg Brunswick
14 Bladen, Columbus John W. Purdie Bladen
15 Robeson O.S. Hayes Robeson
16 Cumberland, Harnett, Sampson James S. Harrington Harnett
16 Cumberland, Harnett, Sampson L.D. Hall Cumberland
17 Johnston J.B. Cook Johnston
18 Greene, Wayne Curtis H. Brogden Wayne
19 Franklin, Wake R.I. Wynne Wake
19 Franklin, Wake Willie D. Jones Wake
20 Warren John Adams Hyman[note 1] Warren
21 Granville, Person Charles S. Winstead Person
21 Granville, Person R.W. Lassiter Granville
22 Orange Josiah Turner, Jr. Orange
23 Chatham Silas Burns Chatham
24 Caswell Bedford Brown Caswell
25 Rockingham John M. Lindsay Rockingham
26 Alamance, Guilford G.W. Welker Guilford
26 Alamance, Guilford T.M. Shoffner Alamance
27 Montgomery, Randolph John H. Davis Montgomery
28 Moore, Richmond William B. Richardson Moore
29 Anson, Union P.T. Beeman Anson
30 Mecklenburg James W. Osborne Mecklenburg
31 Cabarrus, Stanly Christopher Melchor Cabarrus
32 Davie, Rowan W.M. Robbins Rowan
33 Davidson P.A. Long Davidson
34 Forsyth, Stokes Peter A. Wilson Forsyth
35 Surry, Yadkin Samuel Forkner Surry
36 Alexander, Iredell J.H. McLaughlin Iredell
37 Catawba, Gaston, Lincoln Lawson A. Mason Gaston
38 Cleveland, Polk, Rutherford J.B. Eaves Rutherford
39 Alleghany, Ashe, Wilkes Samuel P. Smith Wilkes
40 Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania James Blythe Henderson
41 Burke, Caldwell, Watauga Edmund W. Jones Caldwell
42 Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Yancey William M. Moore Yancey
43 Cherokee, Clay, Haywood, Jackson, Macon W. Levi Love Macon

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u One of eighteen Black representatives and three senators elected to the General Assembly after the Civil War.
  2. ^ James C. Harper's election was declared illegal and voided.
  3. ^ W. H.Malone was elected to replace James C. Harper after his election was declared voided.
  4. ^ William Long's election was declared illegal and voided. He was replaced by Wilson Cary.
  5. ^ Wilson Cary was elected to replace William Long.
  6. ^ Neill S. Stewart's election was declared illegal and voided.
  7. ^ B. C. Williams was elected to replace Neill S. Stewart.
  8. ^ Walter Brown's election was declared illegal and voided.
  9. ^ Joseph Keener's election was declared illegal and voided.
  10. ^ E. M. Painter was elected to replace Joseph Keener.
  11. ^ Joseph C. Abbott resigned his position after being elected to the U.S. Senate.
  12. ^ At some point in his tenure, Llewellen G. Estes resigned his position.
  13. ^ R. C. Parker died while in office.
  14. ^ J. J. Allison resigned his position.
  15. ^ Thomas M. Argo was elected to replace J. J. Allison, who resigned his position.

References

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  1. ^ Norris, David A. (2006). "North Carolina Capitals, Colonial and State". NCPedia.org. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Connor, Robert Diggs Wimberly, ed. (1913). A Manual of North Carolina (PDF). Raleigh, North Carolina: E. M. Uzzell & Company. p. 475. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Wheeler, John Hill, ed. (1874). The Legislative Manual and Political Register of the State of North Carolina for the Year 1874. Raleigh, North Carolina: Josiah Turner, Jr.; State Printer and Binder. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e Cheney, John L. Jr. (1974). North Carolina Government, 1585–1974. pp. 447–448.
  5. ^ a b "Constitutional Development of North Carolina, 1868 Constitutional Convention and Constitution" (PDF). ncleg.net. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Orth, John V. (2006). "North Carolina Constitution History".
  7. ^ W.E.B. Du Bois, Black Reconstruction in America, 1860-1180.New York: Harcourt Brace, 1935; reprint, New York: The Free Press, 1998, pp.529-531
  8. ^ Ijames, Earl (2008). "Constitutional Convention, 1868; Black Caucus". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  9. ^ a b Release, Allen W. (2006). "Reconstruction". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  10. ^ Foner, Eric (1988). Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863–1877. ISBN 0-06-015851-4. Pulitzer-prize winning history and most detailed synthesis of original and previous scholarship.
  11. ^ Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State House of Representatives 1868--1869". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  12. ^ Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State Senate 1868-1869". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved April 17, 2019.