in said territory, before they act as such, shall take a like oath or affirmation before the said governor or secretary, or some judge or justice of the peace of the territory, who may be duly commissioned and qualified, which said oath or affirmation shall be certified and transmitted by the person taking the same to the secretary, to be by him recorded as aforesaid; and afterward the like oath or affirmation shall be taken, certified and recorded, in such manner and form as may be prescribed by law. The governor shall receive an anuual [sic] salary of $2,500. The chief justice and associate justices shall each recieve [sic] an annual salary of $2,000. The secretary shall receive an annual salary of $2,000. The said salaries shall be paid quarter-yearly, from the dates of the. respective appointments, at the treasury of the United States; but no such payments shall be made until said officers shall have entered upon the duties of their respective appointments. The members of the legislative assembly shall be entitled to $3 each, per day, during their attendance at the sessions thereof, and $3 each for every twenty miles' travel in going to and returning from the said sessions, estimated according to the nearest usually traveled route, and an additional alowance [sic] of $3 shall be paid to the presiding officer of each house for each day lie shall so preside. And a chief clerk, and assistant clerk, a sergeant-at-arms and doorkeeper, may be chosen for each house; and the chief clerk shall recieve $4 per day, and the said other officers $3 per day, during the session of the legislative assembly; but no other officer shall be paid by the United States: Provided, That there shall be but one session of the legislature annually, unless on an extraordinary occasion the governor shall think proper to call the legislature together. There shall be appropriated, annually, the usual sum, to be expended by the governor, to defray the contingent expenses of the territory, including the salary of a clerk of the executive department; and there shall also be appropriated annually a sufficient sum, to be expended by the secretary of the territory, and upon all estimate to be made by the secretary of the treasury of the United States, to defray the expenses of the legislative assembly, the printing of laws, and other incidental expenses; and the governor and serectary [sic] of the territory shall, in the disbursement of all moneys intrusted to them, be governed solely by the instructions of the secretary of the treasury of the United States, and shall, semi-annually, account to the said secretary for the manner in which the aforesaid moneys shall have been expended; and no expenditures shall be made by said legislative assembly for objects not specially authorized by the acts of congress making the appropriations, nor beyond the sums thus appropriated for such objects.
  Sec. 13. And be it further enacted, That the legislative assembly of the territory of Nebraska shall hold its first session at such time and place in said territory as the governor thereof shall appoint and direct; and at the said first session, or as soon thereafter as they shall deem expedient, the governor and legislative assembly shall proceed to locate and establish the seat of government for said territory at such place as they may deem eligible; which place, however, shall thereafter lie subject to be changed by the said governor and legislative assembly.
  Sec. 14. And be it further enacted, That a delegate to the house of representatives, of the United States, to serve for the term of two years, who shall be a citizen of the United States, may be elected by the voters qualified to elect members of the legislative assembly, who shall be entitled to the same rights and privileges as are exercised by the delegates from the several other territories of the United States to the said house of representatives; but the delegate first elected shall hold his seat only during the term of congress to which he shall be elected. The first election shall be held at such time and places, and be conducted in such manner, as the governor shall appoint and direct; and at all subsequent elections the times, places and manner of holding the elections shall be prescribed by law. The person having the geatest [sic] number of votes shall be declared by the governr [sic] to be duly elected, and a certificate therof [sic] shall be given accordingly. That the constiution [sic] and laws of the United States which are not locally inapplicable shall have the same force and effect within the said territory of Nebraska as elsewhere within the United States, except the eighth section of the act preparatory to the admission of Missouri into the Union, approved March 6, 1820, which being inconsistent with the principles of nonintervention by congress with slavery in the states and territories, as recognized by the legislation of 1850, commonly called the compromise measures, is hereby declared inoperative and void, it being the true intent and meaning of this act not to legislate slavery into any territory or state nor to exclude it therefrom, but leave the people thereof perfectly free to form and regulate their domestic institutions in their own way, subject only to the constitution of the United States: Provided, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to revive or put in force any law or regulation which may have existed prior to the act of 6th March, 1820, either protecting, establishing, prohibiting or abolishing slavery.
  Sec. 15. And be it further enacted, That there shall hereafter be appropriated, as has been customary for the territorial governments, a sufficient amount, to be expended under the direction of the said - governor of the territory of Nebraska, not exceeding the sums heretofore appropriated for similar objects, for the erection of suitable public buildings at the seat of government, and for the purchase of a library, to be kept at the seat of government, for the use of the governor, legislative assembly, judges of the

supreme court, secretary, marshal, attorney of said territory, and such other persons, and under such regulations, as shall be prescribed by law.
  Sec. 16. And be it further enacted, That when the lands in the said territory shall be surveyed under the direction of the government of the United States, preparatory to bringing the same into market, sections number 16 to 36 in each township in said territory shall be and the same are hereby reserved for the purpose of being applied to schools in said territory, and in the states find territories hereafter to be erected out of the same.
  Sec. 17. And, be it further enacted, That, until otherwise provided by law, the governor of said territory may define, the judicial districts of said territory, and assign the judges who may be appointed for said territory to the several districts; and also appoint the times and places for holding courts in the several counties or subdivisions in each of Raid judicial districts by proclamation, to be issued by him; but the legislative assembly, at their first or any subsequent session, may organize, alter or modify such judicial districts; and assign the judges, and alter the times and places of holding the courts, as to them shall seem proper and convenient.
  Sec. 18. And be it further enacted, That all officers to be appointed by the president, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, for the territory of Nebraska, who, by virtue of the provisions of any law now existing, or which may be enacted during the present congress, are required to give security for moneys that may be intrusted with them for disbursement, shall give such security, at such time and place and in such manner as the secretary of the territory may prescribe.
  Approved May 30, 1854.
  The first territorial officers were appointed under the provisions of the organic act, by President Pierce, as follows: Francis Burt, of South Carolina, governor; Thomas B. Cuming, of Iowa, secretary; Tenner Ferguson, of Michigan, chief justice; James Bradley, of Indiana, and Edwin R. Hardin, of Georgia, associate justices; Mark W. Izard, of Arkansas, marshal and Experience Estabrook, of Wisconsin, attorney. Governor Burt reached the territory, in ill health, on the 6th of October, 1854, and proceeded to Bellevue, where lie was the guest of Rev. Wm. J. Hamilton at the Old Mission house. His illness proved of a fatal. character, and he sank rapidly until his death, which occurred October 18, 1851.
  With the death of Governor Burt the duties of organizing the territorial government devolved upon Secretary Cuming, who, by virtue of his office, became acting governor. The first official act performed ill the territory by an executive officer was the issuance by Governor Cuming of the following proclamation:
  "It has seemed good to an all-wise Providence to remove from the territory by the hand of death its chief magistrate, Governor Francis Burt. He departed this life this morning at the Mission House in Bellevue, after an illness protracted since his arrival, during which he received the most faithful medical aid and assiduous attention. His remains will be conveyed, on Friday next, to his home in Pendleton, South Carolina., attended by a suitable escort. In this afflictive dispensation, as a mark of respect and affection for the lamented and distinguished executive and a sign of the public sorrow, the national colors within the territory will be draped in mourning, and the territorial officers will wear crape upon the left arm for thirty days from date.
  "Given under my hand at Bellevue, Nebraska Territory, this 18th day of October, A. D., 1854. (Signed) T. B. Cuming, Acting Governor of Nebraska."
  The official headquarters remained at Bellevue until the assembling of the first territorial legislature in January, 1855, when Omaha became the seat of government. The machinery of the territorial government was set in motion in 1854. In October the acting governor issued a proclamation, by virtue of which the first census was taken. It was completed November 20, 1854, and gave the territory a total population of 2,732. Of this number 13 were reported as being slaves. There were 929 white males over twenty-one years of age reported. Immediately after the census was completed, an election was held, at which a delegate to congress and members of the first territorial legislature were chosen.
  The territory was divided into eight counties, viz: Burt, Washington, Dodge, Douglas, Cass, Pierce, Forney and Richardson.
  Burt county was bounded as follows: Commencing at a point on the Missouri river two miles above Fort Calhoun, thence westwardly, crossing the Elkhorn river one hundred and twenty miles to the west boundary of lands ceded to the United States, thence northerly to Mauvaise river and along the east bank of the same to Eau Qui Court or Running Water, thence easterly to the Aaoway river and along the south bank of it to its mouth, and thence southerly along the Missouri river to the place of beginning. This county was sub-divided into two voting precincts one called the Tekamah precinct, at the house of General John B. Robinson, who with W. N. Byers and H. R. Folsom formed the board of election, W. W. Maynard and N. C. Purple clerks, and the second precinct called Black Bird, located at the Black Bird house, with Frederick Buck, Dr. Shelley and John A. Lafferty, judges, and Lorenzo Driggs and William Sherman, clerks.
  Washington county was bounded as follows: Commencing at a point on the Missouri river one mile north of Omaha City, thence due west to the dividing ridge between the Elkhorn and Missouri rivers, thence northwesterly twenty miles to the Elkhorn river, thence easterly to a point on the

Missouri river, two miles above Fort Calhoun, and thence southerly along said river to the place of beginning. There was one precinct of voting in this county. It was at the postoffice at Florence, or "Winter Quarters." Anselam Arnold, Charles How and William Bryant were appointed judges of election, and Henry Springer and William More, clerks.
  Dodge county was bounded as follows: Commencing at a point on the Platte river twenty miles west of Bellevue, thence westerly along Platte river to the mouth of Shell creek, thence north twenty-five miles, thence east to the dividing ridge between the Elkhorn and Missouri rivers, thence southerly to the place of beginning. The voting place was at the house of Dr. M. H. Clark in Fontenelle precinct. The judges of election were William Kline, Christopher S. Leiber and William S. Estley; the clerks, William Taylor and E. G. McNeely.
  Douglas county was bounded as follows: Commencing at the mouth of the Platte river, thence north along the west bank of the Missouri river to a point one mile north of Omaha City, thence west along the south boundary of Washington county twenty miles, thence south to the Platte river, and thence east to the place of beginning. Two precincts or places of voting were established - one at the brick building at Omaha City and the other at the Mission house at Bellevue. David Lindley, T. G. Goodwill and Chas. B. Smith were appointed judges of election, and M. C. Gaylord and Dr. Pattee clerks, in the Omaha precinct. Isaiah Bennett, D. E. Reed and Thomas Morton were appointel [sic] judges of election, and G. Hollister and Silas A. Strickland clerks, in the Bellevue precinct.
  Cass county was bounded on the north by the Platte, east by the Missouri, south by the Weeping Water river to its headwaters, thence westerly to the west boundary of lands ceded to the United States, and thence by said boundary northward to the Platte. Two precincts were named - one at the house of Colonel Thompson, the Kenosha precinct, with J. S. Griffith, Thomas B. Ashley and L. Young judges, Benjamin B. Thompson and William II. Davis clerks; the other at the house of Samuel Martin, with James O'Neil Thomas P. Palmer and Stephen Willes judges, and T. S. Gaskill and Levi G. Todd clerks.
  Pierce county (now Otoe) was bounded as follows: Commencing at the mouth of Weeping Water river on the Missouri, thence westward to its headwaters, thence due west to the west boundary of lands ceded to the United States (one hundred miles), thence south twenty miles to the north line of Forney county, thence due east along the Forney county line to Camp creek and along the north bank of said creek to the Missouri river, thence northward along the river to the place of beginning. The single precinct was located at the house of Major H. P. Downs. The judges were William C. Fowlkes, Simeon Hargous and Henry Bradford; the clerks were James H. Cowles and James H. Decker.
  Forney county (now Nemaha) was bounded as follows: Commencing at the mouth of Camp creek, thence to the headwaters of the same, thence due west to a point sixty miles from the Missouri river, thence due south twenty miles, thence east to the headwaters of the Little Nemaha river, thence along said river to the Missouri, following the Missouri northerly to the place of beginning. One voting precinct, known as Brownville, was established at the house of Richard Brown. Richard Brown, Allen L. Coate and Israel Cuming were appointed judges of election, and A. J. Benedict and Stephen Sloan clerks.
  Richardson county was bounded as follows: Commencing at the northwest corner of the "Half-Breed Tract," thence westerly along the Little Nemaha river, thence westerly to a point sixty miles west of the Missouri river, thence south to the fortieth parallel, the boundary between Kansas and Nebraska, thence east to the Missouri river, thence north along the Missouri and west ten miles to the southwest corner of the "Half-Breed Tract," thence north to the place of beginning. Two precincts were designated - one at the house of William Level in precinct No. 1, with John Purket, Robert T. Archer and James M. Roberts judges, William V. Soper and John A. Singleton clerks. Precinct No. 2 was at the house of Christian Bobst, with Henry Shellhorn, Henry Abrams and William J. Burns judges, Christian Bobst and W. L. Soper clerks.
  Another county designated as Jones county was to be created under the first division of the territory, but certain irregularities in the surveys decided Marshal Izard to report adversely to the measure. This county would have included the southernmost section of the territory from sixty miles west of the Missouri river westward, from the north corner of Richardson county as then established along the Platte, to the one hundred and third degree of west longitude, thence along the southwest boundary of Richardson county.
  Another county composed of what is now Sarpy (then commonly spoken of as the "burnt district") was designated under the name of Omaha, but for some reason no official promulgation of its creation was made, and the section became a part of Douglas county.
  The following apportionment of councilmen and representatives was made in accordance with the census returns of November 20, 1854, viz: Burt county, one councilman, two representatives; Washington county, one councilman, two representatives; Dodge county, one councilman, two representatives; Douglas county, four councilmen and eight representatives; Cass county, one councilman and three representatives; Pierce county, three councilmen and five representatives; Forney county, one councilman and two representatives; Richardson county, one councilman and two representatives. The first general elec-

tion for members of the legislature and a delegate to congress was held on December 12, 1854.
  The first territorial legislature convened at Omaha January 16, 1855, and the occasion created intense excitement. The official roster of the first legislature stood as follows:
  Council - Richardson county, J. L. Sharp, president; Burt county, B. R. Folsom; Washington county, J. C. Mitchell; Dodge county, M. H. Clark; Douglas county, T. G. Goodwill, A. D. Jones, O. D. Richardson, S. E. Rogers; Cass county, Luke Nuckolls; Pierce county, A. H. Bradford, H. P. Bennett, C. H. Cowles; Forney county, Richard Brown. Officers. Dr. G. F. Miller, Omaha, chief clerk; O. F. Lake, Brownville, assistant clerk; S. A. Lewis, Omaha, sergeant-at-arms; N. R. Folsom, doorkeeper.
  House. - Douglas, county, A. J. Hanscom, speaker, W. N. Byers, William Clancey, F. Davidson, Thomas Davis, A. D. Goyer, A. J. Poppleton, Robert Whitted; Burt county, J. B. Robertson, A. C. Purple; Washington county, A. Archer, A. J. Smith; Dodge county, E. R. Doyle, J. W. Richardson; Cass county, J. M. Latham, William Kempton, J. D. H. Thompson; Pierce county, G. Bennett, J. H. Cowles, J. H. Decker, W. H. Hail, William Maddox; Forney county, W. A. Finney, J. M. Wood; Richardson county, D. M. Johnson, J. A. Singleton. Officers. J. W. Paddock, chief clerk; G. L. Eayre, assistant clerk; J. L. Gibbs, sergeant-at-arms; B. B. Thompson, doorkeeper.
  During the first session of the legislature many important matters were provided for. The local machinery of government was provided for, county offices created and the nature and emoluments thereof fixed, the offices of territorial auditor, treasurer and librarian fixed. The legislature adopted the criminal code of Iowa, with necessary alterations, as the code of the territory. Napoleon B. Gidding, who had been elected delegate to congress, was instructed to use his influence in securing the passage of a homestead law for Nebraska similar to that of New Mexico and Oregon. Educational affairs received early recognition. The Simpson University at Omaha, the Nebraska University at Fontenelle, and the Nebraska City Collegiate and Preparatory Institute were incorporated at this first session. Governor M. W. Izard, who had been appointed governor to succeed Governor Burt, deceased, arrived and took the oath of office February 23, 1855, and delivered his first formal message to the legislature February 27.
  The agitation over the permanent location of the state capital at this time was intense. The efforts of the Omaha men were crowned with success in the matter of the seat of government. Governor Izard appointed James C. Mitchell as the sole commissioner to locate the capitol building. On the 17th of March Commissioner Mitchell reported to the governor that lie bad that day selected the center of Capitol Square in Omaha City as the site for the edifice.
  One of the measures passed by the first legislature was an act adopted March 6, 1855, relative to the claims of squatters. At this time the territory contained hundreds of would-be settlers who were temporarily debarred from becoming legal citizens and at the same time owners of the lands of their choice because at that period the public domain was not fully in the market. The survey was begun and prosecuted as speedily as possible, but not rapidly enough to gratify the ambition of emigrants or the greed of speculators. Those men who were determined to remain and abide their time were known as "squatters," and so numerous was this element that legislation in its behalf was enacted as a protection against the abhorred class called "claim jumpers," or men disposed to violate the unwritten law of the territory. As in all new countries where expressed laws were inadequate to insure equity and peace, the citizens formed clubs, and through the action of those informal but efficient organizations order was maintained. By this act of March 6, 1855, it was provided that each claimant might hold three hundred and twenty acres when a member of a club, which was duly governed by established rules, a copy of which was filed with the registrar of the county. The clubs were vested with certain legislative power for their neighborhood. The constitutionality of this act was not permitted to be discussed. The clubs were a government unto and for themselves, as many a wretched man was able to testify after daring their wrath.
  The first formal census of the territory was taken in 1855 in order that a readjustment of legislative representatives might be made. The reports from the existing counties showed population as follows: Burt county, 85; Cass, 712; Dakota, 86; Dodge, 139; Douglas, 1,028; Nemaha, 604; Otoe, 1,188; Pawnee, 142; Richardson, 299; Washington, 207; total, 4,491. Pierce county ceased to exist. The one now bearing that name dates from 1859. Dakota county was not accredited in the legislative proceedings with a representative.
  The second session of the assembly convened in Omaha December 18, 1855. The changes in the council were: John Evans, Dodge county, vice M. H. Clark, deceased; A. A. Bradford, Otoe county (newly-created county), and S. M. Kirkpatrick, Cass county, vice Luke Nuckolls. The council officers were: B. R. Folsom, president; E. G. McNeely, chief clerk; M. B. Case, assistant clerk; C. W. Pierce, sergeant-at- arms. The house roster was: A. D. Kirk, Richardson county; W. H. Hoover, Richardson and Nemaha jointly; Charles McDonald, Richardson and Pawnee jointly. The census gave Pawnee county a population of one hundred and forty-two, and this, it was claimed by some, entitled it to representation. After considerable debate, Thomas R. Hare was accorded a seat, but he resigned January 11 after it became apparent that his presence might in

validate the acts of the body since the bill creating the territory stipulated that the house should be composed of only twenty-six members. The remainder of the body was: W. A. Finney, L. A. Chambers, Nemaha county; James H. Decker, M. W. Riden, J. Sterling Morton, William B. Hail, J. C. Campbell, John Boulware, Otoe county; A. M. Rose, Otoe and Cass jointly; John F. Buck, William Laird, J. McF. Hagood, Cass county; George L. Miller, William Larimer Jr., Levi Harsh, W. E. Moore, Alexander Davis, Leavitt L. Bowen, Alonzo F. Salisbury, William Clancy, Douglas county; P. C. Sullivan, Washington county; William B. Beek, Washington and Burt jointly, and Thomas Gibson, Dodge county.
  The organization of the house was perfected by the election of the following officers: P. C. Sullivan, speaker; H. C. Anderson, chief clerk; I. L. Gibbs, assistant clerk; A. S. Bishop, sergeant-at-arms; E. B. Chinn, doorkeeper. The auditor's first report was submitted which gave a valuation of the property, real and personal, in the territory of $617,822, not including the newer counties.
  A bill providing that counties in the then uninhabited regions should be organized with boundaries of twenty-four miles square without reference to the Platte or other streams, was successfully passed.
  The so-called first report of the superintendent of public instruction was made under date of January 5, 1857, by H. Anderson. The report covers two pages of the journal, and is but a statement of what should be done rather than what had been performed in pursuance of an act entitled "Common Schools," approved January 26, 1856, which act is the origin of the public school system of the state.
  January 5, 1857, the third annual session of the territorial legislature began. The following members composed the council: Douglas county, A. F. Salisbury, George L. Miller, S. E. Rogers, L. L. Bowen for the northern district; southern district of Douglas, Washington, Burt and Cuming counties jointly, James A. Allen; Otoe county, A. A. Bradford, Mills S. Reeves; Cass county, S. M. Kirkpatrick; Nemaha county, R. W. Furnas; Washington county, William Clancy; Richardson and Pawnee counties, Charles McDonald, Dodge, Cass, Otoe jointly, Jacob Safford; Dakota county, A. W. Puett. The officers ware: L. L. Bowen, president; O. F. Lake, chief clerk; T. H. Robertson, assistant clerk; Samuel A. Lewis, sergeant-at-arms; Patrick McDonough, doorkeeper. The house was organized by the election of I. L. Gibbs, speaker; J. H. Brown, chief clerk; S. M. Curran, assistant clerk; P. Lacomb, sergeant-at-arms; J. Campbell, doorkeeper. The members were: Richardson and Pawnee counties, A. F. Cromwell, N. J. Sharp; Nemaha county, W. A. Finney, I. C. Lawrence, S. A. Chambers; Otoe county, H. P. Downs, I. D. White, H. C. Cowles, J. C. Ellis, I. L. Gibbs, W. B. Hail; Cass county, W. M. Slaughter, H. C. Wolph, Broad Cole; Cass, Lancaster and Clay counties jointly, J. A. Cardwell; Douglas county (southern district), S. A. Strickland, Joseph Dyson, C. T. Holloway, John Finney; Douglas county (northern district), W. E. Moore, H. Johnson, J. Steinberger, M. Murphy, R. Kimball, Jonas Seely, A. J. Hanscom, George Armstrong; Dodge and Platte counties, Silas E. Seeley; Washington county, J. A. Stewart, William Conner, E. P. Stout; Burt county, G. M. Chilcott.
  On December 8, 1857, the fourth session began with no change in the roll of the council members from the foregoing session. Hon. George L. Miller, of Omaha, was elected president; Washburn Safford, chief clerk; S. H. Elbert, assistant clerk; George A. Graves, enrolling and engrossing clerk; John Reek, sergeant-at-arms; Jacob R. Cromwell, doorkeeper.
  The house chose Hon. J. H. Decker, of Otoe county, speaker; S. M. Curran, chief clerk; R. A. Howard, assistant clerk; Albert Mathias, sergeant-at- arms, and Isaac Fisher, doorkeeper.
  The roll of the house showed: Richardson and Pawnee counties, A. F. Cromwell, Wingate King; Nemaha and Johnson counties, A. J. Benedict, J. S. Minick, S. A. Chambers; Otoe county, J. Sterling Morton, J. C. Campbell, J. G. Abbey, D. B. Robb, W. B. Hail, J. H. Decker; Cass county, E. A. Donelan, T. M. Marquette, L. Sheldon; Sarpy county, S. A. Strickland, C. T. Holloway, James Davidson, Amos Gates; Douglas county, George Armstrong, J. Steinberger, George Clayes, J. S. Stewart, M. Murphy, A. J. Poppleton, W. R. Thrall, J. W. Paddock; Washington county, J. A. Stewart, P. C. Sullivan, P. G. Cooper; Burt and Cuming counties, William B. Beek; Dakota. and Cedar counties, W. G. Crawford, E. C. Jones; Dodge and Platte counties, J. M. Taggart.

On September 21, 1858, the fifth session of the legislature began. The following members composed the council: Richardson and Pawnee counties, Charles McDonald, whose seat was contested by E. S. Dundy; Nemaha county, R. W. Furnas; Otoe county, Mills S. Reeves, W. H. Taylor; Otoe, Cass and Dodge counties, John H. Cheever; Sarpy county, L. L. Bowen; Douglas county, G. L. Miller, W. E. Moore, John H. Porter; Washington county, George E. Scott; Burt, Washington and Sarpy counties, George W. Doan; Dakota county, W. G. Crawford. Hon. L. L. Bowen was elected president; S. M. Curran, chief clerk; John G. Tredway, assistant clerk; John McA. Campbell, sergeant-at-arms, and John Reek, doorkeeper.
  In the house the roll stood: Richardson and Pawnee counties, William C. Fleming, A. C. Dean; Nemaha and Johnson counties, M. F. Clark, Jesse Noel, S. G. Daily; Otoe county, John Cassell, O. P. Mason, H. P. Bennett, George F. Lee, W. B. Hall; Cass county, William A. Davis; William J. Young, T. M. Marquette, R. G. Doom; Sarpy county, Charles C. Norwood, Stephen H. Wat-

tles; Douglas county, James H. Seymour, Clinton Briggs, Augustus Roeder, James Stewart, William A. Gwyer, R. W. Steele, John A. Steinberger, George Clayes; Dodge and Platte counties, W. DePuy; Washington county, C. D. Davis, P. G. Cooper, L. W. Kline; Burt county, David L. Collier; Dakota, Cedar and L'eau Qui Court counties, John Taffe, D. T. Bramble. The officers of the house were: H. P. Bennett, speaker; E. G. McNeely, chief clerk; Hugh McNeely, assistant clerk; J. D. N. Thompson, sergeant-at-arms; F. H. Rogers, doorkeeper.
  On the 1st of November, 1858, Representative S. G. Daily introduced a bill "to abolish slavery in the Territory of Nebraska." This bill, with various changes and amendments, occupied a great deal of the time of the various sessions of the legislature until January 1, 1861, when a bill prohibiting slavery was passed over the veto of Governor Black. This matter is treated at length in another part of this work.
  Governor Richardson's term extended only from January 12, 1858, to the 5th of December of the same year. Secretary J. Sterling Morton assumed the functions of executive at that date, continuing as acting governor until the arrival of Governor Samuel W. Black, May 2, 1859.
  On December 5, 1859, the sixth session of the territorial legislature convened at Omaha The only changes in the council were: Thomas J. Boykin, of Sarpy county; Thomas T. Collier, of Dakota county, and W. A. Little, of Douglas county, who succeeded Messrs. Bowen, Crawford and Moore respectively. The officers of the council were: F. A. Donelan, president; S. M. Curran, chief clerk; E. A. Allen, assistant clerk; J. F. Coffman, sergeant-at-arms, and R. R. Kirkpatrick, doorkeeper.
  The house roll was: Richardson county, Houston Nuckolls, J. F. Burbank, Nathan Myers; Nemaha county, George Crowe, W. W. Keeling Jesse Noel, John P. Parker; Otoe county, John C. Campbell, Alex Bain, Truman H. Adams, Stephen H. Nuckolls, Milton W. Reynolds, William H. Broadhead; Cass and Lancaster counties, J. N. Stephenson, William S. Latta, William R. Davis, Samuel Maxwell, T. M. Marquette; Sarpy county, Matthew J. Shields, Silas A. Strickland; Douglas county, A. J. Hanscom, D. D. Belden, Harrison Johnson, George F. Kennedy, George B. Lake, A. B. Malcomb; Washington county, James S. Stewart, J. S. Bowen; Burt and Cuming Counties, David S. Collier; Dakota county, George A. Hinsdale, Barnabas Bates; Dixon, Cedar and L'eau Qui Court counties, James Tufts. The officers were: Silas A. Strickland, speaker. James W. Moore, chief clerk; George W. Rust assistant clerk; J. W. Coleman, sergeant-at-arms; N. J. Sharp, doorkeeper.
  Among the most important legislation of the sixth session was "an act to frame a constitution and state go ernment for the State of Nebraska." The proposition was submitted to the people March 5, 1860, and decided adversely by a vote of 2,372 against it and 2,094 for it.
  On December 3, 1860, the seventh session of the territorial legislature convened. The council stood: Douglas county, John M. Thayer, David D. Belden, W. A. Little; Dakota, Dixon, Cedar and L'eau Qui Court counties, John Taffe; Washington county, John A. Unthank; Sarpy county, Silas A. Strickland; Cass county, T. M. Marquette; Otoe county, William H. Taylor, John B. Bennett; Nemaha and Johnson counties, T. W. Tipton; Richardson and Pawnee counties, E. S. Dundy; Cass, Otoe and Dodge counties, Samuel H. Elbert; Burt, Washington and Sarpy counties, John Q. Gloss. The officers were: W. H. Taylor, president; E. P. Brewster, chief clerk; D. H. Wheeler, assistant clerk; W. H. James, sergeant-at-arms; D. C. Slader, doorkeeper.
  The house stood: Richardson county, F. A. Tisdel, A. M. Acton, H. B. Porter; Nemaha county, Thomas R. Fisher, James Hacker, John P. Baker, George Blane; Pawnee county, E. W. Fowler; Johnson, Clay and Gage counties, Hiram W. Parker; Otoe county, Samuel P. Sibley, Alfred Mathias, Adin G. Cavins, Charles H. Cowles, Jacob Sallenberger, Hiram P. Downs; Cass and Lancaster counties, William Reed, E. W. Barnum, W. R. Davis, Lauden Mullen, W. Gilmour; Sarpy county, James Davidson, Amos Gates, William Cleburne; Douglas county, John I. Reddick, S. A. Lowe, J. T. Griffin, Merrill H. Clark, Henry Grebe, Ezra T. Millard; Washington county, Giles Mead, H. W. DePuy; Dodge county, M. S. Cottrell; Burt county, J. R. Hide; Dakota county, William T. Lockwood, Thomas Coleman; Dixon, Cedar and L'eau Qui Court counties, Amos S. Chase. The officers were: H. W. DePuy, speaker; George L. Seybolt, chief clerk; S. D. Bangs, assistant clerk; F. M. Virden, sergeant-at-arms; W. A. Pollock, doorkeeper.
  The roster of the eighth session stood: Council John Taffe, president; R. W. Furnas, chief clerk; William Lehmer, assistant clerk; J. W. Chapman, sergeant-at-arms; A. J. Warner, doorkeeper. The only changes from the preceding session were: F. W. Sapp, Douglas county; C. Blanchard, Sarpy county; John McPherson, Nemaha and Johnson counties; S. M. Kirkpatrick, Cass, Otoe and Dodge counties. The house - A. D. Jones, speaker; George L. Seybolt, chief clerk; J. W. Virtue, assistant clerk; F. C. Morrison, sergeant-at-arms; John Wolfue, doorkeeper. The representation - Richardson county, L. Allgawahr, J. S. Ewing, H. B. Porter; Nemaha county, A. S. Holladay, George Crowe, William Reed, John Crothers; Pawnee county, David Butler; Johnson, Clay and Gage counties, Nathan Blakely; Otoe county, M. W. Reynolds, J. H. Croxton, J. Closser, W. P. Birchfield, W. Buchanan, N. B. Larsh; Cass and Lancaster counties, S. E. Eikenberry, Isaac Wilds, James Chalfant, W. F. Chapin, E. W. Barnum; Sarpy county, W. D. Rowles Stephen H. Wattles, Henry T. Clarke; Douglas

---

© 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 for NEGenWeb Project by T&C Miller, P Ebel, P Shipley, L Cook