Madison County, IL Newspaper Data
Madison County, IL Newspaper Data
| Legislature of 100 Years Ago Date: May 31, 1906 Paper: Belleville News Democrat Edwardsville Intelligencer Furnishes a Bit of Ancient Illinois History State then Contained Six Counties John Thompson of St. Clair County was Clerk of the House. The Edwardsville Intellingencer furnished a bit of ancient Illinois History that will be interesting to read now, nearly 100 years since it occurred. The first election held in Illinois, then a territory, for the purpose of electing a Legistlture, was off September 16, 1812. The entire territory contained only six counties and the General Assembly twelve members, five in the Senate and seven in the House of Representatives. This was the first legistative body elected by the people that assembled in Illinois. The members of the Senate were William Biggs of St. Clair, Samuel Judy of Madison, Pierre Menard of Johnson, and Benjamin Talbot of Gallatin. The members of the House were Jashua Ogiesby and Jacob Short of St. Clair, William Jones of Madison, George Lisher of Randolph, Philip Trannel and Alexander Wilson of Gallatin, and John Grammer of Johnson. The Legislature convered at Kaskaskia, November 25, 1812. John Thompson of St. Clair was elected clerk of the House. One doorkeeper attended both houses. It was said that the whole asssembly boarded at one house and slept in one room. Compared with the twentieth century Legislature of the state of Illinois, the Legislature of 1812 was a simple unpretentious body. They did not recieve a salary of $1000 a session and there was no bonding in those days. The first Legislature of Illinois was doubtless an honest and in its way, a public-spirited body. They helped to lay the foundation for a great state with teeming millions of patriotic, honest, enterprising citizens. |