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 comity, 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. Goss.
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. DeRiy;
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 County, James H. Seymour, Joel T. Griffin, A. D. Jones, Merrills H. Clark, Oscar F. Davis, Aaron Cohn;
Washington County, John S. Bowen, E. A. Allen
Dodge County, E. H. Barnard
Burt County, S. T. Learning
Dakota County, C. O’Connor, Barnabas Bates
Dakota, Dixon and L’eau Qui Court Counties, Daniel McLaughlin
Dixon, Cedar and L’eau Qui Court Counties, R. M. Hagaman
Platte, Green, Calhoun and Butler Counties, John Reck
Hall and Monroe Counties, Enos Beall.
The ninth session of the territorial legislature assembled at Omaha on January 7, 1864.
In the council were:
T. M. Marquette, J. E. Doom, O. P. Mason, John C. Campbell, David Butler, William A. Little, John R. Porter, John McCormick, E. A. Allen, Frank Welch and A. H. Jackson.
E. A. Allen was chosen president
J. W. Hollingshead, chief clerk
John H. Mann, assistant clerk
S. A. Lewis, sergeant-at-arms
W. B. Dixon, doorkeeper.
In the house:
Douglas County, John Ritchie, George B. Lake, Daniel Gavitt, Joel S. Smith, B. E. B. Kennedy, Henry Grebe
Otoe County, Henry A. Newman, Francis Sim, F. Renner, C. W. Seymour, W. McLennan, A. T. McCartney
Dodge County, Isaac E. Heaton; Platte County, John P. Becker
Dakota, Dixon and L’eau Qui Court Counties, J. 0. Fisher; Dixon, Cedar and L’eau Qui Court Counties, N. S. Porter
Burt and Cuming Counties, D. Hobbs
Washington County, J. Evans, H. J. Rohwer
Richardson County, Lewis Allgawhar, J. C. Lincoln, M. W. Breman
Sarpy County, C. Blanchard, Amos Gates, John Whalen
Cass and Lancaster Counties, J. W. Chapman, H. C. Pardee, D. G. Todd, R. D. Hoback, J. S. Gregory, Jr.
Pawnee County, George L. Griffing
Nemaha County, G. W. Fairbrother, Lorenzo Rice, C. G. Dorsey, Joseph Dash.
The officers were:
George B. Lake, speaker
R. Streeter, chief clerk
T. A. Moore, sergeant-at-arms
During the session of congress, 18621863, a bill was, introduced late in the session, authorizing the territories of Nebraska, Colorado and Nevada to take the preliminary steps toward admission into the union as states. This measure did not reach final action during the life of that session. The proclamation of emancipation issued by President Lincoln January 1, 1863, was approved by the ninth legislature.
On January 5, 1865, the tenth session of the territorial legislature convened at Omaha.
The council was divided into districts for the first time.
First, Thomas L. Griffey, Dakota, Dixon, Cedar and L’eau Qui Court Counties
second, Edwin A. Allen, Washington, Burt and Cuming Counties
third, John R. Porter and B. E. B. Kennedy, Douglas County
fourth, C. Blanchard, Sarpy and Dodge Counties
fifth, Isaac Albertson, Platte, Monroe, Merrick, Hall, Buffalo, Kearney and Lincoln Counties
sixth, J. W. Chapman, Cass County
seventh, J. G. Miller, Cass, Lancaster, Saline and Seward Counties
eighth, O. P. Mason and John B. Bennett, Otoe County
ninth, Andrew S. Holladay, Nemaha County
tenth, Oliver P. Bayne, Richardson County
eleventh, J. N. McCasland, Pawnee, Gage, Johnson, Clay and Jones Counties.
The officers were:
O. P. Mason, president
John S. Bowen, chief clerk
W. W. Morgan, assistant clerk
Samuel Gamble, sergeant-at-arms
Charles Bryan, doorkeeper
The house was composed of:
Richardson County, Oliver W. Dunning, F. A. Tisdel, Charles P. Walther, E. H. Johnson; Pawnee County, John Briggs
Nemaha County, William B. Phillips, George Crowe, J. W. Taylor, Samuel Petit
Otoe County. Mason Crouch, R. Hedges, John Beuter, George P. West
Cass County, S. M. Klirkpatrick, Samuel Maxwell, J. T. A. Hoover, J. McF. Hagood;
Johnson County, Milo K. Cody
Lancaster, Seward and Saunders Counties, William Imlay
Sarpy County, Amos Gates, Martin Langdon
Douglas County, E. L. Emry, A. J. Critchfield, Charles M. Conoyer, Charles H. Browne, James W. Pickard
Dodge County, W. H. Ely
Platte County, Guy C. Barnum
Washington County, W. N. McCandish, H. M. Hitchcock
Dakota County, John Hefferman
Dakota, Dixon, Cedar and L’eau Qui Court Counties, Nathan S. Porter
Dakota, Cedar and L’eau Qui Court Counties, G. A. Hall
Gage and Jones Counties, H. M. Reynolds
Saline, Butler, Kearney and Lincoln Counties, A. C. Leighton
Lancaster County, John Cadman
Burt and Cuming Counties, John D. Neligh
The officers were:
S. M. Kirkpatrick, speaker;
John Taffe, chief clerk;
Walter C. Heydon, assistant clerk;
Anson Rising, sergeant-at-arms;
Mitchell Fleming, doorkeeper.
On January 4, 1866, the eleventh session of the territorial legislature met at Omaha.
The council was:
T. L. Griffey, E. A. Allen, B. E. B. Kennedy, J. R. Porter, J. Albertson, J. S. Miller, J. W. Chapman, John Bennett, O. P. Mason, A. S. Holladay, O. P. Bayne, J. N. McCasland.
The officers were:
O. P. Mason, president
W. E. Harney, chief clerk
William W. Watson, assistant clerk
Charles Ulry, doorkeeper
The house:
Richardson County, L. Crounse, William Parchen, J. D. Ramsey, John Jay Hart
Pawnee County, John R. Butler
Nemaha County, W. B. Phelps, John Green, W. A. Pollock
Otoe County, John H. Maxon, James Thorn, M. S. Campbell, Albert Tuxbury, James A. Gilmore
Cass County, Joseph Arnold, W. F. Chapin, Samuel Maxwell, Benjamin Austin Johnson County, James Robinson
Lancaster County, John Cadman
Clay, Lancaster, Seward and Saunders Counties, Marcus Brush
Sarpy County, T. H. Robertson, N. P. Lefler
Douglas County, G. B. Luke, J. W. Paddock, C. H. Brown, Fred Drexel, J. G. Megeath
Dodge County, J. G. Smith
Platte County, G. C. Barnum
Washington County, E. H. Clark, Charles Eisley
Dakota County, Cornelius O’Connor
Dakota, Cedar, Dixon and L’eau Qui Court Counties, R. H. Wilbur
Dakota, Cedar and L’eau Qui Court Counties, L. E. Jones
The officers were:
James G. Mageath, speaker
George May, chief clerk
E. S. Towle, assistant clerk
Chester Lusk, sergeant-at-arms
Dennis Dugan, doorkeeper
The preceding year had witnessed the close of the rebellion and the return of national peace, but the Indian war upon the western borders of Nebraska still continued when this legislature met. During the year 1865 the savages, emboldened by temporary successes, had grown exceedingly reckless in their assaults upon settlers and upon the overland stages and telegraph lines. Outrages of the most atrocious character had been repeatedly perpetrated. It had become necessary to call upon congress for more stringent action for the suppression of this form of lawlessness.
This year (1866) the laws of the territory were revised, arranged and issued in the form of revised statutes, the immense labor being completed in time for presentation early in the session and approved February 12, 1866. The new laws went into effect July 1.
On the 19th of April, 1864, an act of congress was approved by the president and became a law, enabling the people of Nebraska to form a state constitution and government, but the continuance of the war and the consequent disturbance of national affairs, united with the partial suspension of emigration to the west and the Indian troubles on the frontier, united in rendering this permission undesirable. The territory had been drained of many men and much treasure in its generous assistance of the government during the years of its struggle for existence. With the return of peace and the suppression of border outlawry, however, came an awakening consciousness of the value of state institutions. The people once more turned their attention to the subject and revived an interest in the enabling act.
The constitution was framed early in 1866, embodying these essential features:
Declaring equal inherent rights to all men, prohibiting slavery in the state, maintaining freedom of speech and press, establishing the right of petition to the people, the justice of trial before the law, civil and religious liberty, the perpetuation of free government and the rights of the people, declaring the elective franchise belongs to “white” citizens, vesting the government of the state in the legislative, the executive and the judicial branches and defining their powers and jurisdiction, providing for methods of revenue and limiting expenditures, describing the jurisdiction of the state over the eminent domain, naming the boundaries of the state, and arranging for the fundamental machinery of a state after the “manner and order usual in such mighty undertakings.”
The constitution provided that it should be voted upon June 2, 1866. The legislature authorized the submitting of the question and the election of state officers by an act approved by Governor Saunders February 9, 1866. At this election the constitution was adopted by the following vote: For adoption, 3,938; against, 3,838. It was approved and signed by Governor Butler February 21, 1867.