20th Delaware General Assembly explained

Body:	Delaware General Assembly
Before:	19th
After:	21st

The 20th Delaware General Assembly was a meeting of the legislative branch of the state government, consisting of the Delaware State Senate and the Delaware House of Representatives. Elections were held the first Tuesday of October and terms began on the first Tuesday in January. It met in Dover, Delaware, convening January 5, 1796, two weeks before the beginning of the first year of the administration of Governor Gunning Bedford, Sr.

The apportionment of seats was permanently assigned to three senators and seven representatives for each of the three counties. Population of the county did not effect the number of delegates. Both chambers had a Federalist majority.

Leadership

Senate

• Daniel Rogers, Sussex County

House of Representatives

• Stephen Lewis, Kent County

Members

Senate

Senators were elected by the public for a three-year term, one third posted each year.

New Castle County John James Thomas Kean Alexander Porter, Jr.

Kent County Isaac Davis Joseph Miller James Sykes, Jr.

Sussex County Thomas Laws George Mitchell Daniel Rogers

House of Representatives

Representatives were elected by the public for a one-year term.

New Castle County William Cooch Joel Lewis Robert Maxwell William McKennan Elias Naudain, Sr. James Stroud Nehemiah Tilton

Kent County Robert Clark George Cummins James Henry Stephen Lewis Abraham Pierce James Raymond William Sorden

Sussex County Elisha Adams John W. Batson Robert Burton William Carlisle Nathaniel Hayes Barclay Townsend William H. Wells

References

• Book: Martin, Roger A. . Memoirs of the Senate . Roger A. Martin . Newark, Delaware . 1995 .

Places with more information

• Delaware Historical Society

website; 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; [phone]

• University of Delaware

Library website; 181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; [phone]