8th Utah Territorial Legislature explained

The 8th Utah Territorial Legislature comprised members of the Territorial Council serving the second year of their terms, together with members of the House of Representatives elected to one-year terms.

Session

The legislative session convened amid some confusion on December 13, 1858. While newly installed Governor Alfred Cumming summoned the Legislative Assembly to meet in Fillmore at the Territorial Statehouse,[1] only a minority of legislators appeared there when the session opened. It is not clear if Cumming was aware that the 1856 session of the legislature had abandoned Fillmore and relocated the capital to Salt Lake City, but on that basis a quorum of both houses initially met at the Social Hall in Salt Lake. The Salt Lake City group adjourned and traveled to Fillmore where the session resumed with the majority of the legislature on December 18. The legislators apparently were able to convince Cumming of the inadequate accommodations in Fillmore and inconvenience relative to population centers, especially as the Governor's office was also in Salt Lake. The Assembly thus passed a resolution with his approval to adjourn again and re-convene in Salt Lake City on December 27.[2] The session then concluded as scheduled on January 21, 1859.[3]

Members

NameCountyOfficeNotes
Territorial Council:
Lewis BrunsonMillard
Albert CarringtonSalt Lake
Lorin FarrWeber
Leonard E. HarringtonUtah
Joseph HolbrookDavis
Benjamin F. JohnsonUtah
Heber C. KimballSalt Lake
Franklin D. RichardsSalt Lake
George A. SmithIron
Lorenzo SnowWeber
Warren S. SnowSan Pete
Daniel H. WellsSalt LakePresident
Wilford WoodruffSalt LakePresident pro tem[4]
Territorial House of Representatives:
Jacob G. BiglerJuab
Hiram B. ClawsonSalt Lake
Robert D. CovingtonIron
James W. CummingsSalt Lake
Philo T. FarnsworthMillard
Isaac C. HaightIron
Samuel HendersonDavis
Orson HydeSalt Lake
Aaron JohnsonUtahSpeaker pro tem
Jesse C. LittleSalt Lake
Alexander McRaeSalt Lake
William J. OsbornGreen River
George PeacockSan Pete
Charles C. RichDavis
Samuel W. RichardsSalt Lake
Albert P. RockwoodSalt Lake
John RowberryTooele
James C. SnowUtah
Daniel SpencerSalt Lake
Hosea StoutSalt Lake
John TaylorSalt LakeSpeaker
Preston ThomasUtah
Chauncey W. WestWeber
Edwin D. WoolleySalt Lake
Jonathan C. WrightBox Elder
Joseph A. YoungSalt Lake

References

  1. News: The Legislative Assembly . Deseret News . October 20, 1858 . 4 . February 16, 2024.
  2. News: Legislative Assembly . Deseret News . December 22, 1858 . 3 . February 16, 2024.
  3. News: The Legislative Assembly of 1858-9 . Deseret News . January 26, 1859 . 3 . February 16, 2024.
  4. Reports indicated that the Salt Lake quorum organized there prior to departing for Fillmore. However, the resolution to adjourn in Fillmore was issued over the names of Woodruff and Johnson acting pro tempore, implying that Wells and Taylor were not present. It is not clear if they had departed early for the return to Salt Lake, or if they might never have left in the first place.