| 61st North Carolina General Assembly (18361837) | |
| Term: | 1836 |
| Membership1: | 50 Senators authorized |
| Chamber1 Leader1 Type: | Speaker |
| Chamber1 Leader1: | Hugh Waddell |
| Chamber1 Leader2 Type: | Clerk |
| Chamber1 Leader2: | Thomas J. Stone |
| Membership2: | 120 Delegates |
| Chamber2 Leader1 Type: | Speaker |
| Chamber2 Leader2 Type: | Clerk |
| Chamber2 Leader2: | Charles Manley |
| Session1 Start: | November 21, 1835 |
| Session1 End: | January 23, 1836 |
The North Carolina General Assembly of 18361837 met in the Government House in Raleigh from November 21, 1836 to January 23, 1837. The assembly consisted of the 120 members of the North Carolina House of Commons and 50 senators of North Carolina Senate elected by the voters in August 1836. During the 1836 session, the legislature created Davie County, but it was not until 1842 that Davie County began sending delegates to the General Assembly. William H. Haywood, Jr was elected speaker of the House of Commons and Charles Manley was elected clerk. Hugh Waddell was elected President of the Senate and Thomas G. Stone was elected Clerk. Richard Dobbs Spaight, Jr. was the Governor in 1835 and 1836. He was elected by the previous legislature. In 1837, the Governor of North Carolina, Edward Bishop Dudley (Whig Party) from New Hanover County, was elected, for the first time, by the people vice the legislature.[1] [2] The Whigs would control North Carolina politics until 1850. While in power, their notable achievements included funding railroads and roads, public education, and State chartered banks.[3] [4] [5]
Voters and office holders were required by the North Carolina constitution of 1776 to own property. The amendments to the constitution in 1835 also disqualified free blacks from voting. Free blacks were qualified to vote in the original 1776 constitution.
The specific wording in the amended constitution, Article 1, Section 3, is as follows:[6]
The religious qualifications for office were expanded to include the following statement:
Members of the House of Commons and Senate were elected every two years, starting with an election in 1835 for the 18361837 session of the general assembly.
The State treasure had a balance of $55,113.06 on deposit on January 19, 1837, including $25,192.04 in the literary fund. In 1836, the federal government gave North Carolina $1.5 M from sale of western lands.[7] The following laws, acts, and resolutions were passed by the general assembly:[8]
The General Assembly elected the following Councilors of State on December 28, 1836:[1] [10]
William Hill, elected in 1811, continued to serve as Secretary of State. Samuel F. Patterson, elected in 1835, continued to serve as North Carolina State Treasurer. John Reeves Jones Daniel, elected in 1835, continued to serve as North Carolina Attorney General.
Per the 1835 Constitution of North Carolina Convention, the House of Commons was authorized a total of one hundred-twenty delegates. Each county was authorized a minimum of one delegate, while the most populous counties were authorized four delegates. Members no longer included representatives from the boroughs or districts (Edenton, Halifax, Hillsborough, New Bern, Salisbury, and Wilmington). Each delegate was elected for a two-year term of office.[11] [12] [13] [14]
| County | No of House Members | House of Commons Members (party in 1836) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anson | 2 | data-sort-value="McRae, John A. | John A. McRae | |
| Anson | 2 | data-sort-value="Gradey, John" | John Grady | |
| Ashe | 1 | data-sort-value="Nye, James M. | James M. Nye | |
| Beaufort | 2 | data-sort-value="Satterthwaite, F.C. | F.C. Satterthwaite | |
| Beaufort | 2 | data-sort-value="Smallwood, S." | S. Smallwood | |
| Bertie | 2 | data-sort-value="Lee, John F. | John F. Lee | |
| Bertie | 2 | data-sort-value="Speller, Thomas H. | Thomas H. Speller | |
| Bladen | 1 | data-sort-value="Gillespie, Joseph M. | Joseph M. Gillespie | |
| Brunswick | 1 | data-sort-value="Hill, Frederick Jones | Frederick Jones Hill (Whig)[15] | |
| Buncombe | 2 | data-sort-value="Patton, Montreville | Montreville Patton | |
| Buncombe | 2 | data-sort-value="Clayton, John" | John Clayton | |
| Burke | 3 | data-sort-value="Erwin, Edward J. | Edward J. Erwin | |
| Burke | 3 | data-sort-value="Miller, E. P." | E. P. Miller | |
| Burke | 3 | data-sort-value="Perkins, James H." | James H. Perkins | |
| Cabarrus | 1 | data-sort-value="Harris, William S. | William S. Harris | |
| Camden | 1 | data-sort-value="Prtichard, D. | D. Pritchard | |
| Carteret | 1 | data-sort-value="Marshall, Thomas | Thomas Marshall | |
| Caswell | 2 | data-sort-value="Gwinn, Littleton A." | Littleton A. Gwinn | |
| Caswell | 2 | data-sort-value="Lee, William A." | William A. Lea | |
| Chatham | 3 | data-sort-value="Cotton, R.C." | R.C. Cotten | |
| Chatham | 3 | data-sort-value="Guthrie, John S." | John S. Guthrie | |
| Chatham | 3 | data-sort-value="McClennahan, Spencer" | Spencer McClennahan | |
| Chowan | 1 | data-sort-value="Hoskins, Thomas S." | Thomas S. Hoskins | |
| Columbus | 1 | data-sort-value="Maultsby, J." | J. Maultsby | |
| Craven | 2 | data-sort-value="Hartley, Abner" | Abner Hartley | |
| Craven | 2 | data-sort-value="Neale, Abner" | Abner Neale | |
| Cumberland | 2 | data-sort-value="Hollngsworth, Stephen" | Stephen Hollingsworth | |
| Cumberland | 2 | data-sort-value="Jordan, Dillon" | Dillon Jordan | |
| Currituck | 1 | data-sort-value="Perkins, Alfred" | Alfred Perkins | |
| Davidson | 2 | data-sort-value="Brummell, Charles" | Charles Brummell | |
| Davidson | 2 | data-sort-value="Pinckston, Meshack" | Meshack Pinckston | |
| Duplin | 2 | data-sort-value="Kenan, Owen Rand" | Owen Rand Kenan (Democrat)[16] | |
| Duplin | 2 | data-sort-value="Jarman, James H." | James H. Jarman | |
| Edgecombe | 2 | data-sort-value="Daniel, Joseph John" | Joseph John Daniel[17] | |
| Edgecombe | 2 | data-sort-value="George, James" | James George | |
| Franklin | 2 | data-sort-value="Howerton, Thomas" | Thomas Howerton | |
| Franklin | 2 | data-sort-value="Maclin, Joseph J." | Joseph J. Maclin | |
| Gates | 1 | data-sort-value="Stallings, Whitmell" | Whitmell Stallings | |
| Granville | 3 | data-sort-value="Eaton, Charles R." | Charles R. Eaton | |
| Granville | 3 | data-sort-value="Fleming, William" | William Fleming | |
| Granville | 3 | data-sort-value="Gilliam, Robert B." | Robert B. Gilliam | |
| Greene | 1 | data-sort-value="Hooker, Thomas" | Thomas Hooker | |
| Guilford | 3 | data-sort-value="Adams, Peter" | Peter Adams | |
| Guilford | 3 | data-sort-value="Lindsay, Jesse H." | Jesse H. Lindsay | |
| Guilford | 3 | data-sort-value="Simpson, F.L." | F. L. Simpson | |
| Halifax | 3 | data-sort-value="Gee, S. H." | S.H. Gee | |
| Halifax | 3 | data-sort-value="Matthews, I." | I. Matthews | |
| Halifax | 3 | data-sort-value="Moore, Bartholomew Figures" | Bartholomew Figures Moore (Whig)[18] [19] | |
| Haywood | 1 | data-sort-value="Smith, John L." | John L. Smith | |
| Hertford | 1 | data-sort-value="Rayner, Kenneth" | Kenneth Rayner (Whig)[20] | |
| Hyde | 1 | data-sort-value="Farrow, Tillman" | Tillman Farrow | |
| Iredell | 3 | data-sort-value="Campbell, Theophilus" | Theophilus M. Campbell[21] | |
| Iredell | 3 | data-sort-value="King, James A." | James A. King | |
| Iredell | 3 | data-sort-value="Lowdermilk, Solomon" | Solomon Lowdermilk | |
| Johnston | 2 | data-sort-value="Tomlinson, James" | James Tomlinson | |
| Johnston | 2 | data-sort-value="Whitley, Kedar" | Kedar Whitley | |
| Jones | 1 | data-sort-value="Howard, James W." | James W. Howard | |
| Lenoir | 1 | data-sort-value="Davis, Windall" | Windall Davis | |
| Lincoln | 4 | data-sort-value="Cansler, Henry" | Henry Cansler | |
| Lincoln | 4 | data-sort-value="Hoke, Michael" | Michael Hoke[22] | |
| Lincoln | 4 | data-sort-value="Holland, O. W." | O. W. Holland | |
| Lincoln | 4 | data-sort-value="Ward, Thomas" | Thomas Ward | |
| Macon | 1 | data-sort-value="Gwinn, James W." | James W. Gwinn | |
| Martin | 1 | data-sort-value="Roebuck, Raleigh" | Raleigh Roebuck | |
| Mecklenburg | 3 | data-sort-value="Caldwell, Greene Washington" | Green Washington Caldwell (Democrat)[23] | |
| Mecklenburg | 3 | data-sort-value="Dunn, J. A." | J. A. Dunn | |
| Mecklenburg | 3 | data-sort-value="Hutchison, James M." | James M. Hutchison | |
| Montgomery | 2 | data-sort-value="Harris, William" | William Harris | |
| Montgomery | 2 | data-sort-value="Jordan, Enoch" | Encoh Jordan | |
| Moore | 1 | data-sort-value="McNeill, John A. D." | John A.D. McNeill | |
| Nash | 1 | data-sort-value="Blount, Henry" | Henry Blount | |
| New Hanover | 2 | data-sort-value="Henry, Charles" | Charles Henry | |
| New Hanover | 2 | data-sort-value="Walker, John R." | John R. Walker | |
| Northampton | 2 | data-sort-value="Gary, Roderick B." | Roderick B. Gary | |
| Northampton | 2 | data-sort-value="Faison, Herod" | Herod Faison | |
| Onslow | 1 | data-sort-value="Averitt, John A." | John A. Averitt | |
| Orange | 4 | data-sort-value="Boon, John" | John Boon | |
| Orange | 4 | data-sort-value="Graham, William Alexander" | William Alexander Graham (Whig)[24] | |
| Orange | 4 | data-sort-value="King, Nathaniel J." | Nathaniel J. King | |
| Orange | 4 | data-sort-value="Stockard, John" | John Stockard | |
| Pasquotank | 1 | data-sort-value="Kenyan, David H." | David H. Kenyan | |
| Perquimans | 1 | data-sort-value="Granberry, Josiah T." | Josiah T. Granberry | |
| Person | 2 | data-sort-value="Chambers, Moses" | Moses Chambers | |
| Person | 2 | data-sort-value="Williamson, James M." | James M. Williamson | |
| Pitt | 2 | data-sort-value="Moye, Macon" | Macon Moye | |
| Pitt | 2 | data-sort-value="Spiers, John" | John Spiers | |
| 2 | data-sort-value="Cox, Michael" | Michael Cox | ||
| Randolph | 2 | data-sort-value="Lane, William B." | William B. Lane | |
| Richmond | 2 | data-sort-value="McAllister, John" | John McAllister | |
| Richmond | 2 | data-sort-value="Thomas, George" | George Thomas | |
| Robeson | 2 | data-sort-value="Tuton, Oliver K." | Oliver K. Tuton | |
| Robeson | 2 | data-sort-value="Watson, Alexander" | Alexander Watson | |
| Rockingham | 2 | data-sort-value="Brasswell, Blake W." | Blake W. Brasswell | |
| Rockingham | 2 | data-sort-value="Irion, Philip" | Philip Irion | |
| Rowan | 3 | data-sort-value="Clements, John" | John Clements | |
| Rowan | 3 | data-sort-value="Crawford, William D." | William D. Crawford | |
| Rowan | 3 | data-sort-value="Fisher, Charles" | Charles Fisher (Democrat)[25] | |
| Rutherford | 3 | data-sort-value="Bedord, John H." | John H. Bedford | |
| Rutherford | 3 | data-sort-value="Jefferson, Thomas" | Thomas Jefferson | |
| Rutherford | 3 | data-sort-value="Miller, William J. T." | William J. T. Miller | |
| Sampson | 2 | data-sort-value="Lane, Isaac W." | Isaac W. Lane | |
| Sampson | 2 | data-sort-value="Sloan, Dickson" | Dickson Sloan | |
| Stokes | 3 | data-sort-value="Covington, James M." | James M. Covington | |
| Stokes | 3 | data-sort-value="Critz, Peter" | Peter Critz | |
| Stokes | 3 | data-sort-value="Matthews, Caleb H." | Caleb H. Matthews | |
| Surry | 3 | data-sort-value="Calloway, James" | James Calloway | |
| Surry | 3 | data-sort-value="Courts, Daniel William" | Daniel William Courts (Democrat)[26] | |
| Surry | 3 | data-sort-value="Roberts, P. B. | P. B. Roberts | |
| Tyrrell | 1 | data-sort-value="Davenport, Silas" | Silas Davenport | |
| Wake | 3 | data-sort-value="Gales, Weston Raleigh" | Weston Raleigh Gales[27] | |
| Wake | 3 | data-sort-value="Haywood, William Henry, Jr." | William Henry Haywood, Jr. (Democrat, Speaker) | |
| Wake | 3 | data-sort-value="Rand, Nathaniel G." | Nathaniel G. Rand | |
| 2 | data-sort-value="Hawkins, John H." | John H. Hawkins | ||
| Warren | 2 | data-sort-value="Judkins, Thomas I." | Thomas I. Judkins | |
| Washington | 1 | data-sort-value="Swift, Joshua T." | Joshua T. Swift | |
| Wayne | 2 | data-sort-value="Coor, Calvin" | Calvin Coor | |
| Wayne | 2 | data-sort-value="Whitney, Raiford" | Raiford Whitney | |
| Wilkes | 2 | data-sort-value="Horton, William" | Wiliam Horton | |
| Wilkes | 2 | data-sort-value="Watts, John" | John Watts | |
| Yancey | 1 | data-sort-value="Byrd, Samuel" | Samuel Byrd |
As a result of 1835 amendments to the Constitution of North Carolina, the Senate was authorized a total of fifty delegates from fifty districts apportioned on approximately equal populations. After each U.S. Census, these districts were to be adjusted, again based on approximately equal populations. Each delegate was elected for a two-year term of office. There was no lieutenant governor in 1836. Hugh Waddell was President of the Senate.[28] [29] [30]
| District | Counties Represented | Senator (home county) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pasquotank & Persquimans | data-sort-value="Skinner, John M." | John M. Skinner (Pasquotank) | |
| 2 | Camden & Currituck | data-sort-value="Lindsay, Daniel" | Daniel Lindsay (Currituck) | |
| 3 | Chowan & Gates | data-sort-value="Cowper, William W." | William W. Cowper (Gates) | |
| 4 | Tyrrell & Washington | data-sort-value="Spruill, Hezekiah G." | Hezekiah G. Spruill (Tyrrell) | |
| 5 | Northampton | data-sort-value="Moody, William" | William Moody | |
| 6 | Hertford | data-sort-value="Montgomery, George W." | George W. Montgomery | |
| 7 | Bertie | data-sort-value="Mebane, Alexander W." | Alexander W. Mebane | |
| 8 | Martin | data-sort-value="Cooper, Jessee" | Jesse Cooper | |
| 9 | Halifax | data-sort-value="Joyner, Andrew" | Andrew Joyner[31] | |
| 10 | Nash | data-sort-value="Arrington, Samuel L." | Samuel L. Arrington | |
| 11 | Wake | data-sort-value="Whitaker, Samuel" | Samuel Whitaker | |
| 12 | Franklin | data-sort-value="Hawkins, John Davis" | John Davis Hawkins[32] [33] | |
| 13 | Johnston | data-sort-value="Houlder, Josiah" | Josiah Houlder | |
| 14 | Warren | data-sort-value="Edwards, Weldon Nathaniel" | Weldon Nathaniel Edwards | |
| 15 | Edgecombe | data-sort-value="Hall, Thomas H." | Thomas H. Hall | |
| 16 | Wayne | data-sort-value="Exum, John" | John Exum | |
| 17 | Greene & Lenoir | data-sort-value="Moseley, William Dunn" | William Dunn Moseley (Lenoir)[34] | |
| 18 | Pitt | data-sort-value="Moye, Alfred | Alfred Moye | |
| 19 | Beaufort & Hyde | data-sort-value="Williams, James O'Kelly" | James O'Kelly Williams (Beaufort) | |
| 20 | Carteret & Jones | data-sort-value="Bryan, James West" | James West Bryan (Carteret)[35] | |
| 21 | Craven | data-sort-value="Bryan, John M." | John M. Bryan | |
| 22 | Chatham | data-sort-value="Albright, William" | William Albright | |
| 23 | Granville | data-sort-value="Taylor, John C." | John C. Taylor | |
| 24 | Person | data-sort-value="Barnett, John" | John Barnett | |
| 25 | Cumberland | data-sort-value="McCormick, Duncan" | Duncan McCormick | |
| 26 | Sampson | data-sort-value="Bunting, Thomas" | Thomas Bunting | |
| 27 | New Hanover | data-sort-value="Marsteller, Louis H." | Louis H. Marsteller | |
| 28 | Duplin | data-sort-value="Hussey, John E." | John E. Hussey | |
| 29 | Onslow | data-sort-value="Saunders, Daniel S." | Daniel S. Saunders | |
| 30 | Bladen, Brunswick, & Columbus | data-sort-value="Burney, James" | James Burney (Columbus) | |
| 31 | Richmond & Robeson | data-sort-value="Dockery, Alfred" | Alfred Dockery (Richmond)[36] | |
| 32 | Anson | data-sort-value="Myers, Absalom" | Absalom Myers | |
| 33 | Cabarrus | data-sort-value="Melchor, Christopher" | Christopher Melchor | |
| 34 | Montgomery & Moore | data-sort-value="Kelley, John B." | John B. Kelley (Moore) | |
| 35 | Caswell | data-sort-value="Kerr, James" | James Kerr | |
| 36 | Rockingham | data-sort-value="Reid, David S." | David S. Reid | |
| 37 | Orange | data-sort-value="Waddell, Hugh" | Hugh Waddell (Whig, President of the Senate)[37] [38] | |
| 38 | Randolph | data-sort-value="Redding, Jonathan" | Jonathan Redding | |
| 39 | Guilford | data-sort-value="Morehead, James T." | James T. Morehead | |
| 40 | Stokes | data-sort-value="Moore, Matthew R." | Matthew R. Moore | |
| 41 | Rowan | data-sort-value="Polk, Thomas Gilchrist" | Thomas Gilchrist Polk (Chairman of the Committee of Finance)[39] | |
| 42 | Davidson | data-sort-value="Hargrove, John L." | John L. Hargrove | |
| 43 | Surry | data-sort-value="Dobson, William P." | William P. Dobson | |
| 44 | Ashe & Wilkes | data-sort-value="Jones, Edmund" | Edmund Jones (Wilkes) | |
| 45 | Burke & Yancey | data-sort-value="Baker, Thomas" | Thomas Baker (Yancey) | |
| 46 | Lincoln | data-sort-value="Reinhardt, Michael" | Michael Reinhardt | |
| 47 | Iredell | data-sort-value="Davidson, George F." | George F. Davidson | |
| 48 | Rutherford | data-sort-value="Carson, Joseph M.D." | Joseph Carson, M.D. | |
| 49 | Buncombe, Haywood, & Macon | data-sort-value="Gudger, James" | James Gudger (Buncombe) | |
| 50 | Mecklenburg | data-sort-value="Fox, Stephen" | Stephen Fox |