The Second Ohio General Assembly was the second meeting of the Ohio state legislature, composed of the Ohio State Senate and the Ohio House of Representatives. It convened in Chillicothe, Ohio, on December 5, 1803, and adjourned February 17, 1804. This General Assembly coincided with the second year of Edward Tiffin's first term as Ohio Governor.
Background Under Ohio's first constitution, State Senators were elected to two year terms. For this class, half were elected for one year and half for two years. Members of the House were elected for each term. Article I, section 2 and 6 of Ohio's first constitution called for an enumeration of white male inhabitants of 21 years age every four years, with the number of representatives and senators for each county apportioned by the legislature based on this census. Article I, section 3 called for elections the second Tuesday in October.
State Senate Districts For this session, the legislature apportioned four senators for Hamilton, Warren, Montgomery, Butler and Greene Counties, two senators for Washington and Gallia Counties, two senators for Ross and Franklin Counties, one senator for Adams and Scioto Counties, two senators for Jefferson and Columbiana Counties, one senator for Clermont County, one senator for Fairfield County, one senator for Trumbull County and one senator for Belmont County.
Members District Senator Party notes AdamsScioto Thomas Kirker Democratic-Republican Belmont William Vance Clermont James Sargent Democratic-Republican Fairfield Robert F. SlaughterHamiltonWarrenMontgomeryButlerGreeneJohn Bigger William C. Schenck Federalist Daniel Symmes Democratic-Republican William Ward JeffersonColumbiana John Milligan Democratic-Republican Bezaleel Wells FederalistRossFranklin Abraham Claypool Nathaniel Massie Democratic-Republican elected Speaker of the Senate Trumbull Benjamin Tappan Democratic-Republican WashingtonGallia Joseph Buell Democratic-RepublicanElijah Backus
Ohio House of Representatives Districts For this session, the legislature apportioned eight representatives for Hamilton, Warren, Montgomery, Butler and Greene Counties, three representatives for Washington and Gallia Counties, four representatives for Ross and Franklin Counties, three representatives for Adams and Scioto Counties, four representatives for Jefferson and Columbiana Counties, two representatives for Clermont County, two representatives for Fairfield County, two representatives for Trumbull County and two representatives for Belmont County.
Members District Representatives Party notes AdamsScioto Daniel Collier Abraham Shepherd Democratic-RepublicanJohn WrightBelmontJosiah DillonJames Smith Clermont Jonathan Taylor Daniel Feagans Sr.Fairfield William GassPhilemon Beecher Democratic-RepublicanHamiltonWarrenMontgomeryButlerGreeneSamuel DickWilliam Dodds Abner Garard Ephraim KibbeyWilliam McClureIchabod B. MillerJohn WallaceStephen Wood JeffersonColumbiana Richard Beeson John Sloane Democratic-RepublicanSamuel DunlapJoseph McKeeRossFranklin William Creighton Sr. James Dunlap Democratic-Republican Elias Langham Democratic-Republicanelected Speaker of the House John EvansTrumbull Ephraim Quimby David Abbot Democratic-Republican WashingtonGalliaWilliam JacksonCharles MillsJesse Fulton
Major events The Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on December 28 and signed on December 30.
On January 7, the State Militia was organized in four divisions, and Major Generals and Quartermaster Generals were named for each division by a joint session.
On February 16, judges were elected for a new county, and to fill vacancies in other counties.
An enumeration in each county of “free white male citizens of the age of 21 years” was made as follows: County Free white male citizens of the age of 21 yearsAdams 906Belmont 1030Butler 836Clermont 755Columbiana 542Fairfield 1050Franklin 240Gallia 307Greene 446Hamilton 1700Jefferson County, Ohio 1533Montgomery 526Ross 1982Scioto County, Ohio 249Trumbull 1111Warren 844Washington 1246total for Ohio 14762
Major legislation
On January 7, a new county was formed from portions of Washington and Fairfield counties. It was originally to be called Livingston, but was amended to be Muskingum before final passage, with county seat of Zanesville.
Acts were passed to allow alien ownership of land, regulating admission of attorneys to practice, and for opening and improving roads.
A crime and punishment act was passed. Treason, rape, murder, malicious maiming and 1st degree arson were punishable by death. Manslaughter, 2nd degree arson, maiming without malice, by a fine of not more than $1000 and two years in prison. Perjury and subornation of perjury, the same punishment with disenfranchisement; forgery, 30 lashes and fine equal to sum fraudulently obtained and disenfranchisement; counterfeiting, 39 lashes, fine not exceeding $1000 and disenfranchisement; burglary not more than $500 fine and imprisonment of not more than one year; robbery, 59 lashes for 1st offence and 100 lashes for 2nd offence; larceny, 15 lashes for 1st offence and 30 lashes for 2nd.
See also List of Ohio state legislatures
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