The 3rd New Mexico Territorial Legislature met in Santa Fe from December 5, 1853, to February 2, 1854. Note: The titles used in the early official publications of the legislative journals are confusing in how they number the assemblies and sessions. This article follows later convention in treating each election of the House as a new legislative body. That the cited work corresponds to the session can be seen from the dates given.
Territorial Council President: James H. Quinn
Name District Notes Antonio Maria Baca Socorro Juan Cruz Baca Valencia José Antonio Baca y Pino Socorro Antonio Baca y Sisneros San Miguel Henry Connelly Bernalillo George Gold Taos José Francisco Leiba Bernalillo Died prior to session José Antonio Manzanares Rio Arriba José Maria Martinez Taos Vicente Martinez Taos Tomas Ortiz Santa Fe James H. Quinn Taos Francisco Sandoval Doña Ana José Ulibarri San Miguel
House of Representatives Speaker: Theodore D. Wheaton
Name District Notes Jose Apodaca Socorro Diego Archuleta Rio Arriba Manuel Armijo y Mestas Bernalillo Faustin Baca San Miguel Juan Maria Baca San Miguel Jose Baca y Delgado Santa Fe Alvino Chacon Taos Damasio Chavez Valencia Juan Gutierrez San Miguel Lafayette Head Rio Arriba Geronimo Jaramillo Rio Arriba Jose Jaramillo Valencia Inocencio Martinez Taos Pascual Martinez Taos Miguel Montoya Santa Ana Seated December 14, 1853 Facundo Pino Santa Fe J. Serafin Ramirez Bernalillo Andrés Romero Socorro Juan Antonio Ruival Rio Arriba Jesus Sandoval Santa Ana Seat vacated December 8, 1853 Caleb Sherman Santa Fe Charles L. Spencer Santa Fe Philetus M. Thompson Doña Ana Murray F. Tuley Bernalillo Celedonio Valdez Rio Arriba José Maria Valdez Taos Theodore D. Wheaton Taos
The seat for Santa Ana County was contested because of Pueblo Indian votes cast for Sandoval, who received the certificate of election. As US law then generally denied voting rights to Indians, the House concluded that these votes were illegal and awarded the seat to Montoya. A minority tried to argue that the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that Mexicans who remained in the ceded territories were considered US citizens by default if they did not opt otherwise within a year, and because the Puebloans had been permitted to vote in Mexico they should be considered to have citizenship and the franchise as a result.
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