The 8th Texas Legislature met from November 7, 1859 to April 9, 1861 in its regular session, a first called session, and an adjourned session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1859.

Sessions 8th Regular session: November 7, 1859 – February 13, 1860 8th First called session: January 21–February 9, 1861 8th Adjourned session: March 18–April 9, 1861

Officers Senate Lieutenant Governor Edward Clark, Democrat President pro tempore Jesse Grimes, Democrat, Regular session

House of Representatives Speaker of the House M. D. K. Taylor, Democrat

Members Members of the Eighth Texas Legislature at the beginning of the regular session, November 7, 1859:

Senate District Senator Party Took office 1 James W. Sims Democrat 1859 2 Lewis G. Harmon Democrat 1859 3 Martin D. Hart Democrat 1859 4 James W. Throckmorton Democrat 1857 5 Albert G. Walker Democrat 1857 (First time: 1849–1851) 6 Emory Rains Democrat 1859 7 John Green Chambers Democrat 1859 8 Louis T. Wigfall Democrat 1857 9 Jesse H. Parsons Democrat 1859 10 Elisha Everett Lott Democrat 1853 11 Robert Henry Guinn Democrat 1853 12 Alexis T. Rainey Democrat 1859 13 John N. Fall Democrat 1857 14 John R. Dickinson Democrat 1859 15 Henry C. Wallace Democrat 1859 16 Enoch S. Pitts Democrat 1859 17 Mark M. Potter Democrat 1851 18 Abram Morris Gentry Democrat 1859 19 Jesse Grimes Democrat 1855 (First time: 1846–1853) 20 Chauncey Berkeley Shepard Democrat 1857 21 David M. Whaley Democrat 1858 22 Francis Marion Martin Democrat 1859 23 George Bernard Erath Democrat 1857 24 George E. Quinan Democrat 1857 25 Eggleston D. Townes Democrat 1859 26 Fletcher S. Stockdale Democrat 1857 27 Thomas Hinds Duggan Democrat 1859 (First time: 1851–1853) 28 Edwin B. Scarborough Democrat 1853 29 Forbes Britton Democrat 1857 30 Isaiah Addison Paschal Democrat 1857 (First time: 1853–1855) 31 Gustav Schleicher Democrat 1859 32 Claiborne C. Herbert Democrat 1857 33 Archibald C. Hyde Democrat 1857

House of Representatives

District Representative Party Took office 1 Solomon H. Pirkey Unknown November 12, 1859

Basilio Benavides Anthony Martin Branch Kindallis Bryan Constantine W. Buckley William Clark David B. Culberson Nicholas Henry Darnell John Wilson Davis, Jr. Isaac N. Dennis David Catchings Dickson Edward Dougherty Foscue James Carlton Francis Benjamin Cromwell Franklin De Witt Clinton Fort Lindsay Hagler, San Patricio County James Marshall Harrison John L. Haynes J. W. Henderson Alfred Marmaduke Hobby Richard Bennett Hubbard, Jr. Henry Lawrence Kinney Francis J. Lynch John Haywood Manley Samuel Maverick John N. McClarty George McKnight Roger Q. Mills William Wright Morris Titus H. Mundine José Ángel Navarro Allison Nelson Anthony Banning Norton Benjamin F. Parker Samuel Redgate Joel Walter Robison Shelton Daniel McDowell Short John Dennis Stell M. D. K. Taylor Robert H. Taylor Robert J. Townes Jacob Waelder Charles A. Warfield George Washington Whitmore William Amos Wortham Friedrich Wilhelm von Wrede, Jr.

Membership changes Senate

District OutgoingSenator Reason for Vacancy Successor Date of Successor's Installation District 3 Martin D. Hart Hart resigned February 26, 1861. Turner L. Greene Unknown District 8 Louis T. Wigfall Wigfall announced his resignation on December 7, 1859. E. A. Blanch January 14, 1860 District 9 Jesse H. Parsons Parsons resigned after the adjourned session. None District 12 Alexis T. Rainey Rainey resigned after the regular session. Steward Alexander Miller January 21, 1861 District 14 John R. Dickinson Dickinson resigned after the regular session. Henry P. C. Dulany January 26, 1861 District 15 Henry C. Wallace Wallace resigned January 4, 1861. Franklin Barlow Sexton None District 15 Franklin Barlow Sexton Sexton did not appear. None District 25 Eggleston D. Townes Townes resigned March 13, 1861. Nathan George Shelley November 4, 1861 District 29 Forbes Britton Britton died February 14, 1861. Benjamin Franklin Neal March 19, 1861 District 30 Isaiah Addison Paschal Paschal resigned March 29, 1861. Unknown Unknown

District 15: Sexton did not return from Confederate States Army service in time to meet with the legislature. District 25: Shelley elected in special election held March 25, 1861 and sworn in with the Ninth Texas Legislature.

House of Representatives

District OutgoingRepresentative Reason for Vacancy Successor Date of Successor's Installation District 22 John N. McClarty McClarty resigned after the regular session. William Wright Morris January 22, 1861 District 65 Henry Lawrence Kinney Kinney was opposed to secession and resigned February 9, 1861. Alfred Marmaduke Hobby March 19, 1861

External links