1st Congress of the Republic of Texas
The First Congress of the Republic of Texas, consisting of the Senate of the Republic of Texas and House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas, met in Columbia at two separate buildings and then in Houston at the present-day site of The Rice from October 3, 1836, to June 13, 1837, during the first year of Sam Houston's presidency.
All members of Congress were officially non-partisan. According to the Constitution of the Republic of Texas of 1836, each member of the House of Representatives was elected for a term of one year. Each county was guaranteed at least one representative.
Each Senator was elected for a three-year term to represent a district that each had a nearly equal portion of the nation's population. Each district could have no more than one Senator.
Members
Senate
- José Francisco Ruiz - District of Bexar
- James Collinsworth - District of Brazoria
- William Green Hill - District of Brazoria
- Alexander Somervell - District of Colorado and Austin counties
- Edwin Morehouse - District of Goliad, Refugio, and San Patricio
- Robert Wilson -District of Harrisburg and Liberty
- Stephen H. Everitt - District of Jasper and Jefferson
- Albert Clinton Horton - District of Matagorda, Victoria, and Jackson
- Sterling C. Robertson - District of Milam
- James S. Lester - District of Mina and Gonzales
- Robert Anderson Irion - District of Nacogdoches
- Richard Ellis - District of Red River
- Shelby Corzine - District of San Augustine
- Henry William Augustine - District of San Augustine
- Willis H. Landrum - District of Shelby and Sabine
- Jesse Grimes - District of Washington
House of Representatives
Austin County
Bexar County
Brazoria County
- Branch T. Archer, from October 4, 1836
- John A. Wharton, from October 4, 1836
Colorado County
- John Gallimore Robison
Goliad County
- John M. Chenoweth
Gonzales County
- William S. Fisher
Harrisburg County
- John W. Moore, until October 11, 1836
- * Jesse H. Cartwright, from October 11, 1836
Jackson County
- Samuel A. White
Jasper County
- Col. Samuel S. Lewis
Jefferson County
- Claiborne West
Liberty County
Mina County
- John Wheeler Bunton
- Jesse Billingsley
Matagorda County
- Ira Ingram, 1st session*
- * Daniel Davis D. Baker, 2nd session
Milam County
- Francis Marcus Weatherred, Jr., until October 31, 1836
- * Samuel Tabor Allen, from October 31, 1836
Nacogdoches County
- John Kirby Allen
- Haden Edwards, 1st session
- * Hayden S. Arnold, 2nd session
Refugio County
- Elkanah Brush
Red River County
- Mansell Walter Matthews
- George Washington Wright
- William Becknell, until October 13, 1836
- * Collin McKinney, from October 13, 1836
Sabine County
San Augustine County
- William W. Holman
- Joseph Rowe
San Patricio County
- John Turner, until October 20, 1836
- * John Geraghty, from October 20, 1836
Shelby County
- Richard Hooper
- Sydney Oswald Penington
Victoria County
Washington County
- William Warner Hill
- W. W. Gant, from October 21, 1836
Standing committees
Senate
- Ways and Means
- Judiciary
- Post Office and Post Roads
- State of the Republic
- Military Affairs
- Roads, Bridges, and Ferries
- Claims and Accounts
- Public Lands
- Indian Affairs
- County Boundaries
- Naval Affairs
House of Representatives
- Ways and Means
- Judiciary
- Post Office
- State of the Republic
- Military Affairs
- Roads, Bridges, and Ferries
- Claims and Accounts
- Public Lands
- Indian and Indian Affairs
- County Boundaries
- Naval Affairs
- Foreign Relations
Employees
Senate
- Sergeant at Arms - William King, Noah T. Byars
- Clerk - Richardson A. Scurry, Arthur Robertson
- Doorkeeper - Joshua Canter, Marshall Mann
House of Representatives
- Sergeant at Arms - A. L. Harrison, George S. Stratton
- Clerk - Willis A. Farris, William Fairfax Gray
- Doorkeeper - W. T. Hendricks, Abner S. McDonald, S. L. Johnson