1900–1904 Mississippi Legislature

1900–1904 Mississippi Legislature
← 1896–1900 Mississippi Legislature 1904–1908 Mississippi Legislature →
Overview
Legislative body	Mississippi Legislature
Jurisdiction	Mississippi,  United States
Meeting place	Old Mississippi State Capitol
Term	2 January 1900 (1900-01-02) – 5 January 1904 (1904-01-05)
Election	1899 Mississippi elections
Mississippi State Senate
Members	45
President	James T. Harrison
President pro tempore	John R. Dinsmore (1900 session) William Gwin Kiger (1902 session)
Party control	Democratic
Mississippi House of Representatives
Members	133
Speaker	A. J. Russell
Party control	Democratic
Sessions
1st 2 January 1900 (1900-01-02) – 12 March 1900 (1900-03-12) 2nd 7 January 1902 (1902-01-07) – 5 March 1902 (1902-03-05)

The 1900–1904 Mississippi Legislature was convened in two sessions: a regular session that lasted from January 2, 1900 to March 12, 1900, and a special session that lasted from January 7, 1902, to March 5, 1902.

Members were elected on November 7, 1899, for four-year terms.^[1] The 1900–1904 Legislature met in two sessions.^[2] The term's first session, and the legislature's 76th overall, met on January 2, 1900, for both houses.^[3][4] This was considered a regular session.^[3] That session ended when both houses adjourned on March 12, 1900.^[4] During this session, the legislature passed a bill funding 1 million dollars for the construction of a new state capitol building.^[5]

The term's second and final session, and the legislature's 77th overall, met on January 7, 1902.^[6] This was called as a special session.^[6] The Senate adjourned on March 5, 1902.^[6] This was the last Mississippi Legislature session held in the Old Mississippi State Capitol, as the state government moved to the new and current state capitol in September 1903.^[5] The term officially ended when members were sworn in for the 1904–1908 session on January 5, 1904.^[7]

J. H. Jones, as Lieutenant Governor, served as President of the Senate at the start of the term.^[3] Senate officers were elected on the first day of the session.^[3] First, elections of offices held by non-senators were held.^[3] John Y. Murry Jr. was unanimously elected Secretary of the Senate.^[3] A. R. Govan was elected Sergeant-at-Arms, defeating three other candidates in three ballots.^[3] H. J. Thornton was then elected Door-Keeper in four ballots.^[3]

Next, the election for President pro tempore was held.^[3] Twelfth District senator William Gwin Kiger nominated 16th District senator John R. Dinsmore for the office, and 25th District senator S. M. Meek seconded the nomination.^[3] A voice vote was held.^[3] Dinsmore won the office, with 42 of 45 senators voting for him.^[3] (Two senators, Wesley G. Evans and W. P. S. Ventress, were absent that day, and Dinsmore voted for Kiger.)^[3] Later during the 1900 session, the newly inaugurated Lieutenant Governor James T. Harrison replaced Jones as Senate President.^[3]

Dinsmore died in office on April 27, 1900.^[8] On the second day of the 1902 session (January 8), the Senate elected a new President pro tempore.^[6] Edmond Noel nominated Kiger.^[6] Richard Abbay nominated 30th District senator E. H. Moore, and Elias A. Rowan seconded Moore's nomination.^[6] Moore then requested his nomination be withdrawn from consideration.^[6] Then a ballot vote was held.^[6] As the only candidate remaining, Kiger won the election with 37 senators voting for him, and 7 absent or not voting.^[6] Kiger was then sworn in as president pro tempore for the 1902 session.^[6]

Officer elections were held on the first day of the 1900 session.^[4] Washington County representative E. N. Thomas nominated Lauderdale County representative A. J. Russell for Speaker pro tempore, and Russell was elected unanimously.^[4] Alcorn County representative T. N. Underwood nominated L. Pink Smith to be the House Clerk pro tempore (a non-representative-held position), and Smith was also elected unanimously.^[4] Then, elections for permanent positions were held. Russell was nominated and then won the election for Speaker with a 130-3 vote, with two members absent and Russell not voting.^[4] Smith was then elected House Clerk with a 131-2 vote and the same absent representatives not voting.^[4]

Forty-five senators were elected to represent 38 different districts.^[1] All senators were Democrats.^[1][3] Three senators were sworn in during the 1902 session to fill vacancies.^[6]

In the 1900 session, the House had 131 Democrats and 2 Populists.^[1][4] In the 1902 session, five new members were sworn in to fill vacancies.^[9]