Congress of the Republic of Texas facts for kids
- For the current Texas legislative body, see Texas Legislature.
Quick facts for kids Republic of Texas Congress |
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| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses | Senate House of Representatives |
| Seats | 44 |
| Meeting place | |
| Columbia (1836) Houston (1837–1839) Austin (1839–1842) |
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The Congress of the Republic of Texas was the main law-making group for the Republic of Texas. This country existed before Texas became part of the United States. The Congress was set up in 1836 by the Constitution of the Republic of Texas. It was made up of two parts, just like the United States Congress today. This is called a bicameral legislature.
When Texas joined the United States in 1846, this Congress changed into the Texas Legislature. You can still see a reminder of it in Austin! The main street leading to the State Capitol is called Congress Avenue.
Contents
How the Congress Worked
The Congress of the Republic of Texas had two main parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate. This setup helped make sure laws were carefully considered.
The House of Representatives
The House of Representatives was the larger part of the Congress. It was planned to have between 24 and 40 members. If the population of the Republic grew to more than 100,000 people, the House could have up to 100 members. Each county in Texas was guaranteed to have at least one representative.
Members of the House were chosen in elections held every year in September. They served for one year. To be a representative, a person had to be at least 25 years old. They also needed to be a citizen of the Republic and have lived in their district for six months. The House members chose their own leader, called the Speaker. The House also had the special power to start the process of impeachment, which means accusing a government official of wrongdoing.
The Senate
The Senate was the smaller part of the Congress. Its members were chosen from different areas called districts. These districts were set up to have about the same number of free citizens. The Senate was designed to have between one-third and one-half the number of members as the House.
Each Senate district could only have one senator. To be a senator, a person had to be at least 30 years old. They also needed to be a citizen of the Republic and have lived in their district for one year. Senators served for three years. About one-third of the senators were elected each year.
The Vice President of the Republic was in charge of the Senate meetings. However, the Vice President could only vote if there was a tie. The Senate also chose its own leaders, including a President pro tem. The Senate had the special job of trying impeachment cases.
General Rules for Members
There were some important rules for anyone serving in the Congress. People who held other paid jobs in the government could not be members of Congress. Also, no religious leader, like a minister or priest, could be the President of the Republic or a member of Congress.
Each part of Congress, the House and the Senate, got to decide if its own members were properly elected and qualified. For either part to do business, at least two-thirds of its members had to be present. This is called a quorum. Members were paid for their work, but their pay could not be changed during the same year they made the change. Since House members served for one year, each Congress lasted for one year.
History of the Texas Congress
The first meeting of the Republic of Texas Congress happened in Columbia on October 3, 1836. This first Congress had 30 representatives and 14 senators.
Lorenzo de Zavala, who was the temporary Vice President, led the Senate at first. Then, on October 22, Mirabeau B. Lamar became the Vice President and took over leading the Senate. Richard Ellis was chosen as the Senate's President pro tem. In the House, Ira Ingram was elected as the Speaker.
Throughout its history, the Republic of Texas had nine different Congresses.
Powers of the Congress
The Constitution of the Republic of Texas gave the Congress many important powers. These powers helped the government run and protect its citizens.
Here are some of the things the Congress could do:
- Collect Money: The Congress could create and collect taxes, fees, and duties on goods. It could also borrow money for the government. This money was used to pay debts and help the Republic grow and stay safe.
- Manage Trade and Money: The Congress had the power to control trade. It could also make money, decide its value, and set standard weights and measures. Only gold and silver could be used as official money.
- Create Services and Protect Ideas: The Congress could set up post offices and roads for mail. It could also grant special permissions for businesses (charters) and protect new inventions or writings (patents and copyrights). This meant inventors and authors had exclusive rights to their work for a certain time.
- Declare War: The Congress had the power to declare war. It could also issue letters of marque, which allowed private ships to attack enemy ships during wartime.
- Build and Govern the Military: The Congress was responsible for creating and maintaining an army and navy. It also made all the rules and laws needed to manage these military forces.
- Protect the Republic: The Congress could call upon the militia (a group of citizens who can be called to serve as soldiers) to enforce laws, stop rebellions, and defend against attacks.
- Make Necessary Laws: The Congress had the power to create any laws that were needed to carry out all the other powers given to the government or its different departments.
