The Montana State Legislature is made up of two chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Constitution of Montana limits the size of the Senate to no fewer than 40 and no more than 50 members and the size of the House of Representatives to no fewer than 80 and no more than 100 members. Each house is responsible for choosing its officers, creating committees and establishing its own rules. The Montana Legislature meets for 90 days every odd numbered year, beginning the first Monday in January, or the following Wednesday if the first Monday is New Years Day. The first State Legislature convened on November 23, 1889, fifteen days after Montana became a state. Each following Legislature has been numbered sequentially.
The 6th Montana Legislature met from January 2nd to March 2nd, 1899. The leaders of the Senate were Archibald Spriggs (Populist-President), and Thomas Cullen (D-President Pro Tempore). The leaders of the House were Henry Stiff (D-Speaker), and Edwin Lamb (D-Speaker Pro Tempore).
Sources:
Records (1896-1899) of the Montana 6th Legislative Assembly consist of minutes and report of Joint Special Committee to Investigate Matters of Bribery Connected with Senatorial Elections (re William A. Clark); minutes of House standing committees; and miscellany, including correspondence, petitions (re support of Sunday closure of businesses; support of the establishment of Rosebud County; opposing changes in Madison County boundaries; supporting creation of a new state judicial district consisting of Ravalli and Granite Counties; opposing repeal of anti-gambling law; support of direct legislation; support of reclamation of state lands; exemption of grocers from liquor tax; support of legislation favoring union typographers; supporting fish screen on natural streams for irrigation; supporting repeal of the bounty law on wild animals; supporting increase in the bounty on grey wolves; supporting legislation shortening hunting season on certain game birds; supporting the practice of osteopaths; supporting legislation Prohibiting stealing railways rides and trespassing upon freight and passenger trains; and supporting license tax upon traveling salesmen), and subject files on contested elections. [OVERSIZE MATERIAL: Box #1]
The collection is organized into six series, House and Senate Special Joint Committee Minutes (arranged alphabetically), House of Representatives Standing Committee Minutes (arranged alphabetically), Senate Resolutions (arranged numerically), General Correspondence (arranged alphabetically), Subject Files (arranged alphabetically), and Miscellany (arranged alphabetically).
Collection is open for research.
The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
[item description and date].Montana Legislative Assembly (6th: 1899) records, 1896-1899. Legislative Records 6. [box and folder numbers]. Montana Historical Society Research Center. Archives. Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information available upon request
Bill Summers processed the collection in 1988
OVERSIZE MATERIAL: Box #1
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical Society Archives catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search under these terms.