79th Delaware General Assembly

The 79th Delaware General Assembly was a meeting of the legislative branch of the state government, consisting of the Delaware Senate and the Delaware House of Representatives. Elections were held the first Tuesday after November 1 and terms began in Dover on the first Tuesday in January. This date was January 2, 1877, which was two weeks before the beginning of the third administrative year of Governor John P. Cochran.

79th Delaware General Assembly
← 78th 80th →
Overview
Legislative body	Delaware General Assembly
Term	January 2, 1877 (1877-01-02) – January 7, 1879 (1879-01-07)

Currently the distribution of the Senate Assembly seats was made to three senators for each of the three counties. Likewise the current distribution of the House Assembly seats was made to seven representatives for each of the three counties. The actual population changes of the county did not directly affect the number of senators or representatives at this time.

In the 79th Delaware General Assembly session both chambers had a Democratic majority.

Leadership

Senate

• John T. Moore, Sussex County, Democratic

House of Representatives

• Hugh Martin, Sussex County, Democratic

Members

Senate

Senators were normally elected by the public for a four-year term; although many were selected to fill the remainder of a vacant position.

New Castle County Henry Davis James H. Ray Harry Sharpley

Kent County J. Frank Denney Henry B. Fiddeman Charles J. Harrington

Sussex County John W. Causey James A. Hopkins John T. Moore

House of Representatives

Representatives were elected by the public for a two-year term.

New Castle County John E. Bartholomew Thomas Bird Edwin R. Cochran Thomas Holcomb Sr. John W. R. Kilgore John Nicholson James W. Ware

Kent County Jacob G. Brown William H. Burnite Cornelius J. Hall Garrettson Saulsbury Jonathan Slaughter Thomas K. Taylor Andrew J. Wright

Sussex County Hugh Martin Miles Messick William M. Morris David L. Mustard Kendall Richards Peter Robinson John L. Thompson

References

• Hoffecker, Carol E. (2004). Democracy in Delaware. Wilmington, Delaware: Cedar Tree Books. ISBN 1-892142-23-6.
• Martin, Roger A. (1995). Memoirs of the Senate. Newark, Delaware: Roger A. Martin.

Places with more information

• Delaware Historical Society; website; 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; (302) 655-7161.
• University of Delaware; Library website; 181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; (302) 831-2965.