Virginia_General_Assembly,_1916-1917
The 109th Virginia General Assembly was the meeting of the legislative branch of the Virginia state government from 1916 to 1918, after the 1915 state elections. It convened in Richmond for one session, which started on January 12, 1916, and ended on March 18, 1916.[1][2]
| 109th Virginia General Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Virginia State Capitol (1912) | |||||
| Overview | |||||
| Legislative body | Virginia General Assembly | ||||
| Jurisdiction | Virginia, United States | ||||
| Term | January 12, 1916 (1916-01-12) – January 9, 1918 (1918-01-09) | ||||
| Senate of Virginia | |||||
| Members | 40 senators | ||||
| President | J. Taylor Ellyson (D) | ||||
| President pro tempore | C. Harding Walker (D) | ||||
| Party control | Democratic Party | ||||
| Virginia House of Delegates | |||||
| Members | 100 delegates | ||||
| Speaker | Harry R. Houston (D) | ||||
| Party control | Democratic Party | ||||
| Sessions | |||||
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The 1916 General Assembly took place during the latter half of Henry Carter Stuart's governorship. It was the last full session during which J. Taylor Ellyson served as lieutenant governor and president of the state senate; as of 2013, he is the only person in Virginia history to have served three terms in that office.
On November 1, 1916, seven months after the body adjourned, statewide prohibition went into effect. Senator G. Walter Mapp and temperance advocate James Cannon, Jr. (not to be confused with Senator James E. Cannon) drafted the final bill after voters endorsed a referendum in September 1914.
- Resignations and new members are discussed in the "Changes in membership" section, below.
Senate
| Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | Vacant | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Independent | Republican | |||
| End of previous session | 35 | 0 | 5 | 40 | 0 |
| Begin | 35 | 1 | 4 | 40 | 0 |
| December 7, 1917 | 34 | 39 | 1 | ||
| Latest voting share | 87.2% | 12.8% | |||
| Beginning of next session | 35 | 1 | 4 | 40 | 0 |
House of Delegates
| Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | Vacant | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Independent | Republican | |||
| End of previous session | - | - | - | 100 | 0 |
| Begin | 84 | 1 | 15 | 100 | 0 |
| Latest voting share | 84% | 16% | |||
| Beginning of next session | 84 | 1 | 15 | 100 | 0 |
Leadership
| Office | Officer | |
|---|---|---|
| President of the Senate | J. Taylor Ellyson (D) | |
| President pro tempore | C. Harding Walker (D) | |
| Minority Floor Leader | J. Powell Royall (R) | |
Members
Leadership
| Office | Officer | |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker of the House | Harry R. Houston (D) | |
| Majority Floor Leader | R. Holman Willis (D) | |
| Minority Floor Leader | Marion K. Lowry (R) | |
Members
Senate
- December 7, 1917, Theodore C. Pilcher (D-11th district) dies. Seat remains unfilled until start of next regular session.
- List of Members and Committees and Rules Senate and House of Delegates: Session 1916. Richmond: Virginia State Library. 1916. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
- Register of the General Assembly of Virginia, 1776–1918. Richmond: Virginia State Library. 1918. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
Virginia House of Delegates October 10, 1814.