title: 7th Minnesota Territorial Legislature
text: # 7th Minnesota Territorial Legislature
  
  The seventh Minnesota Territorial Legislature first convened on January 2, 1856. The 15 members of the Minnesota Territorial Council and the 38 members of the Minnesota House of Representatives were elected during the General Election of October 9, 1855.
  
  ## Sessions
  
  The territorial legislature met in a regular session from January 2, 1856 to March 1, 1856. There were no special sessions of the seventh territorial legislature.
  
  ## Party summary
  
      Resignations and new members are discussed in the "Membership changes" section, below.
  
  ### Council
  
  | | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | Vacant |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Democratic | Republican | Unknown | Total | Vacant |
  | End of previous Legislature | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
  | Begin | 9 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 0 |
  | December 31, 1856 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 1 |
  | January 6, 1857 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 3 |
  | Latest voting share | 50% | 17% | 33% | | |
  | Beginning of the next Legislature | 6 | 5 | 4 | 15 | 0 |
  
  ### House of Representatives
  
  | | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | Vacant |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Democratic | Republican | Unknown | Total | Vacant |
  | End of previous Legislature | 13 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 0 |
  | Begin | 18 | 12 | 9 | 38 | 0 |
  | January 7, 1856 | 19 | 11 | 9 | 38 | 0 |
  | Latest voting share | 50% | 29% | 24% | | |
  | Beginning of the next Legislature | 18 | 20 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
  
  ## Leadership
  
  ### President of the Council
  
      John B. Brisbin (D-Saint Paul)
  
  ### Speaker of the House
  
      Charles Gardner (D-Mantorville)
  
  ## Members
  
  ### Council
  
  | Name | District | City | Party |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Bailly, Henry G. | 06 | Hastings | Democratic |
  | Balcombe, St. Andre Durand | 09 | Winona | Republican |
  | Brisbin, John B. | 02 | Saint Paul | Democratic |
  | Dooley, Samuel | 06 | Louisville | Unknown |
  | Flandrau, Charles Eugene | 10 | Traverse de Sioux | Democratic |
  | Freeborn, William | 04 | Red Wing | Democratic |
  | Hanson, D. M. | 11 | Minneapolis | Democratic |
  | Lowry, William D. | 09 | Rochester | Unknown |
  | Ludden, John Dwight | 01 | Taylors Falls | Democratic |
  | Rolette, Joseph | 07 | Pembina | Democratic |
  | Rollins, John | 03 | Minneapolis | Democratic |
  | Setzer, Henry N. | 01 | Stillwater | Democratic |
  | Stone, Lewis | 05 | Royalton | Unknown |
  | Thompson, Clark W. | 08 | Hokah | Republican |
  | Tillotson, Benjamin F. | 08 | Richland | Unknown |
  
  ### House of Representatives
  
  | Name | District | City | Party |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Bradley, James F. | 11 | Minneapolis | Republican |
  | Buck, Cornelius F. | 09 | Winona | Democratic |
  | Burdick, R. Carlisle | 07 | Pembina | Democratic |
  | Cleaveland, Arba | 11 | Chanhassen | Unknown |
  | Covel, William B. | 08 | Frankfort | Democratic |
  | DeLaVergne, Aurelius F. | 10 | Le Sueur | Democratic |
  | Dunbar, William Franklin | 08 | Caledonia | Democratic |
  | Farnham, Sumner W. | 03 | Minneapolis | Republican |
  | Galbraith, Thomas Jacob | 06 | Shakopee | Republican |
  | Gardner, Charles | 04 | Mantorville | Democratic |
  | Gere, William B. | 08 | Chatfield | Democratic |
  | Gibbs, Oscar C. | 06 | Northfield | Unknown |
  | Grant, Charles | 07 | Saint Joseph | Democratic |
  | Hartenbower, John H. | 09 | Pleasant Grove | Democratic |
  | Haus, Reuben | 02 | Saint Paul | Democratic |
  | Holland, John M. | 06 | Shakopee | Republican |
  | Hubbell, James B. | 04 | Mantorville | Republican |
  | Hull, Samuel | 08 | Carimona | Democratic |
  | Hunt, Thomas Benjamin | 11 | Chaska | Democratic |
  | Ide, John C. | 06 | Faribault | Republican |
  | Jackman, Henry A. | 01 | Stillwater | Republican |
  | Johnson, Parsons King | 03 | Saint Paul | Democratic |
  | Kirkman, James | 09 | Wabasha | Unknown |
  | Knauft, Ferdinand | 02 | Saint Paul | Unknown |
  | La Boutillier, C. W. | 03 | Minneapolis | Republican |
  | Lott, Bushrod Washington | 02 | Saint Paul | Democratic |
  | McLeod, George A. | 10 | Traverse des Sioux | Democratic |
  | Murphy, M. T. | 06 | Mendota | Unknown |
  | Nobles, William H. | 02 | Saint Paul | Republican |
  | Norris, James S. | 01 | Cottage Grove | Democratic |
  | Pierce, Thomas W. | 11 | Minneapolis | Unknown |
  | Sturgis, William R. | 05 | Little Falls | Democratic |
  | Taylor, Nathan C. D. | 01 | Taylors Falls | Democratic |
  | Thompson, Martin G. | 08 | Brownsville | Republican |
  | Thorndike, Francis | 11 | Dayton | Unknown |
  | Van Vorhes, Abraham | 01 | Stillwater | Republican |
  | Vaughan, Alanson B. | 08 | Lansing | Republican |
  | Wilkinson, Ross | 02 | Saint Paul | Unknown |
  | Wilson, John L. | 05 | Saint Cloud | Democratic |
  
  ## Membership changes
  
  ### Council
  
  | District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date successor seated |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 11 | D. M. Hanson (D) | Died in office on an unknown date in 1856. | Remained vacant | Remained vacant |
  | 10 | Charles Eugene Flandrau (D) | Left office for unknown cause on a date uncertain. | Remained vacant | Remained vacant |
  | 03 | John Rollins (D) | Resigned on a date uncertain. | Remained vacant | Remained vacant |
  
  ### House of Representatives
  
  | District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date successor seated |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 08 | Alanson B. Vaughn (R) | Unseated on January 7, 1856, as a result of an election challenge wherein the House determined that Covel was the legitimate winner of the election. | William B. Covel (D) | January 7, 1856 |
  