Skip to main content

Montana Legislative Assembly (5th: 1897) records

 Collection
Identifier: LR-5

Scope and Contents

Records (1897) of the Montana 5th Legislative Assembly consist of minutes to the Joint Committee to Investigate Charges of Corruption Made against Members of the House of Representatives and the Joint Committee to Investigate the Reform School at Miles City; minutes of Senate standing committees; and miscellany, including incoming correspondence and petitions (re Sunday closures of saloons; prohibition of licensed gambling; opposing reduction of salaries of court stenographers; advocating right to vote for women eligible to hold office; supporting free textbooks in the public schools; emendation of delinquent tax laws; advocating laws requiring banks to insure deposited funds; advocating law to allow co-owners of mining claims to work and develop the claim if the co-owners wish otherwise; advocating increase in predator animal bounty; and advocating two-year suspension of hunting of prairie chickens, deer, and antelope).

Dates

  • Creation: 1897

Creator

Language of Materials

English

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

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.

Biographical / Historical

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 5th Montana Legislature met from January 4th to March 4th, 1897. The President of the Senate was Archibald Spriggs (Populist). The Speaker of the House was Jacob Kennedy (D).

Sources: The Constitution of the State of Montana as adopted by the Constitutional Convention March 22, 1972, and as ratified by the people, June 6, 1972, referendum no. 68, http://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca_toc/Constitution.htm; "Organization of the Montana Legislature," The Montana Legislature, http://www.leg.mt.gov/css/About-the-Legislature/organization.asp; “Montana Legislative Leadership 1889 – Present” http://leg.mt.gov/css/About-the-Legislature/Facts-and-Statistics/leadership-through-history.asp

Extent

.2 linear feet

Abstract

Records (1897) of the Montana 5th Legislative Assembly consist of minutes of the Joint and Senate standing committees; and miscellany, including incoming correspondence and petitions.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into four series, House and Senate Special Joint Committee Minutes (arranged alphabetically), Senate Standing Committee Minutes (arranged alphabetically), Incoming Correspondence (arranged by legislative chamber), and Miscellany (arranged chronologically).

Physical Location

51:5-5

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Acquisition information available upon request

Processing Information

Bill Summers processed the collection in 1988

Title
Guide to the Montana Legislative Assembly (5th: 1897) records, 1897
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Bill Summers, 1988 and updated by Karen Bjork, 2006
Date
2006
Description rules
Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Repository Details

Part of the Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives Repository

Contact:
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT 59620-1201 United States
406-444-2681
406-444-2696 (Fax)