109th Virginia General Assembly

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
108th 110th
Overview
Legislative bodyVirginia General Assembly
JurisdictionVirginia, United States
TermJanuary 12, 1916 (1916-01-12) – January 9, 1918 (1918-01-09)
Senate of Virginia
Members40 senators
PresidentJ. Taylor Ellyson (D)
President pro temporeC. Harding Walker (D)
Party controlDemocratic Party
Virginia House of Delegates
Members100 delegates
SpeakerHarry R. Houston (D)
Party controlDemocratic Party
Sessions
1stJanuary 12, 1916 (1916-01-12) – March 18, 1916 (1916-03-18)

Background

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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.

Party summary

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Resignations and new members are discussed in the "Changes in membership" section, below.

Senate

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Senate Party standings (at the beginning of this session)
  35 Democrats
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

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House Party standings (at the beginning of this session)
  84 Democrats
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

Senate

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Leadership

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Map of Virginia's senatorial districts as they were in 1916
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

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District Senator Party Constituency Began serving
1st   John P. Buchanan Democratic Washington, Smyth, and city of Bristol 1916
2nd   John M. Goodloe Republican Scott, Lee, and Wise 1916
3rd   J. Powell Royall Republican Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell, and Tazewell 1912
4th   William L. Andrews Democratic Roanoke, Montgomery, and cities of Roanoke and Radford 1915
5th   E. Lee Trinkle Democratic Giles, Bland, Pulaski, and Wythe 1916
6th   M. Price Webb Republican Carroll, Grayson, and Patrick 1916
7th   William A. Rinehart Democratic Craig, Botetourt, Allegheny, Bath, and city of Clifton Forge 1912
8th   George N. Conrad Democratic Rockingham 1916
9th   Cornelius T. Jordan Independent Augusta, Highland, and city of Staunton 1916
10th   Harry F. Byrd Democratic Shenandoah, Frederick, and city of Winchester 1916
11th   Theodore C. Pilcher Democratic Fauquier and Loudoun 1916
12th   Henry H. Downing Democratic Clarke, Page, and Warren 1916
13th   C. O'Conor Goolrick Democratic Spotsylvania, Stafford, Louisa, and city of Fredericksburg 1915
14th   R. Ewell Thornton Democratic Alexandria county, Prince William, Fairfax, and city of Alexandria 1908
15th   Clyde T. Bowers Democratic Culpeper, Madison, Rappahannock, and Orange 1912
16th   Thomas S. Hening Democratic Goochland, Powhatan, and Chesterfield 1916
17th   Nathaniel B. Early Democratic Albemarle, Greene, and city of Charlottesville 1908
18th   Sands Gayle Democratic Appomattox, Buckingham, Fluvanna, and Charlotte 1910
19th   Aubrey E. Strode Democratic Amherst and Nelson 1916
(previously served 1906-1912)
20th   Walter E. Addison Democratic Campbell and city of Lynchburg 1916
21st   James T. Lacy Democratic Halifax 1916
22nd   A. Willis Robertson Democratic Bedford, Rockbridge, and city of Buena Vista 1916
23rd   William A. Garrett Democratic Pittsylvania, Henry, and city of Danville 1901
24th   George T. Rison Democratic Pittsylvania and city of Danville 1904
25th   William H. Jeffreys Jr. Democratic Mecklenburg and Brunswick 1916
26th   Beverly A. Davis Republican Franklin and Floyd 1916
27th   Sidney B. Barham Jr. Democratic Greensville, Sussex, Surry, and Prince George 1916
28th   George E. Allen Democratic Nottoway, Amelia, Lunenburg, Prince Edward, and Cumberland 1916
29th   Patrick H. Drewry Democratic Dinwiddie and city of Petersburg 1912
30th   Junius E. West Democratic Isle of Wight, Southampton, and Nansemond 1912
31st   Earl C. Mathews Democratic Norfolk city 1916
32nd   Charles U. Gravatt Democratic Caroline, Hanover, and King William 1908
33rd   William C. Corbitt Democratic Norfolk county and city of Portsmouth 1915
34th   C. Harding Walker Democratic King George, Richmond, Westmoreland, Lancaster, and Northumberland 1899
35th   Julien Gunn Democratic Henrico, New Kent, Charles City, James City, and city of Williamsburg 1916
36th   Saxon W. Holt Democratic Elizabeth City, York, Warwick, and city of Newport News 1904
37th   G. Walter Mapp Democratic Accomac, Northampton, and Princess Anne 1912
38th   James E. Cannon Democratic Richmond city 1914
  Louis O. Wendenburg Democratic 1912
39th   John R. Saunders Democratic King and Queen, Middlesex, Essex, Gloucester, and Mathews 1908

House of Delegates

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Leadership

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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

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Changes in membership

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Senate

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  • December 7, 1917, Theodore C. Pilcher (D-11th district) dies. Seat remains unfilled until start of next regular session.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ List of Members and Committees and Rules Senate and House of Delegates: Session 1916. Richmond: Virginia State Library. 1916. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  2. ^ 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.