Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 1.djvu/360



1847, the Democratic candidates were: for President, H. W. Sample; Secretary, Charles Corkery; Treasurer, Paul Bratton. The Whigs nominated for President, George Wilson; Secretary, Madison Dagger; Treasurer, Pierce B. Fagan. The vote stood as follows:

The average Democratic majority was about 1,000. The Democrats of the First Congressional District nominated William Thompson of Henry County for Representative in Congress and the Whigs nominated Jesse B. Browne, of Lee County. In the Second District the Democrats nominated Shepherd Leffler, of Des Moines County and the Whigs nominated G. C. R. Mitchell, of Scott County. Charles Mason, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court having resigned in June, 1847, the Governor appointed Joseph Williams to fill the vacancy. John F. Kinney was appointed Supreme Judge on the 12th of June and George Greene was appointed Supreme Judge in place of Thomas S. Wilson, resigned.

Governor Briggs called an extra session of the Legislature to meet on the 3d of January, 1848. In his message be gives the following as the reason for which the Legislature was convened:

First—To provide remedies for the confusion arising from defects in the school laws by which officers elected in April were declared by the Supreme Court not legally chosen. Second—The election of Supreme Judges and United States Senators. Third—The election of a commission to revise and codify the laws of the State.

The controlling influence, however, which brought the extra session came from the leaders of the Democratic party. At the August election Josiah Kent, a straight Democrat, had been elected to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Reuben Conlee, representative from Lee