Elections were held on November 3, 1891.[1] Members were sworn in when the term's first session, and the Legislature's 71st overall,[2] began on January 5, 1892.[3] Both the House and the Senate adjourned on April 2, 1892.[3][4] The second session of the term, and the Legislature's 72nd overall,[2] began on January 2, 1894.[5] The House adjourned on February 10, 1894.[5] The term ended when members of the 1896–1900 Legislature were sworn in on January 7, 1896.[6]
Officers
Senate
M. M. Evans, as the incumbent Lieutenant Governor of the state, served as the Senate's President.[4] In the election for President pro tempore, 16th district senator George G. Dillard nominated Robert Aaron Dean, the senator from the 32nd district and incumbent president pro tempore, for the election.[4] Tenth District senator C. S. Coffey nominated John M. Simonton, the 38th district senator and a former President of the Senate (1865–69),[7] for the election.[4] Dean won the election, receiving 30 votes compared to Simonton's 12.[4] Then, D. P. Porter was unanimously elected Secretary of the Senate.[4] Webb Harris was elected Sergeant-at-Arms and W. S. Skellinger was elected Door-Keeper.[4]
House
When selecting the office of Speaker of the House, the Democratic caucus voted between incumbent speaker James S. Madison (of Noxubee County) and former speaker Hugh McQueen Street (of Lauderdale County) to decide who should receive the Democratic nomination.[8][3] Street defeated Madison in a 61-59 vote and received the nomination.[8] In the full election that followed, 114 members voted for Street, 17 members were absent or did not vote, and one member (John E. Gore of Webster County) still voted for Madison despite Madison not being the nominee.[3]
Street resigned the office of Speaker at the start of the 1894 session.[9]J. K. Vardaman was nominated and then elected to replace Street as Speaker.[9]
Personnel
The Senate had 42 members from 38 districts.[3][5] Four new senators were sworn in at the start of the 1894 session.[5]
A number of members switched political parties between sessions.[3][5] Fourteen new representatives were sworn in at the start of the 1894 session to fill vacancies.[5]
