1818 Michigan Territory general assembly referendum
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The 1818 Michigan Territory general assembly referendum was held in the
Background
The
Nominally, the governor and judges formed a four-person legislative body. In practice, Judge
Election
Governor Cass issued a proclamation on January 5, 1818, calling for a vote to determine whether a majority of freeholders supported creating a general assembly. He cited his authority under the Northwest Ordinance and the successive acts of Congress that created Michigan Territory, as well as petitions signed by 145 residents asking him to take the step.[6] For most of the territory, Cass set the election date as February 16, 1818. For the district of Michilimackinac, then part of Wayne County, the justices of the peace were to choose a date.[7]
The proposal to move to the general assembly form of government failed. The primary argument against it involved cost. While the governor and judges were paid for by the federal government, the territory would have been responsible for the cost of the new government.[5]
Dissatisfaction with the system of government continued to grow after the failed referendum, and in 1822 hundreds of citizens petitioned Congress for a change. In 1823, Congress authorized the creation of the Michigan Territorial Council. [8]
Notes
- ^ a b Finkelman, Hershock & Taylor 2006, p. 15.
- ^ Carter 1942, p. 769.
- ^ Finkelman, Hershock & Taylor 2006, p. 22.
- ^ Finkelman, Hershock & Taylor 2006, pp. 19, 23.
- ^ a b Finkelman, Hershock & Taylor 2006, p. 24.
- ^ Carter 1942, pp. 769–770.
- ^ Carter 1942, p. 770.
- ^ Finkelman, Hershock & Taylor 2006, pp. 25–26.
References
- Carter, Clarence E., ed. (1942), The Territorial Papers of the United States, vol. 10, Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, retrieved October 17, 2019
- Finkelman, Paul; Hershock, Martin J.; Taylor, Clifford W. (2006), The History of Michigan Law, Ohio University Press, retrieved October 1, 2019