The First Congress of the Republic of Texas, consisting of the Senate of the Republic of Texas and House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas, met in Columbia at two separate buildings (one for each chamber) and then in Houston at the present-day site of The Rice from October 3, 1836, to June 13, 1837, during the first year of Sam Houston's presidency.
All members of Congress were officially non-partisan. According to the Constitution of the Republic of Texas of 1836, each member of the House of Representatives was elected for a term of one year. Each county was guaranteed at least one representative.
Each Senator was elected for a three-year term to represent a district that each had a nearly equal portion of the nation's population. Each district could have no more than one Senator.
Members
Senate
José Francisco Ruiz – District of Bexar
James Collinsworth – District of Brazoria (1st session) William Green Hill – District of Brazoria (2nd session) Alexander Somervell – District of Colorado and Austin counties Edwin Morehouse – District of Goliad, Refugio, and San Patricio Robert Wilson –District of Harrisburg and Liberty Stephen H. Everitt – District of Jasper and Jefferson Albert Clinton Horton – District of Matagorda, Victoria, and Jackson Sterling C. Robertson – District of Milam James S. Lester – District of Mina and Gonzales Robert Anderson Irion – District of Nacogdoches Richard Ellis – District of Red River Shelby Corzine – District of San Augustine (1st session) Henry William Augustine – District of San Augustine (2nd session) Willis H. Landrum – District of Shelby and Sabine Jesse Grimes – District of Washington
House of Representatives
Austin County
Moseley Baker
Bexar County
Thomas Green
Brazoria County
Branch T. Archer, from October 4, 1836
John A. Wharton, from October 4, 1836
Colorado County
J. G. Robertson
Goliad County
John M. Chenoweth
Gonzales County
William S. Fisher
Harrisburg County
John W. Moore, until October 11, 1836
Jesse H. Cartwright, from October 11, 1836
Jackson County
Samuel A. White
Jasper County
Col. Samuel S. Lewis
Jefferson County
Claiborne West
Liberty County
Edward Thomas Branch
Mina County
John Wheeler Bunton
Jesse Billingsley
Matagorda County
Ira Ingram, 1st session*
Daniel Davis D. Baker, 2nd session
Milam County
Francis Marcus Weatherred, Jr., until October 31, 1836
Samuel Tabor Allen, from October 31, 1836
Nacogdoches County
John Kirby Allen
Haden Edwards, 1st session
Hayden S. Arnold, 2nd session
Refugio County
Elkanah Brush
Red River County
Mansell Walter Matthews
George Washington Wright
William Becknell, until October 13, 1836
Collin McKinney, from October 13, 1836
Sabine County
John Boyd
San Augustine County
William W. Holman
Joseph Rowe
San Patricio County
John Turner, until October 20, 1836
John Geraghty, from October 20, 1836
Shelby County
Richard Hooper
Sydney Oswald Penington
Victoria County
Richard Roman
Washington County
William Warner Hill
W. W. Gant, from October 21, 1836
Standing committees
Senate
Ways and Means
Judiciary
Post Office and Post Roads
State of the Republic
Military Affairs
Roads, Bridges, and Ferries
Claims and Accounts
Public Lands
Indian Affairs
County Boundaries
Naval Affairs
House of Representatives
Ways and Means
Judiciary
Post Office
State of the Republic
Military Affairs
Roads, Bridges, and Ferries
Claims and Accounts
Public Lands
Indian and Indian Affairs
County Boundaries
Naval Affairs
Foreign Relations
Employees
Senate
Sergeant at Arms – William King (1st session), Noah T. Byars (2nd session) Clerk – Richardson A. Scurry (1st session), Arthur Robertson (2nd session) Doorkeeper – Joshua Canter (1st session), Marshall Mann (2nd session)
House of Representatives
Sergeant at Arms – A. L. Harrison (1st session), George S. Stratton (2nd session) Clerk – Willis A. Farris (1st session), William Fairfax Gray (2nd session) Doorkeeper – W. T. Hendricks (1st session), Abner S. McDonald (2nd session), S. L. Johnson (2nd session)