# 4th Ohio General Assembly

The Fourth Ohio General Assembly was the fourth meeting of the Ohio state legislature, composed of the Ohio State Senate and the Ohio House of Representatives. It convened in Chillicothe, Ohio, on December 2, 1805, and adjourned January 27, 1806. This General Assembly coincided with the first year of Edward Tiffin's second and final term as Ohio Governor.

## Background

Under Ohio's first constitution, State Senators were elected to two year terms. Members of the House were elected for each term. Article I, section 2 and 6 of Ohio's first constitution called for an enumeration of white male inhabitants of 21 years age every four years, with the number of representatives and senators for each county apportioned by the legislature based on this census. Article I, section 3 called for elections the second Tuesday in October.
James Pritchard of Jefferson County was again elected Speaker of the Senate on December 4, 1805, having served as Speaker during the end of the 3rd Ohio General Assembly. The Senate Clerk was Thomas Scott and the Senate Doorkeeper was Edward Sherlock.
John Sloane, also of Jefferson County, was elected Speaker of the House on December 4. This marked the first time the Speaker of the House was not from Ross County. The House Clerk was William R. Dickinson and the House Doorkeeper was Adam Betz.

## State Senate
### Districts

For this session, the legislature apportioned two senators for Warren, Butler, Montgomery, and Greene Counties, Washington, Gallia, Muskingum and Athens Counties, Jefferson and Columbiana Counties, Ross and Franklin Counties, and Hamilton County, and one senator each for Adams and Scioto Counties, Clermont, Fairfield, Trumbull and Belmont Counties.

### Members

| District | Senator | Party | notes |
| Adams Scioto | Thomas Kirker | Democratic-Republican | |
| Belmont | Joseph Sharp | | |
| Clermont | James Sargent | Democratic-Republican | |
| Fairfield | Jacob Burton | | |
| Hamilton | Cornelius Snider | | |
| Hamilton | Stephen Wood | | |
| Jefferson Columbiana | Benjamin Hough | Democratic-Republican | |
| Jefferson Columbiana | James Pritchard | Democratic-Republican | elected Speaker of the Senate |
| Ross Franklin | Joseph Kerr | Democratic-Republican | |
| Ross Franklin | Duncan McArthur | Federalist | |
| Trumbull | George Tod | Democratic-Republican | |
| Warren Butler Montgomery Greene | John Bigger | Democratic-Republican | |
| Warren Butler Montgomery Greene | Jacob Smith | | |
| Washington Gallia Muskingum Athens | Joseph Buell | Democratic-Republican | |
| Washington Gallia Muskingum Athens | Hallam Hempstead | | |

## Ohio House of Representatives
### Districts

For this session, the legislature apportioned four representatives for Ross and Franklin Counties, three representatives each for Adams and Scioto Counties, Jefferson County and Hamilton County, two representatives each for Belmont, Butler, Fairfield, Trumbull and Warren Counties, and Washington, Gallia and Athens Counties, and one representative each for Columbiana, Clermont, Greene, Montgomery and Muskingum Counties.

### Members

| District | Representatives | Party | notes |
| Adams Scioto | Daniel Collier | | |
| Adams Scioto | Philip Lewis | | |
| Adams Scioto | Abraham Shepherd | Democratic-Republican | |
| Belmont | James Smith | | |
| Belmont | John Stewart | | |
| Butler | James McClure | | |
| Butler | Matthew Richardson | | |
| Clermont | Jonathan Taylor | | |
| Columbiana | John McConnell | | |
| Fairfield | Philemon Beecher | Federalist | |
| Fairfield | Robert Cloud | | |
| Greene | John Sterritt | | |
| Hamilton | Adrian Hegeman | | |
| Hamilton | John Jones | | |
| Hamilton | Hezekiah Price | | |
| Jefferson | Thomas Elliott | | |
| Jefferson | John McLaughlin | | |
| Jefferson | John Sloane | Democratic-Republican | elected Speaker of the House |
| Montgomery | William Robinson | | |
| Ross Franklin | James Dunlap | Democratic-Republican | |
| Ross Franklin | Elias Langham | Democratic-Republican | |
| Ross Franklin | David Shelby | | |
| Ross Franklin | Abraham J. Williams | Democratic Republican | |
| Trumbull | Homer Hine | | |
| Trumbull | James Kingsbury | | |
| Warren | Peter Burr | | |
| Warren | Matthias Corwin | Democratic-Republican | |
| Washington Gallia Athens | Elijah Hatch | | |
| Washington Gallia Athens | James E. Phelps | | |
| Muskingum | James Clarke | | |

## Major events

The 3rd Ohio General Assembly adopted a single article of impeachment against William W. Irvin, an associate judge in the Fairfield County Court of Common Pleas, for "high misdemeanor and neglect of duties", alleging that Judge Irvin was absent from his court for two days, leading to the suspension of all business matters therein, and the abrupt adjournment of that court. Judge Irvin's impeachment trial was conducted before the Ohio Senate from December 6, 1805 - January 11, 1806, with a recess spanning from December 11 - January 6. It was alleged during the trial that Judge Irvin refused to meet with the President and other judges of the court, and spoke "slightingly" of his judicial responsibilities. On January 11, the Senate voted 14-1 (with Kerr being the sole negative vote) to impeach Judge Irvin, and by a separate vote of 11-4 (negatives votes were Bigger, Hempstead, Kerr, and Tod), Judge Irvin was removed from the bench.
On January 20, a joint session of the legislature convened to elect several statewide officers and county judges.
On January 25, a joint session of the legislature convened to elect tax collectors for the state.

## Major legislation

Geauga County was erected from western Trumbull County by an act of the legislature on December 31, 1805.
In January 1806, the legislature adopted a joint resolution of the Senate to support an amendment to the United States Constitution that would have allowed for federal judges to be removed by a majority of both chambers of Congress during a joint session of that body. The amendment ultimately was not ratified.
A general system for the construction of public highways throughout the state, as well as the systemization of the state militia laws, were some of the core acts passed during this General Assembly.