The law which prescribed the mode of government for the Territory, as then constituted, plainly provided that the people should elect by popular choice a house of representatives; the members of this house should then meet, at such time as the governor should appoint, select the names of eighteen persons whom they deemed qualified for the office of councilmen and forward the whole list of those so nominated to the President of the United States.

But, at all events, owing to the good sense and prudent statesmanship of Governor Miller, Congress was induced to pass a special Act, which the President approved April 21, 1820, making the election of the councilmen, in the manner authorized by Crittenden, legal after the fact in April after the election in November.

[1] On December 29, 1819, Governor Miller issued his proclamation calling a special session of the General Assembly for the first Monday in February, 1820, to meet at Arkansas Post.

It also created appropriations to fund the territorial government, and passed minor acts.

[2] Over the summer, Arkansas County's representative (and Brigadier General of the Territorial Militia) William O. Allen was killed in a duel.

A special election was held, and Joseph Stilwell was seated in the autumn adjourned session.

Sam C. Roane was elected president of the legislative council ; Richard Searcy, secretary.

William Trimble was elected speaker of the house of representatives ; Ambrose H. Sevier, clerk.

The most important Act of the session, perhaps, was that changing the manner of voting at general elections from ballot to Viva voce.

Sam C. Roane was elected president of the legislative council; Thomas W. Newton, secretary; Terence Farrelly was speaker of the house of representatives; David E. McKinney, clerk.

Jacob Barkman was elected president of the legislative council; Thomas W. Newton, secretary.

At this session, Sevier, who had been elected delegate to Congress in December, 1827, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Henry W. Conway, was succeeded by Edwin T. Clark, as president of the legislative council.

Charles Caldwell was elected president of the council; Absalom Fowler, secretary.

John Williamson was elected president of the council; William F. Yeomans, secretary.