In addition to the regular business of governing the territory, during these sessions the council dealt with a number of matters related to Michigan's desire for statehood, including petitioning both the United States Congress and President Andrew Jackson for action on the matter, organizing a census of the territory, trying to find a resolution of the ongoing dispute with Ohio known as the Toledo War, and calling a state constitutional convention in order to force Congress to act.

In his message to the council, Mason reiterated the purpose of conducting a census to ascertain that the territory had more than the 60,000 inhabitants necessary to qualify for statehood under the terms of the Northwest Ordinance.

Mason also asked the council to end the practice of imprisoning debtors, and to organize counties and courts in land newly attached to Michigan Territory—the area of present-day Iowa and Minnesota.

[7] Mason reported to the council that the census showed 85,856[8] inhabitants, and exhorted them to authorize the election of delegates to a state constitutional convention.

[9] The council authorized all "free white inhabitants" of the territory to vote for delegates in April 1835, and reiterated Michigan's claim to the strip of land at dispute in the Toledo War with Ohio.

[13] The council wrote a lengthy petition to President Andrew Jackson imploring him to intervene to stop Ohio's pending claim of the disputed strip of land, saying, "What!

In addition, he asked the Ohio Legislature to declare that "all counties bordering on the northern boundary of the state of Ohio shall extend to and be bounded on the north by the line running from the southern extremity of Lake Michigan to the most northern cape of Maumee bay", and direct local authorities to begin exercising jurisdiction in these areas, and the legislature complied.

[16] President Jackson dispatched a pair of commissioners to the Maumee River to meet with both governors, and they proposed a compromise which effectively gave Ohio what it wanted.

[16] After adoption of the standing rules for the session on January 13, 1834, John McDonell was elected president, John Norvell secretary, Seneca Allen recording clerk, Theodore Williams enrolling clerk, Elisha L. Atkins sergeant-at-arms, Harvey Chubb doorkeeper, and Solomon J. Matthews and Pitt Phillips messenger and assistant messenger, respectively.