Rice, Edmund

Sessions Served

Other Information

Territorial House 1851 (District 3); Senate 1864-65 (District 1); House 1867 (District 1); House 1872 (District 24); Senate 1873-74 (District 23); House 1877-78 (District 24)

Party when first elected: Not Available

Counties Served: Ramsey

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 2/14/1819

Birth Place: Waitsfield, Vermont

Birth County:

Birth Country: United States

Date of Death: 7/11/1889

Gender: Male

Religion:

Reported Minority: None Reported

Other Names:

City of Residence (when first elected): Saint Paul

Occupation (when first elected): Lawyer; Rice, Hollinshead and Becker Law Firm

EDUCATION

Kalamazoo, Michigan; Studied Law; Admitted to the Bar, 1842

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

Judicial Administration: Kalamazoo, Michigan (Master in Chancery, Register of the Court of Chancery, 3rd Circuit; Clerk of the Supreme Court of Michigan); 18?? to 18??

Military: 1st Regiment Michigan Volunteers, Company A, (Mexican War, First Lieutenant); 1847 to 1848

County Board/Commissioner: Ramsey County, Minnesota (County Commissioner); 1856 to 1858 [Elected]

Municipal Mayor: St. Paul, Minnesota (City Mayor); 1885 to 02/1887

U.S. Representative: 4th Congressional District, Minnesota; 03/04/1887 to 03/03/1889 [Elected]

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse: Married
Children:

Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

GENERAL NOTES

He moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1838. He moved to St. Paul, Minnesota in July 1849.

"He is a Democrat of the old school." (Biographical Sketches of the Officers of the State Government of Minnesota and the 19th Minnesota State Legislature by C.L. Hall, 1877, p. 50)

He was listed as a Democrat on the list of members posted after the 1877 election. ("The Next Legislature." St. Paul Pioneer Press, November 10, 1877)

His brother, Henry Mower Rice, also served in the United States Congress.

He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the United States House of Representatives in 1888.

He practiced law in St. Paul, Minnesota until 1855. He became President of the Minnesota and Pacific Railroad in 1857. He was also associated with its successors, the St. Paul and Pacific; and the St. Paul and Chicago Railroads until 1872.

He and six other members of the House resigned in protest over the 1851 apportionment bill. They argued the census count was incorrect. For more information on the resignations, see Minnesota in Three Centuries, Vol. 2, p. 456 and the links in the Other Information section below.

Total Days Served: 3014

SESSIONS SERVED

20th Legislative Session (1878)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/8/1878

Body: House

District: 24

Elected: 11/6/1877

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/8/1878 to 1/6/1879
Oath Date: 1/8/1878

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: Railroad Trustee

Party: Democratic Party Notes: He was listed as a Democrat on the list of members posted after the 1877 election. ("The Next Legislature." St. Paul Pioneer Press, November 10, 1877)

Committees:

Joint Paris Exposition Special
Railroads
Ways and Means

Session Notes: From 1849 to 1886, the term of office start date is uncertain.

19th Legislative Session (1877)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/2/1877

Body: House

District: 24

Elected: 11/7/1876

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/2/1877 to 1/7/1878
Oath Date: 1/2/1877

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: Lawyer

Party: Democratic Party Notes: "He is a Democrat of the old school." (Biographical Sketches of the Officers of the State Government of Minnesota and the 19th Minnesota State Legislature by C.L. Hall, 1877, p. 50)

Committees:

State Reform School
Ways and Means

Session Notes: From 1849 to 1886, the term of office start date is uncertain.

16th Legislative Session (1874)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/6/1874

Body: Senate

District: 23

Elected: 11/5/1872

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/7/1873 to 1/4/1875
Oath Date: 1/7/1873

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: None Listed

Party: Democratic Party Notes: His party affiliation was provided by The Fifteenth Legislature of Minnesota, 1873.

Committees:

Claims
Corporations
Federal Relations
Joint University and University Lands

Session Notes: From 1849 to 1886, the term of office start date is uncertain.

15th Legislative Session (1873)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/7/1873

Body: Senate

District: 23

Elected: 11/5/1872

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/7/1873 to 1/4/1875
Oath Date: 1/7/1873

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: None Listed

Party: Democratic Party Notes: His party affiliation was provided by The Fifteenth Legislature of Minnesota, 1873.

Committees:

Corporations
Joint University and University Lands
Public Buildings
Soldiers Orphans
State Reform School

Session Notes: From 1849 to 1886, the term of office start date is uncertain.

14th Legislative Session (1872)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/2/1872

Body: House

District: 24

Elected: 11/7/1871

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/2/1872 to 1/6/1873
Oath Date: 1/2/1872

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: President, Minnesota and Pacific Rail Road Co. (St. Paul and Pacific Rail Road Co., and St. Paul and Chicago Rail Road Co.)

Party: Not Available

Committees:

Public Lands
State Library

Session Notes: From 1849 to 1886, the term of office start date is uncertain.

9th Legislative Session (1867)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/8/1867

Body: House

District: 01

Elected: 11/6/1866

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/8/1867 to 1/6/1868
Oath Date: 1/8/1867

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: Railroad President; Minnesota and Pacific Rail Road Co. (St. Paul and Pacific Rail Road Co., and St. Paul and Chicago Rail Road Co.)

Party: Democratic

Committees:

Joint State Railroad Bonds Special
Railroads
State Library
Ways and Means

Session Notes: From 1849 to 1886, the term of office start date is uncertain.

7th Legislative Session (1865)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/3/1865

Body: Senate

District: 01

Elected: 11/3/1863

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/5/1864 to 1/1/1866
Oath Date: 1/5/1864

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: Railroad President, Minnesota and Pacific Rail Road Co. (St. Paul and Pacific Rail Road Co., and St. Paul and Chicago Rail Road Co.)

Party: Not Available

Committees:

Corporations
Railroads (Chair)
State Library

Session Notes: From 1849 to 1886, the term of office start date is uncertain.

6th Legislative Session (1864)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/5/1864

Body: Senate

District: 01

Elected: 11/3/1863

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/5/1864 to 1/1/1866
Oath Date: 1/5/1864

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: Railroad President, Minnesota and Pacific Rail Road Co. (St. Paul and Pacific Rail Road Co., and St. Paul and Chicago Rail Road Co.)

Party: Not Available

Committees:

Corporations
Railroads (Chair)
State Library

Session Notes: From 1849 to 1886, the term of office start date is uncertain.

2nd Territorial Legislative Session (1851)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/1/1851

Body: Territorial House

District: 03

Elected: 9/2/1850

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/1/1851 to 3/29/1851 (unfinished term)
Oath Date: 1/1/1851

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: Lawyer; Rice, Hollinshead and Becker Law Firm

Party: Not Available

Committees:

Finance
Judiciary (Chair) [He was excused from serving as Chair and stopped being a member of the Judiciary Committee on January 29, 1851 when it was re-organized.]

Reason for unfinished term: Resigned

Session Notes: He and six other members of the House resigned in protest over the 1851 apportionment bill. They argued the census count was incorrect. For more information on the resignations, see Minnesota in Three Centuries, Vol. 2, p. 456 and the links in the Other Information section below. From 1849 to 1886, the term of office start date is uncertain.

OTHER INFORMATION

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