| Administrative History
The Second Regular Session of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Nevada convened November 11, 1862, and adjourned December 20, 1862, lasting the 40 days provided by the Organic Act for sessions subsequent to the first. Among the early actions taken at this session was the changing of the name of Lake County to Roop County.
Another action taken at this session provides an explanation of why no records are found for a Territorial Session of the Nevada Assembly in 1863, though annual sessions were provided for by law during the time Nevada was a territory. At the First Session in 1861 an act (Chap. LXV), provided for annual sessions to "convene on the second Tuesday in November, of each year." At the Second Session in 1862, Chap. XVIII changed the time of convening annual sessions of the Legislative Assembly to "the second Tuesday in January, of each year." The act was not to become effective until the "first day of March ... one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three." This was necessary to prevent another session falling upon the heels of the Second Session of 1862, in January of 1863. This resulted in the calendar year of 1863 being without a session of the Legislative Assembly, creating a period of not quite 13 months between adjournment of the Second Session, December 20, 1862, and the convening of the Third Session, January 12, 1864.
The town of Gold Hill was the first municipality to be incorporated under laws of the Territory of Nevada by an act approved December 17, 1862, at the Second Session. Two days later Virginia City, formerly incorporated under the laws of Utah Territory, was reincorporated under Nevada law as the City of Virginia.
From the eastern portions of Humboldt and Churchill counties the Second Territorial Session created a new county known as Lander. The act provided that the county seat for Lander County be "Jacob's Springs, on Reese River, until the permanent location shall have been determined" by an election in the county.
Carson County records of the Probate Court were transferred to the custody of Secretary of the Territory to provide a continued validity of judicially-settled conflicts from Utah to Nevada Territory. One of the last acts of the Second Territorial Session was a resolution asking California to adopt the crest of the Sierra Nevada as a western boundary for Nevada.
 The Second Territorial Legislature also continued the pursuit of complete citizenship by passing "An Act to frame a Constitution and State Government for the State of Washoe," Chapter CXXIII, introduced by Isaac Roop and approved by Governor Nye December 20,1862. This act set the first Wednesday of September, 1863, as the time of election, when the question of state government would be voted upon and 39 delegates to a Constitutional Convention chosen. In September, Nevada voters overwhelmingly (better than four to one) approved of statehood for Nevada Territory, and delegates were selected to convene at Carson City in November.
Photo Credit: Council Bill 78, An Act to Frame a Constitution and State Government for the State of Washoe, 1862. Nevada State Library and Archives
Records of the Second Territorial Legislature
Working Records, November 11, 1862 to December 20, 1862 3 cubic feet TERR-0165 TO TERR-0170
Original working documents of the Second Territorial Legislature include manuscript and printed bills, in draft and/or final form; joint and concurrent resolutions; draft Council (but not House) daily journals; petitions; memorials; and correspondence. Each bill contains notations about actions taken: readings, bill passage or defeat, and date signed by the Governor. The journals, maintained separately by both the Council and the House, contain minutes of proceedings, corrections made by paste-ins or cross-outs, text of bills cut from newspapers, and roll call votes.
 These records are arranged by body of origin, either Council or House. Bills are in numerical order, followed by journals and other items. The bill files for both Council and House are incomplete.
Photo Credit: Example of rough draft of legislative bills. Nevada State Library and Archives
Official Records 1862 5 vols.
The official records of the Territorial Legislatures are comprised of bound volumes, which were originally sent to the U.S. Congress for approval. There are three or four series for each legislative session: Council, House, General Legislature, and Governor. Similar kinds of records appear in each: proceedings, journals, indexes, general orders, 3rd readings of bills, bill registers, and various others. Not all types are present in each session or for each chamber of the Legislature.
Second Session: Council
Item: TLEGIS-0040 Old #: Date: 1862; 1864
Type: Territorial Legislative materials
Remarks: CB 142, an act Granting to A.C. Latson and his associates the right to construct a canal from the Truckee River to the Desert Mining District, Feb. 11, 1864; HB 191, an act to amend an act to regulate proceedings in civil cases in the courts of justice of the Territory of Nevada, Dec. 16, 1862, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: Council and House
Item: TLEGIS-0022 Old #: Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: Council minutes of executive session, Nov. 21 and Dec. 18, 1862, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: Council
Item: TLEGIS-0009 Old #: T/V/C1/3 Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: Council register of petitions and remonstrances, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: Council
Item: TLEGIS-0008 Old #: T/V/A5/5 Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: Council register of executive nominations, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: Council
Item: TLEGIS-0007 Old #: T/V/A5/3 Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: Council bills transmitted to governor, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: Council
Item: TLEGIS-0006 Old #: T/V/A5/1 Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: Council bills ordered to 3rd reading and final action, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: Council
Item: TLEGIS-0005 Old #: T/V/A4/4 Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: Council general orders, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: Council
Item: TLEGIS-0004 Old #: T/V/A4/2 Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: Council register of bills, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: Council
Item: TLEGIS-0003 Old #: T/V/A3/4 Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: Council journal, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: Council
Second Session: House
Item: TLEGIS-0028 Old #: T/V/A5/2 Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: House 3rd reading book, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: House
Item: TLEGIS-0027 Old #: T/V/A4/5 Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: House general orders, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: House
Item: TLEGIS-0026 Old #: T/V/A4/3 Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: House register of bills, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: House
Item: TLEGIS-0025 Old #: T/V/A1/21 Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: House minutes of Standing Committee on Internal Improvements, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: House
Item: TLEGIS-0024 Old #: T/V/A1/22 Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: House minutes of Standing Committee on Salaries, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: House
Item: TLEGIS-0023 Old #: Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: House minutes of Standing Committee on Engrossment and Index (2 vols), 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: House
Item: TLEGIS-0012 Old #: T/V/A3/1 Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: House journal, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: House
Item: TLEGIS-0013 Old #: T/V/A3/5 Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: House journal, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: House
Item: TLEGIS-0029 Old #: T/V/A5/4 Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: House bills transmitted to Governor, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
Division: House
Second Session: Legislature
Item: TLEGIS-0030 Old #: T/V/B1/2 Date: 1862
Type: Volume
Remarks: Legislature enrolled laws, 2nd Session
Agency: Territorial Legislature
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