Chapter 13 cont. CONWAY AN ENTHUSIAST Mr. Conway had never held a political office and had had no experience in public affairs, but was an enthusiast of his own kind and immediately left Pittsburg for the new territory, landing at Davenport in the month of July.  He was an Irishman and a member of the Catholic church, and very naturally, upon his arrival in Davenport, made the acquaintance of Antoine LeClaire, one of the founders of this city, and also of Colonel Davenport, then residing on the island of Rock island.  These gentlemen made Mr. Conway believe that Davenport was the greatest town in the territory and the coming city of the west, and that it was the only proper place for the capital of the new territory.  The organic law provided that the governor should "designate the temporary capital of the territory, to continue as such until the legislature should establish the territorial capital."  The organic act also provided that the governor should "divide the territory into three judicial districts" and assign one of three judges appointed at the same time with Conway, to each of said districts.  It also provided that the governor should issue a proclamation "ordering the election of members for the territorial legialature and designate the time of its convening." The Hon. Robert Lucas (twice governor of the state of Ohio and president of the national convention which nominated Martin Van Buren for the presidency), appointed governor of the new territory, had not yet arrived and Mr. Conway's new Davenport friends persuaded him into the belief tha the was "acting governor" of the territory.  The organic act provided that "in the absence or death of the governor" the secretary of the territory should act as governor.  In this belief the young secretary of the territory issued his three proclaimations, naming Davenport as the territorial capital, ordering an election of the members of the legislature and providing for three judicial districts. A few weeks later Governor Lucas, who had been detained by reason of low water in the Ohio, arrived at Burlington and was confronted with these proclamations.  He became very indignant, declaring that all the acts of the secretary as "acting governor" were null and void inasmuch as no vacancy had been created either by his death or absence, as he had not yet entered upon the discharge of his official duties.  He, however, confirmed the action of the secretary in relation to dividing the territory into three judicial districts and the assignment of the judges  - Mason to the first district, a resident of Burlington; Wilson to the third, a resident of Dubuque and Judge Joseph Williams, of Pennsylvania, to the second district.  Upon Governor Lucas' arrival in October following, however, he selected Bloomington, now Muscatine, as his residence. Debbie Clough G-erischer G-erischer Family Web Site http://gerischer.rootsweb.com/ Assistant CC, Iowa Gen Web, Scott County http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/ List Manager for: IASCOTT-L * G-erischer-L * D-encker-L Fitzpatirck-L * V-lerebome-L * Huntington-L * Otis-L * Algar-L EIGS-L * Pickens-L * McNab-L * Patris-L - Rankin-L