CHAPTER XII.
EVENTFUL DAYS OF THE FORTY-THIRD CONGRESS The Mississippi Constitution having been ratified in 1869,--an odd year of the calendar,--caused the regular elections for State, district and county officers to occur on the odd year of the calendar, while the National elections occurred on the even years of the calendar, thus necessitating the holding of an election in the State every year.
Therefore, no election was to be held in 1874, except for Congressmen, and to fill a few vacancies, while the regular election for county officers and members of the Legislature would be held in 1875.
Since the regular session of the 44th Congress would not convene before December, 1875, in order to avoid the trouble and expense incident to holding an election in 1874, the Legislature passed a bill postponing the election of members of Congress until November, 1875.

There being some doubt about the legality of this legislation, Congress passed a bill legalizing the act of the Legislature.

Consequently no election was held in the State in 1874 except to fill a few vacancies that had occurred in the Legislature and in some of the districts and counties.
One of the vacancies to be filled was that of State Senator, created by the resignation of Senator Hiram Cassidy, Jr.

Senator Cassidy, who was elected as a Democrat in 1873, and who had voted for Mr.Bruce, the Republican caucus nominee, for United States Senator, had in the mean time publicly identified himself with the Republican party, thus following in the footsteps of his able and illustrious father, Judge Hiram Cassidy, Sr., who had given his active support to the Republican candidate for Governor in 1873.
Governor Ames had appointed Senator Cassidy a Judge of the Chancery Court, to accept which office it was necessary for him to resign his seat as a member of the State Senate.

A special election was held in November, 1874, to fill that vacancy.