Addressing the territorial legislative council, Mason told them that the Michigan Territory faced a crisis. Michigan's most recent effort to join the Union had failed. The territory's request to Congress for an enabling act—permission to call a constitutional convention—had been rejected. The 23-year-old chief executive declared that Michigan had a right to become a state and asked the council to call a constitutional convention. Twelve days later, the council concurred; delegates would be elected in April and gather in Detroit the following month.