JOURNAL OFHE T GENERAL A SSEMBLY OF SOUTH C AROLINA March 2 6, 1776-ApriI II, 1776 Editedy b A.. S SALLEY, JR. Secretary of the Historical Commission of South Carolina Printed f or THE H ISTORICAL COMMISSION OF SOUTH CAROLINA By T he State Company, Columbia, S. C. 1906 INHE T GENERAL OF— ASSEMBLY— SOUTH-CAROLINA. TUESDAY, the 26th day of March 1776. THE C ONSTITUTION or form of Government, agreed to and resolved upon by the Representatives of South Carolina having been signed, by the President of the Congress and attested by the Secre tary. The Members of the General Assembly made choice of the Hon ourable The General William Assembly Henry Drayton, were then to adjourned be their Chairman to meet at : five o'Clock in AndTheAndTheThatMr.the afternoon. ChairmanMembersGeneralMr.the Charles ballotsChairman Assembly proceededPinckney, reported being being —5 cast met to seatedO'ClockHenry up ballot according Middleton, for P. aM.— to Legislative adjournment. Richard Council Richardson, Rawlins Lowndes, LeRoy Hammond, Henry Laurens, David Oli- phant, Thomas Ferguson, Stephen Bull, George Gabriel Powell, Thomas Bee, Joseph Kershaw and Thomas Shubrick Esquires, were duly UponResolved, chosen Motion, members That the of President the Legislative and Commander Council. in Chief, and all other Officers to be chosen by ballot, be declared duly elected only by The the votesMembers of a majorityof the General of the membersAssembly, present. and of the Legislative Council then proceeded to ballot for a president and Commander in Chief. And, as it appeared, upon casting up the ballots, that no Person who had been ballotted for, had the votes of a Majority of the Members present, The Members of the General Assembly and of the L egislative Council again proceeded to ballot for a president and Commander AndMr. uponChairman, castingin Chief reported, up of the South ballots That Carolina. the Honourable John Rutledge Esquire, was duly chosen President and Commander in Chief of South The Carolina. Members of the General Assembly, and of the Legislative Council And upon then casting proceeded up tothe ballot ballots for a vice president of the Colony. Mr. C hairman, reported, That the Honourable Henry Laurens Esquire The Members was duly of chosen the General Vice President Assembly of the were colony. then Adjourned to nine TheTheHis o'Clock minutesExcellencyGeneral To-morrow. of Assembly Yesterday the President Wednesday met being according elect read the being 27th to adjournment. present,day of March addressed 1776. the General Gentlemen,The very Assembly great in unsolicited nearly the and words unexpected following Honour which you have been pleased to confer on me has overwhelmed me with grati tude and concern — Permit me to return you my most sincere thanks for so distinguishing and unmerited a mark of your confidence and esteem — I have the deepest sense of this Honour — The being called by the free suffrages of a brave and generous people to preside over their well fare, is, in my opinion the highest any man can receive: But dreading the weighty and arduous duties of this Station, I really wish, that your choice had fallen upon one better qualified to discharge them; for, tho' in Zeal and Integrety, I will yield to no man, in abilities to serve you, I know my inferiority to many : Since, however, this, Gentlemen, is your pleasure, although I foresee that by submitting to it, I shall be ranked by our enemies, amongst am bitious and designing men, by whom they say the people have been deceived and misled, yet as I have always thought every mans best services due to his country, no fear of slander, or of difficulty or dan ger, shall deter me from yielding mine — In so perilous a season as the present I will not with hold them ; but in her cause every moment of my time shall be devoted : Happy indeed shall I be, if those services answer your Expectations, or my own wishes — On the candour of my w orthy countrymen I rely, to put the most favourable construc tion, as they hitherto have done, upon my actions — I assure myself of receiving in the faithful discharge of my duty, the support and assistance of every good man in the Colony ; and my most fervent Prayer to the omnipotent ruler of the universe, is, that, under his gracious providence, the liberties of America may be for ever pre served. AndHis Honour then the the President vice president elect withdrew. Elect in a speech, stating his rea sons for so doing desired leave to decline the appointment to the office of Vice President, and requested that the Members of the General Assembly and Legislative Council would proceed to a new choice HisAnd ofHonour athe viceMembers then President withdrew. having of the taken Colony the subject— under their considera tion, directed Mr. Chairman to point out to his Honour the Vice president, the mistake he was under, touching his not being equal to act in the Chancery, and upon which he had founded his desire to decline the Vice presidentship — to acquaint him that his services in that Station were desired — and to report his determination there upon. And the vice President being sent to, to desire his presence in the General Assembly, and his Honour signifying that he was much indisposed, The Members and begged of the to General be excused Assembly attending and forof the the present,Legislative Council AndThatMr Chairman upon Theproceeded casting Honourable reported to up ballot the William forBallots a Chief Henry Justice Drayton Esqr was duly elected The ChiefMembers Justice of the General Assembly and Legislative Council then proceeded in like Manner to the Choice of Four Assistant Judges AndThatMr Chairman the The Ballots Honourable reported being cast Thomas up Bee John Mathews Esquire and the Honourable George Gabriel Powell were duly elected Assistant Judges by the Votes of a Majority of the Members present But that Mr Henry Pendleton who had the next Number of Votes had not such a Majority 6 A M otion was thereupon made to determine by a Question whether Mr. AndItColonel Pendletonpassed the PowellQuestion in the was Negative then duly being requestedelected put an LeaveAssistant to Judge decline accepting the Appointment to the Office of an Assistant Judge of this Colony And giving such Reasons as were satisfactory to the House his Request was The granted Members of the General Assembly and Legislative Council thereupon AndMrThat Chairman the Joshua proceeded Ballots Wardreported being to ballot and cast Henry up for Two Pendleton Assistant Esquires Judges were duly elected The MembersAssistant Judges of the General Assembly and Legislative Council then ThatAndMr proceeded Chairman the Alexander Ballots to reported ballot beingMoultrie forcast Esquirean up Attorney was Generalduly elected Attorney Gen eral Colonel Parsons reported from the Committee appointed for that Purpose the Draught of an Oath proper to be taken by His Excel lency the AndResolved the President said That Report the and following being Commander agreed Oath bein to ChiefAdministered in the General Assembly to His Excellency the President and Commander in Chief to I qualify solemnly him promise for entering and swear upon theto preside Execution over of the his People office of this Colony according to the Constitution or Form of Government agreed to and resolved upon by the Representatives of South Carolina on the 26th Day of March 1776 That I will cause Law and Justice in Mercy to be executed and to the utmost of my Power maintain and defend the Laws of God the Protestant Religion and the Liberties of America The Members So help me of theGod. General Assembly were then adjourned to meet The at General Five oClockWednesday Assembly in the Fivethe met Evening 27th oClock according Day P of M to March Adjournment 1776 And proceeded to ballot for the following Officers separately vizt AndThatThatTheTheThe TheMr John Chairman RegisterSheriffeSJudgeOrdinaryupon HughWilliamecretary castingHuger of Rutledge ofof reported theofBurrows CharlesMesne theEsquire up Admiralty theColony Esquire Conveyances EsquireTown Ballots was dulywas chosenDistrict was duly And duly chosen Secretary chosen Judge Ordinary of ofthe the Colony Ad miralty That George Sheed Esquire was duly chosen Register of Mesne Conveyances That Thomas And Grimball Esquire was duly chosen Sheriff for Charles UponResolved TownMotion That District His Excellency the President and Commander in Chief That sworn Colonel into Gadsden Office To-morrow be desired to And issue General Orders that the Regulars and Militia in Charles Town do parade To-Morrow and that the Artillery be fired when His Excellency shall have taken the State Oath Also 'that the Salute be returned by the Navy And that Proclamation with all due Solemnity be made of His Excellency's being Resolved sworn Thatto the a Administration Similar Proclamation of Government be made by the several Sheriffs Ordered of theThat Country Mr Chairman Districts be desired to wait on the President and And acquaint then the His General Excellency Assembly with the was above adjourned Resolutions till To-Morrow Morning TheAndTheThe GentlemenNamesGeneral the nine Journal Thursdayofof Assembly thethe who of ClockMembers Yesterdayhad the met on 28th accordingTuesday were wasDay called readof last to March over byAdjournment the 1776 General Assembly been elected Members of the Legislative Council withdrew to make choice On Motionof their own That Officers a Speaker of the General Assembly be now chosen Mr Chairman qutted the Chair 8 And T he Honourable James Parsons