commander-in-Chief, previous to his entering upon the execution of the duties of that high station.

The Constitution, or form of Government, agreed to, and resolved upon, by the Representatives of South-Carolina, being signed by the President of the Congress, and attested by the Secretary;

The Members made choice of the Honourable Willam Henry Drayton to be their Chairman.

And were then adjourned as a General Assembly, to meet at five o’clock, in the afternoon.

SOUTH-CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Tuesday, March 26, 1776.

The Constitution, 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 Secretary,

The Members of the General Assembly made choice of the Hon. William Henry Drayton, to be their Chairman.

The General Assembly were then adjourned, to meet at five o’clock, in the afternoon.

Five o’clock, P. M.

The General Assembly met, according to adjournment; and Mr. Chairman being seated,

The Members proceeded to ballot for a Legislative Council. And the ballots being cast up, Mr. Chairman reported, that Charles Pinckney, Henry Middleton, Richard Richardson, Rawlins Lowndes, Le Roy Hammond, Henry Lau-rens, David Oliphant, Thomas Ferguson, Stephen Bull, George Gabriel Powell, Thomas Bee, Joseph Kershaw, and Thomas Shubrick, Esquires, were duly chosen Members of the Legislative Council.

Upon motion, Resolved, That the President and Commander-in-Chief, and all other Officers to be chosen by ballot, be declared duly elected only by the votes of a majority of the Members present.

The Members of the General Assembly 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 balloted for had the votes of a majority of the Members present.

The Members of the General Assembly and of the Legislative Council again proceeded to ballot for a President and Commander-in-Chief of South-Carolina; and, upon casting up the ballots, Mr. Chairman reported that the Honourable John Rutledge, Esq., was duly chosen President and Commander-in-Chief of South-Carolina.

The Members of the General Assembly and of the Legislative Council then proceeded to ballot for a Vice-President of the Colony; and, upon casting up the ballots, Mr. Chairman reported that the Honourable enry Laurens, Esq., was duly chosen Vice-President of the Colony.

The Members of the General Assembly were then adjourned to nine o’clock to-morrow.

Wednesday, March 27, 1776.

The General Assembly met according to adjournment.

The Minutes of yesterday being read, his Excellency the President elect, being present, addressed the General Assembly, in nearly the words following:

“GENTLEMEN: The very great, unsolicited, and unexpected honour which you have been pleased to confer on me, has overwhelmed me with gratitude 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 welfare, 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 bettor qualified to discharge them; for, though in zeal and integrity 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 your enemies amongst ambitious and designing men, (by whom they say the people have been deceived and misled,) yet, as I have always thought every man’s best services due to his country, no fear of slander, or of difficulty or danger, shall deter me from yielding mine. In so perilous a season as the present I will not withhold 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 worthy countrymen I rely, to put the most favourable construction, 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 preserved.”

And then the President elect withdrew.

His Honour the Vice-President elect, in a speech, stating his reasons 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 of a Vice-President of the Colony.

His Honour then withdrew.

And the Members having taken the subject under their consideration, 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 thereupon. And the Vice-President being sent to, to desire his presence in the General Assembly, and his Honour signifying that he was much indisposed, and begged to be excused attending for the present,

The Members of the General Assembly and of the Legislative Council, proceeded to ballot for a Chief Justice; and, upon casting up the ballots, Mr. Chairman reported that the Honourable William Henry Drayton, Esq., was duly elected Chief Justice.

The Members of the General Assembly and Legislative Council then proceeded, in like manner, to the choice of four Assistant Judges; and the ballots being cast up, Mr. Chairman reported that the Honourable Thomas Bee, John Matthews, Esq., 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.

A motion was thereupon made, to determine, by a question, whether Mr. Pendleton was duly elected an Assistant Judge; and the question being put, it passed in the negative.

Colonel Powell then requested leave to 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 granted.

The Members of the General Assembly and Legislative Council thereupon proceeded to ballot for two Assistant Judges; and the ballots being cast up, Mr. Chairman reported that Joshua Ward and Henry Pendleton, Esquires, were duly elected Assistant Judges.

The Members of the General Assembly and Legislative Council then proceeded to ballot for an Attorney-General; and the ballots being cast up, Mr. Chairman reported that. Alexander Moultrie, Esq., was duly elected Attorney-General.

Colonel Parsons reported, from the Committee appointed for that purpose, the draft of an Oath proper to be taken by His Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief.

And the said Report being agreed to,

Resolved, That the following Oath be administered, in the General Assembly, to his Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief, to qualify him for entering upon the execution of his office:

“I solemnly promise and swear to preside over the people 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. So help me God.“