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

Wednesday, March 27, 1776, five o’clock, P. M.

The General Assembly met, according to adjournment, and proceeded to ballot for the following Officers, separately, viz:

The Secretary of the Colony, the Ordinary, the Judge of the Admiralty, the Register of Mesne Conveyances, and the Sheriff of Charlestown District. And upon casting up the ballots, Mr. Chairman reported that John Huger, Esq., was duly chosen Secretary of the Colony; that William Burrows, Esq., was duly chosen Ordinary; that Hugh Rutledge, Esq., was duly chosen Judge of the Admiralty; that George Sheed, Esq., was duly chosen Register of Mesne Conveyances; and that Thomas Grimball, Esq., was duly chosen Sheriff for Charlestown District.

Upon motion, Resolved, That his Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief be sworn into office to-morrow; and that Colonel Gadsden be desired to issue General Orders, that the Regulars and Militia in Charlestown 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 sworn to the administration of Government.

Resolved, That a similar Proclamation be made by the several Sheriffs of the country Districts.

Ordered, That Mr. Chairman be desired to wait on the President, and acquaint his Excellency with the above Resolutions.

And then the General Assembly was adjourned till tomorrow morning, nine of the clock.

Thursday, March 28, 1776.

The General Assembly met according to adjournment.

The names of the Members were called over, and the Journal of yesterday was read.

The gentlemen who had, on Tuesday last, by the General Assembly, been elected Members of the Legislative Council, withdrew to make choice of their own officers.

On motion, that a Speaker of the General Assembly be now chosen,

Mr. Chairman quitted the Chair.

And the Honourable James Parsons, Esq., was unanimously chosen Speaker.

Mr. Speaker having taken the Chair,

The House proceeded to the election of their Clerk, and unanimously made choice of Peter Timothy to that office.

Mr. Speaker and the rest of the Members having, respective’ly, taken the oath of fidelity required by the Constitution, and the oath of office being also administered to the Clerk,

A Message was sent to the Members of the honourable the Legislative Council, to acquaint them that the Members of this House having been duly sworn, they were ready to receive the Legislative Council, that the oath of fidelity might likewise be administered to them, respectively, in the General Assembly, as required by the Constitution.

The Honourable George Gabriel Powell, Henry Mid-dleton, Thomas Ferguson, Charles Pinckney, Le Roy Hammond, Stephen Bull, Thomas Shubrick, and David Oliphant, Esquires, accordingly attended, and took the oath of fidelity in the General Assembly; and then they withdrew.

Thomas Grimball, Esq., who had been duly elected Sheriff of Charlestown District, attending at the door, he was called in, and likewise took the oath of fidelity required by the Constitution.

Ordered, That the Honourable Mr. Drayton, Colonel Gadsden, Colonel C. C. Pinckney, Colonel Daniel Horry, Major Cattell, and Captain Roger Smith, be a Committee to wait on his Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief, to acquaint him that the Members of this House having been sworn in, and having made choice of their Speaker, they were now ready to receive his Excellency, to administer to him the Oaths necessary to qualify him to enter upon the duties of that important station to which, by the suffrages of a free People, he had been elected.

And the Committee being returned, and having introduced his Excellency, he took the oath of fidelity, and also the oath of office, in the General Assembly. And his Honour the Vice-President also took the oath of fidelity.

His Excellency then, preceded by the Sheriff bearing the sword of State, and the Officers of the Legislative Council, and accompanied by his Honour the Vice-President, the Honourable the Speaker, and the Members of the Legislative Council, the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the General Assembly, in solemn procession, proceeded to the Exchange; where the preamble and the three subsequent clauses of the Constitution, or form of Government, being read, and the proceedings in the General Assembly on the 26th instant, whereby it appeared that his Excellency John Rutledge, Esquire, was duly chosen President and Commander-in-Chief, and that his Honour Henry Laurens, Esq., was duly chosen Vice-President of this Colony, being also read and proclaimed by the Sheriff; his Excellency, with the same procession, returned into the General Assembly, Mr. Speaker and the Members of the General Assembly first coming in; and, being seated, his Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief, his Honour the Vice-President, and the Legislative Council, then entered, and

Mr. Speaker reported to the House the proceedings since he had quitted the Chair. His Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief, his Honour the Vice-President, and the Legislative Council, then withdrew.

The General Assembly then proceeded to choose, by ballot, a Member of the Legislative Council in the room of the Honourable Henry Laurens, Esq., who, by accepting the office of Vice-President of the Colony, had vacated his seat therein; and it appearing, upon casting up the ballots, that the gentleman who had the greatest number of votes had not those of a majority of the Members present, the House again proceeded to ballot for a Member of the Legislative Council; and having balloted accordingly, Mr. Speaker reported that the Honourable William Moultrie, Esq., was duly elected.

The House was then adjourned to meet at five o’clock in the afternoon.

Thursday, March 28, 1776, P. M.

The House met according to adjournment.

And the names of the Members being called over,

The House proceeded to ballot for three Members of the Privy Council; and, upon the ballots being cast up, the Honourable James Parsons was declared duly elected a Member of the Privy Council by a majority of votes of the Members present.

The House then proceeded to ballot for two other Members of the Privy Council; and, upon casting up the ballots, it appeared, and Mr. Speaker reported, that the Honourable William Henry Drayton was, in like manner, duly elected a Member of the Privy Council.

The House then proceeded to ballot for a third Member of the Privy Council; and, upon casting up the ballots, it appeared that none of the gentlemen balloted for had the votes of a majority of the Members present. The House thereupon again proceeded to ballot for a third Member of the Privy Council; and, the ballots being cast up, Mr. Speaker reported that John Edwards, Esquire, was duly elected a Member of the Privy Council.

Ordered, That a Message be sent to the President, acquainting his Excellency that this House have chosen the Honourable James Parsons, William Henry Drayton, and John Edwards, Esquires, to be Members of the Privy Council.

The following Message was accordingly drawn and agreed to by the House:

May it please your Excellency:

This House having chosen ames Parsons, Willian Henry Drayton, and John Edwards, Esquires, Members of the Privy Council, acquaint your Excellency therewith.

Ordered, That the said Message be engrossed, and that Mr. Speaker do sign the same.

Ordered, That Captain Roger Smith and Captain Moultrie do wait on his Excellency with the said Message.

Ordered, That a Message be sent to the Legislative Council