to acquaint their Honours that this House have chosen Colonel William Moultrie to be a Member of their House.

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

May it please your Honours:

This House think proper to acquaint your Honours that they have chosen William Moultrie, Esq., a Member of the Legislative Council in the room of his Honour Henry Laurens, Esq., Vice-President of the Colony.

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

Ordered, That Colonel C. C. Pinckney and Mr. Gibbes do wait on their Honours with the said Message.

Captain Moultrie reported, that he, with Captain Roger Smith, had waited upon his Excellency the President, and delivered to him the Message they had in charge.

It being represented to the House that there was an urgent necessity for immediately opening the Ordinary’s Office,

Ordered, That Captain Moultrie do wait upon William Burrows, Esq., to acquaint him of his being chosen Ordinary of this Colony, and that it is necessary he should properly qualify himself to enter upon the execution of the duties of that office as soon as possible.

Ordered, That Mr. Loocock, Captain Trapier, Colonel Thomas, Major Williamson, Captain Winn, Mr. Heard, Colonel Gervais, and Mr. Bull, be a Committee to receive and report the names of Candidates, or other fit persons, to be chosen Sheriffs for the several Districts out of the limits of Charlestown, and that they do report the same as soon as may be to-morrow.

And then the House adjourned till to-morrow morning, nine of the clock.

Friday, March 29, 1776.

The House met according to adjournment.

Captain Moultrie reported that he had, agreeable to the order of the House, waited upon Mr. Burrows with the message he had in charge; that Mr. Burrows expressed great sensibility of the honour conferred upon him by the House in electing him to the office of Ordinary, which he was willing to accept, but that his present indisposition rendered it impossible for him to attend the General Assembly to take the necessary oaths.

Ordered, That Colonel Horry do, on account of Mr. Burrows’s present indisposition, wait upon him at his own house, and administer the oaths to him there.

Colonel Thomas, from the Committee on the state of the Militia in the interior parts of the Colony, delivered in a Report.

Ordered, That the said Report be taken into consideration to-morrow.

Ordered, That the Honourable Mr. Drayton, Colonel diaries Cotesworth Pinckney, Captain Moultrie, Colonel Gervais, and Captain Trapier, be a Committee on the state of the Colony, and to report to the House such Bills and Ordinances as may be necessary to pass during the present session of the General Assembly.

Ordered, That one of the Messengers be sent to desire the immediate attendance, in this House, of Captain Francis Ross, one of the Members for the New-Acquisition.

On motion, Resolved, That a Message be sent to the honourable the Legislative Council, to desire a conference between a Committee of both Houses on the subject of a joint Congratulatory Address to his Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief.

The following draft was accordingly prepared:

May it please your Honours:

The General Assembly think it expedient that a joint Address from the Legislative Council and General Assembly should be presented to his Excellency the President, congratulating him upon his being in possession of the administration of the Government, and assuring him that both the Houses will support him in the same with their lives and fortunes. If the Legislative Council are of the same opinion, the General Assembly will appoint six Members to manage the free conference on their part.

And the same being agreed to by the House,

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

Ordered, That the Honourable Mr. Drayton and Captain Roger Smith do wait upon the Legislative Council with the said Message.

Ordered, That Colonel C. C. Pinckney, Colonel Daniel Horry, and Mr. Salvador, be a Committee to inquire and report the names of proper persons to be appointed Magistrates in the different Districts of this Colony.

The Honourable Mr. Drayton reported, that he, with Captain Smith, had waited upon the Legislative Council and delivered the Message they had in charge.

On motion, Resolved, That this House will make provision for the payment of such reasonable Salaries as the Legislative Council may, during their session, assign to their respective Officers.

Ordered, That Mr. Matthews and Captain Skirving do wait upon the Legislative Council with a copy of the above Resolution.

Peter Bacot, Esquire, one of the Commissioners of the Treasury, requested leave to resign that office, for reasons which he stated, and which were approved by the House.

His resignation was therefore accepted.

On motion, Resolved, That the Sheriffs for the several Districts out of Charlestown be now balloted for.

Ordered, That the Honourable Mr. Drayton and Colonel C. C. Pinckney do wait on the honourable the Legislative Council to request their attendance in the General Assembly to join this House in balloting for the Sheriffs.

Mr. Matthews reported, that he, with Captain Skirving, had delivered the Message they had in charge to the Legislative Council.

The Honourable Mr. Drayton reported, that he, with Colonel Pinckney, had waited on the Legislative Council, agreeable to the order of this House, to request their attendance, in order to proceed to the election of Sheriffs; and their Honours were pleased to answer they would attend presently.

Message from the Legislative Council, by their Clerk.

“In the Legislative Council, March 29, 1776.

“Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen:

“In answer to your Message proposing a free conference on the subject-matter of a joint Address to be presented to his Excellency the President by both Houses, we acquaint you that we have appointed Colonel Charles Pinckney, Thomas Ferguson, and David Oliphant, Esqs., a Committee to confer with your Committee in the Conference-Room immediately, or at such other time as may be convenient.

“GEORGE GAB. POWELL, Speaker.”;

The Members of the Legislative Council being introduced, they, with the Members of the General Assembly, immediately proceeded to ballot for the Sheriffs; and, the ballots being cast up, Mr. Speaker reported that the following gentlemen were duly elected by the votes of a majority of the Members of both Houses present, viz:

Edward Martin, Esq., for Georgetown District;

Tunis Tebout, Esq., for Beaufort District;

Lewis Golson, Esq., for Orangeburgh District;

Robert Stark, Esq., for Ninety-Six District;

John Wylly, Esq., for Camden District;

Henry William Harrington, Esq., for Cheraws District. The Members of the Legislative Council then withdrew.

Ordered, That the Honourable Mr. Drayton, Colonel C. C. Pinckney, Mr. Motte, Captain Benjamin Elliott, Mr. Rapley, and Captain Roger Smith, be a Committee to confer with a Committee of the Legislative Council on the subject of an Address to his Excellency the President.

Ordered, That William Williamson and Benjamin Young, Esqs., have leave of absence.

And then the House adjourned till to-morrow morning, nine of the clock.

Saturday, March 30, 1776.

The House met according to adjournment.

Ordered, That Major Cattell, Captain Maham, and Mr. Toomer, be a Committee to prepare and report proper Rules and Orders to be observed by the Members of this House.