Justices for the Cheraws District.

John Alran, William Dewitt, Elias Dubose, Robert Gray, George Hicks,

Henry William Harrington. Arthur Hart, John Kimbrough, Thomas Lide.

William Henry Mills, Grorge Pawley, Claudius Pegues, William Pegues, Philip Pledger,

The Committee of this House who were appointed yesterday to confer with a Committee of the Legislative Council, on the subject of an Address to his Excellency the President, reported a draft thereof; and the said Address being read and amended, was agreed to by the House.

Ordered, That the Honourable Mr. Drayton and Colonel C. C. Pinckney do wait on the Legislative Council, and acquaint their Honours with the amendment made to the said Address, and desire their Honours’ concurrence therein.

The Committee appointed yesterday to report such Bills and Ordinances as may be necessary to pass during the present session of the General Assembly, delivered in a Report.

And the said Report being taken into consideration and agreed to,

Ordered, That the Honourable Mr. Drayton, Colonel Charles C. Pinckney, Captain Moultrie, Colonel Gervais, and Captain Trapier, do forthwith prepare and bring in the following Bills:

A Bill to punish those who shall counterfeit, or utter knowing them to be counterfeit, the Certificates issued by the late Houses of Assembly, or the Continental or Colonial Currency, which hath been, or shall be hereafter issued.

An Ordinance for altering the times of holding the next Circuit Courts of General Sessions of the Peace and Common Pleas in Charlestoun.

An Ordinance to vest the several powers therein mentioned, formerly granted to the Council of Safety, in the President and Privy Council; to suspend the Habeas Corpus Act, as to commitments by them, until the 5th day of December next; and to enable them to take measures for assisting a neighbouring Colony.

A Bill to empower the Court of Admiralty to have jurisdiction in cases of Captures; and to establish the trial by Jury in such cases.

An Ordinance to increase the number of Firemasters in Charlestown, and to empower any two of them to pull down a House, in order to prevent the spreading of Fire, without the consent of a Justice of the Peace.

An Ordinance to repeal so much of a former Act of Assembly as relates to the appointment of Henry Peronneau and Benjamin Dart, Esquires, joint Publick Treasurers of this Colony.

A Bill to punish those who shall harbour Deserters.

A Bill to revive and continue such necessary Acts as are expired, or near expiring.

On motion, Resolved, That an Ordinance be brought in, appointing a proper Oath to be taken by every person previous to his entering upon office under the present Constitution.

Ordered, That the Honourable Mr. Drayton do bring in the same.

On motion, Resolved, That the President of the late Congress do give Certificates to the Members applying for the same, for their daily attendance therein, till a Speaker was appointed; and that Mr. Speaker do give such Certificates from the time of his being placed in the Chair.

Ordered, That Colonel Gervais, Major Williamson, Captain Benjamin Elliott, Mr. Rapley, and Mr. Sinckler, be a Committee to consider and report what recompense and provision should be made for several persons wounded and disabled in the publick service, and also for the families of such as may be killed in the said service.

A Petition, signed by Wilson Cook, in behalf of himself and other complainants, was presented and read. Ordered, That the said Petition do lie on the table.

And then the House adjourned to Monday morning, nine of the clock.

Monday, April 1, 1776.

On motion, (inasmuch as there is no Paymaster for payment of the Militia in the service of the Colony doing duty in and near Charlestown, and there is immediate occasion for their payment,) Resolved, That the demands now due to such Militia be settled and adjusted by a Committee of this House; and, on being adjusted by such Committee, be discharged by a draft on the Treasury by his Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief.

Ordered, That the above Resolution be sent to the Legislative Council for their concurrence, and to his Excellency for his assent.

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

Ordered, That the Honourable Mr. Drayton and Mr. Chiffelle do wait on the Legislative Council with the said Resolution.

Ordered, That Mr. Edwards, Captain Roger Smith, and Mr. Hall, be a Committee to adjust and settle the Accounts due from the publick to the Militia.

The Honourable Mr. Drayton reported that he, with Mr. Chiffelle, had delivered the Resolution they had in charge to the Legislative Council.

On motion, Resolved, That the Acts of the General Assembly and the Journals of the Commons House of Assembly, for two or three years last past, lately removed to Dorchester, be forthwith brought down from thence.

The Rules and Orders to be observed by the Members of this House, agreed to yesterday, being engrossed, were signed by Mr. Speaker, and affixed to the wainscot for the perusal of the Members.

Message from the honourable the Legislative Council, by their Clerk, acquainting the House that they had read the Resolution sent to them from this House, and concurred therein.

Ordered, That Mr. Thomas Waring and Mr. William Parker do wait on his Excellency the President with the said Resolution.

Mr. Waring being returned, reported that he, with Mr. Parker, had delivered the Resolution they had in charge to the President, and that his Excellency was pleased to say he would give orders accordingly.

Message from the Legislative Council, by their Clerk acquainting the House that they had agreed to the amendment made in the Address to his Excellency the President.

Ordered, That the said Address be engrossed. And the same being engrossed accordingly, is as follows:

To his Excellency JOHN RUTLEDGE, Esq., President and Commander-in-Chief in and over the Colony of SOUTH-CAROLINA.

The Address of the Legislative Council and General Assembly:

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY: We, the Legislative Council and General Assembly of South-Carolina, convened under the authority of the equitable constitution of Government established by a free People in Congress, on the 26th instant, beg leave most respectfully to address your Excellency.

Nothing is better known to your Excellency than the unavoidable necessity which induced us as members of Congress, on the part of the people, to resume the powers of Government, and to establish some mode for regulating the internal polity of this Colony; and, as members of the Legislative Council and General Assembly, to vest you for a time limited with the Executive authority. Such constitutional proceedings, on our part, we make no doubt will be construed into acts of the greatest criminality by that despotism which, lost to all sense of justice and humanity, has already pretended that we are in actual rebellion. But, sir, when we reflect upon the unprovoked, cruel, and accumulated oppressions under which America in general, and this country in particular, has long continued,—oppressions, which gradually increasing in injustice and violence are now, by inexorable tyranny, perpetrated against the United Colonies under the various forms of robbery, conflagrations, massacre, breach of publick faith, and open war; conscious of our natural and unalienable rights, and determined to make every effort in our power to retain them, we see your Excellency’s elevation from the midst of us, to govern this country, as the natural consequence of such outrages.