Sumner County,-D. Shelby, Isaac Walton, W. Douglass, Edward Douglass, Daniel Smith. These representatives constituted the Constitutional Convention of 1796, and William Blount was elected President of the Convention, William Macklin, Secretary, John Sevier, Jr., Engrossing Clerk, and John Rhea, Doorkeeper. On motion a committee of two representatives from each county was appointed to draft a constitution, and it is natural that every Tennessean should feel profound interest in the personnel of the committee that made the original draft of the State's first constitution, who were as follows: Blount County-Craig and Black. Davidson County-McNairy and Jackson. Mr. Smith of Sumner was Chairman of the Committee and on January 27, 1796, a draft of the constitution was reported to the Convention, and on January 28, referred to the Committee of the Whole and was under consideration until February 6 1796, when the constitution was adopted. The Convention was in session twenty-seven days. On February 6, 1796, Chairman McClung of the Committee on the Expense of the Convention reported that beside the per diem of the members and officers of the Convention, the expenses were ten dollars for seats for the Convention, and $2.62 for three and one-half yards of oil-cloth for covering the table of the chairman and secretary. The per diem allowed to members of the Convention and the officers was $1.50 a day for each member and one dollar for every thirty miles traveled to and from the Convention, $2.50 a day to the clerks, and $2.00 to the doorkeeper. The Convention was held in the office of David Hanley, Agent of the War Department. President Blount was instructed to forward as early as practicable a copy of the new constitution to the Secretary of State in Washington, and was further authorized to issue writs of election in the several counties for the purpose of choosing a governor and members of the General Assembly under the new constitution. On February 9, President Blount sent to the Secretary of State a copy of the constitution by Joseph McMinn, a Hawkins County man, who was afterwards Governor of the State. Dr. James White of Davidson County was the territorial representative of Tennessee in Congress. It is customary to quote Mr. Jefferson's comment on this constitution, that it was "the least imperfect and most republican of any of the American States." It remained without amendment until the Constitution of 1834 was adopted. FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY. It is interesting to recall the members of the first General Assembly of the State. In this list are names that achieved high position subsequently in the councils of Tennessee. MEMBERS OF THE SENATE. Tennessee County-James Ford. Hawkins County-Joseph McMinn. James Winchester was elected Speaker of the Senate; F. A. Ramsey, Clerk; Nathaniel Buckingham, Assistant Clerk; Thomas Bounds, Doorkeeper. MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE. Blount County-James Houston and Joseph Black. Sullivan County-John Rhea and David Looney. Sumner County-Stephen Cantrell and William Montgomery. After the organization of the Senate and House they met in joint convention for the purpose of opening and summing up the returns in the election for Governor, when it was found that John Sevier had been duly elected Governor of the new State. Judge Joseph Anderson swore Governor-elect Sevier into office. William Blount and William Cocke were elected Senators in the Congress of the United States; William Macklin, Secretary of State; John McNairy, Willie Blount and Archibald Roane, Judges of the Superior Court of Law and Equity, but John McNairy declined to serve, and Howell Tatum was elected in his place; Willie Blount also declined and his place was filled by W. C. C. Claiborne; Landon Carter was elected Treasurer of Washington and Hamilton Districts, and William Black of the Mero District. It was at this session of the General Assembly that Tennesssee County was divided into Robertson and Montgomery Counties; Washington County was also divided, and out of a part of it Carter County was established. Elizabethton, the county seat, was named in honor of Elizabeth, the wife of General Carter. Grainger County was established April 22, 1796, and named for Mary Grainger, the wife of Governor Blount. On April 8, 1796, President George Washington submitted to Congress the constitution of the new State of Tennessee, and it was referred to the proper committee in both Senate and House, and on April 12, 1796, the House Committee reported recommending that the State be declared one of the United States of America. The Senate Committee reported against the admission of the State, but the Senate finally yielded and the act was passed May 31st, 1796, admitting Tennessee into the Union. But Governor Blount and William Cocke having been elected United States Senators before Tennessee became a State, it was necessary to elect them over again. Accordingly, Governor Sevier called the General Assembly together and they were elected a second time to the Senate. Andrew Jackson was elected the State's Representative in Congress, and took his seat at the session of Congress which assembled December 5, 1796. The bill admitting the State into the Union was approved by President Washington June 1, 1796, and is as follows: "WHEREAS, By the acceptance of the deed of cession of the State of North Carolina, congress is bound to lay out into one or more States the territory thereby ceded to the United States. "BE IT ENACTED, ETC. That the whole of the territory ceded to the United States by the State of North Carolina shall be one State, and the same is hereby declared to be one of the United States of America, on an equal footing with the original States, in all respects whatever, by the name and title of the State of Tennessee. That until the next general census, the said State of Tennessee shall be entitled to one representative in the house of representatives of the United States; and in all other respects as far as they may be applicable, the laws of the United States shall extend to and have force in the State of Tennessee, in the same manner as if the State had originally been one of the United States. "Approved June 1, 1796. "George Washington, President of the United States. "Jonothan Dayton, Speaker of the House of Representatives. "Samuel Livermore, President of the United States Senate. THE GOVERNORS OF THE STATE. Within the limits of this book it is impossible to write a history of Tennessee, or even the history of the State down to the death of General Jackson in 1845. A great many things will have to be merely mentioned, or, at best, an abstract given. Hence it is impossible to give a history of each State administration and only a brief mention of the Governors of the State will be made, with their term of office, the candidates for the office, and the vote each candidate received: John Sevier............1796-1801-No opposition. .1803-1809-In 1803 Governor Sevier was op- |