North Carolina General Assembly of October 1784

The North Carolina General Assembly of October 1784 met in New Bern from October 25, 1784 to November 26, 1784. The assembly consisted of the 116 members of the North Carolina House of Commons and 55 senators of North Carolina Senate elected by the voters on August 20, 1784. As prescribed by the 1776 Constitution of North Carolina the General Assembly elected Richard Caswell as Governor of North Carolina and members of the Council of State.[1][2][3][4][5]

9th North Carolina General Assembly (October 1784)
April 1784 1785
Overview
Legislative bodyNorth Carolina General Assembly
JurisdictionNorth Carolina, United States
Meeting placeNew Bern
Term1784
Senate
Members55 Senators authorized
SpeakerRichard Caswell
ClerkJohn Haywood
Assistant ClerkSherwood Haywood
House of Commons
Members116 Delegates authorized
SpeakerWilliam Blount
ClerkJohn Hunt
Assistant ClerkJohn Haywood
Sessions
1stOctober 25, 1784 – November 26, 1784
2ndunknown – June 1785

Councilors of State

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James Kenan
 
Robert Burton

As prescribed by the 1776 Constitution of North Carolina, the General Assembly elected the governor and the following members of the North Carolina Council of State:[5][1]

James Glasgow continued as North Carolina Secretary of State (served 1777–1798). The assembly elected Memucan Hunt (served 1784–1787) as first statewide North Carolina State Treasurer. Alfred Moore continued (served 1782–1791) as North Carolina Attorney General.

Assembly membership

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There were 55 counties in North Carolina in 1784. Each county was authorized to elect two representatives to the House of Commons and one delegate to the Senate. In addition, the six districts were authorized one delegate each. (Sullivan, Washington, Davidson, and Green counties would later become part of Tennessee in 1796.) Richard Caswell was elected Governor of North Carolina by this General Assembly but did not take the governor's office until 1785. According to a book by the Secretary of State edited by Cheney and published in 1974, this assembly had a second session that concluded in June 1784.[5][3][6][7]

House of Commons members

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John Baptista Ashe, Halifax County
 
William Richardson Davie, Northampton County
 
Abner Nash, Jones County

The House of Commons delegates elected a Speaker (William Blount), Clerk (John Hunt), Assistant Clerk (John Haywood), Doorkeeper, and Assistant Doorkeeper. The following delegates to the House of Commons were elected by the voters of North Carolina to represent each county and district:[3][4][5][6]

County/District Delegate
Anson James Terry
Anson John DeJarnett
Beaufort Thomas Alderson
Beaufort John Gray Blount
Bertie Zedekiah Stone
Bertie Andrew Oliver
Bladen Samuel Cain
Bladen Peter Robeson
Brunswick Jacob Leonard
Brunswick David Flowers
Burke Joseph McDowell
Burke Waightstill Avery
Camden Benjamin Jones
Camden Abner Harrison
Carteret John Easton
Carteret Eli West
Caswell Edward Clay[note 1]
Caswell William Moore
Chatham Elisha Cain
Chatham Joseph Stewart
Chowan Clement Hall
Chowan Michael Payne
Craven William Bryan
Craven William Blount[note 2]
Cumberland Edward Winslow
Cumberland James Emmett
Currituck Joseph Ferebee
Currituck Dr. James White[note 3]
Davidson  Elijah Robertson
Davidson  Ephraim McLean
Dobbs William Caswell
Dobbs John Sheppard
Duplin Robert Dickson
Duplin Thomas Gray
Edgecombe Robert Diggs
Edgecombe John Dalvin (Dolvin)
Fayette William Rand
Fayette Alexander McAllister
Franklin Thomas Sherrod
Franklin Durham Hall
Gates Joseph Riddick
Gates Seth Riddick
Granville Thomas Person
Granville Thornton Yancey
Greene  Alexander Outlaw
Greene  Unknown
Guilford John Hamilton
Guilford John Leak
Halifax Benjamin McCulloch
Halifax John Baptista Ashe[note 4]
Hertford William Hill
Hertford Thomas Brickell
Hyde John Eborne
Hyde William Russell
Johnston Joseph Boon
Johnston Kedar Powell
Jones William Randall
Jones Abner Nash[note 5]
Lincoln John Sloan
Lincoln Daniel McKissick
Martin Nathan Mayo
Martin Thomas Hunter[note 6]
Martin John Ross
Mecklenburg Caleb Phifer
Mecklenburg David Wilson
Montgomery Mark Allen
Montgomery William Kendall
Moore John Cox
Moore William Seals
Nash Micajah Thomas
Nash John Bonds
New Hanover Timothy Bloodworth[note 7]
New Hanover James Bloodworth
Northampton James Vaughan
Northampton William Richardson Davie[note 8]
Onslow Edward Starkey
Onslow Daniel Yates
Orange Alexander Mebane
Orange John Butler
Pasquotank Thomas Reading
Pasquotank John Smithson, Jr.
Perquimans John Reed
Perquimans Robert Riddick
Pitt John Jordan
Pitt Richard Moye
Randolph  Joseph Robbins
Randolph  Aaron Hill
Richmond Robert Webb
Richmond Charles Robertson[note 9]
Rowan William Sharpe[note 10]
Rowan James Kerr
Rutherford Richard Singleton
Rutherford James Withrow
Sampson David Dodd
Sampson John Hay
Sullivan William Cage
Sullivan David Looney
Surry Joel Lewis
Surry James Martin
Tyrrell Benjamin Spruill
Tyrrell Nathan Hooker
Wake Tignal Jones
Wake John Humphries
Warren  John Macon
Warren  James Payne
Washington Charles Robertson
Washington Landon Carter
Wayne William Alford
Wayne John Handley
Wilkes Benjamin Herndon
Wilkes Jesse Franklin
Edenton District Stephen Cabarrus
Halifax District Henry Montfort
Hillsborough District Archibald Lytle
New Bern District Spyars Singleton
Salisbury District Spruce McCoy (McCay, McKay)
Wilmington District Archibald MacLaine

Senate members

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Richard Caswell, Dobbs County
 
William Lenoir, Wilkes County
 
Nathaniel Macon, Warren County
 
Benjamin Williams, Johnston County

The Senators elected a President/Speaker (Richard Caswell, Sr.), Clerk (John Haywood), Assistant Clerk (Sherwood Haywood), Doorkeeper, and Assistant Doorkeeper. The following Senators were elected by the voters of North Carolina to represent each county:[3][4][5][7]

County Senator
Anson Thomas Wade
Beaufort John Smaw
Bertie Jonathan Jaycocks
Bladen Thomas Owen
Brunswick William Walters
Burke Charles McDowell
Camden Isaac Gregory
Carteret Enoch Ward
Caswell Vacant
Chatham Ambrose Ramsey
Chowan William Boritz
Craven James Coor
Cumberland David Smith
Currituck James Phillips
Davidson  Unknown / Vacant
Dobbs Richard Caswell, Sr.[note 11]
Duplin James Gillespie
Edgecombe Isaac Sessums[note 12]
Fayette Thomas Armstrong
Franklin Vacant
Gates William Baker
Granville John Taylor
Greene Unknown / Vacant
Guilford James Galloway
Halifax Nicholas Long
Hertford John Baker
Hyde Abraham Jones
Johnston Benjamin Williams
Jones Frederick Hargett
Lincoln Robert Alexander
Martin Whitmell Hill[note 13]
Mecklenburg James Harris
Montgomery Samuel Parsons
Moore Henry Lightfoot
Nash  Hardy Griffin
New Hanover John A. Campbell
Northampton Allen Jones[note 14]
Onslow Thomas Johnston
Orange William McCauley
Pasquotank Thomas Relfe
Perquimans John Skinner
Pitt John Williams[note 15]
Randolph  Thomas Dougan
Richmond Charles Medlock
Rowan Matthew Locke
Rutherford James Miller
Sampson  Richard Clinton
Sullivan Unknown / Vacant
Surry John Armstrong
Tyrrell  John Warrington
Wake Joel Lane
Warren Nathaniel Macon
Washington William Cocke
Wayne Burwell Mooring
Wilkes William Lenoir

Legislation

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This assembly approved an act to require county courts to conduct a census of white and black residents. Other acts concerned the following:[8]

  • public taxes
  • taxes on imports
  • sale of confiscated property
  • regulation of superior courts,
  • real estate
  • sales of slaves
  • appointment of county commissioners
  • building public roads, ferries, and bridges
  • providing for the safe keeping of the estates of idiots and lunatics
  • repealing the act from the previous assembling concerning sale of western lands to the U.S. Congress,
  • accurate accounting of war service for pensioners
  • fraudulent claims for western lands
  • prohibiting loyalists from holding public office and establishing an oath for those taking public office
  • prohibiting paid public servants from holding office in the assembly
  • establishing a court for dealing with foreign mercantile transactions and transient persons and maritime affairs
  • prevention of horse stealing
  • regulating county court of pleas and quarter sessions
  • amending the act of the April 1784 assembly dealing with when the assembly would meet
  • changing the start date of the assembly from the first Monday in October to the first Monday in November
  • creation of the District of Morgan, which would include Burke, Lincoln, Rutherford and Wilkes Counties
  • creation of the District of Washington, which would include Washington, Sullivan, Greene, and Davidson Counties
  • encouraging learning in Salisbury District, which dealt with the former Liberty Hall academy, which was renamed Salisbury Academy in Rowan County
  • levying a tax in Salisbury and Hillsborough Districts to repair district buildings
  • building a gaol in Wilmington
  • establishing principal streets in Fayetteville
  • inspecting tobacco in Hillsborough
  • disposition of the estate of Simon Cleary
  • establishing a town in Jones County
  • establishing the town of Morgan
  • creating a local tax in Warren and Franklin counties for building public buildings
  • changing taxes in New Bern District
  • empowering Wayne County to establish a tax to pay for public buildings
  • empowering Bladen County commissioners to purchase land for public buildings
  • changing the location of public buildings in Mecklenburg County from Charlotte to a more central location
  • clearing and opening the Tar River and Fishing Creek
  • empowering commissioners in Northampton County to repair public buildings
  • extending the dividing line between Tyrrell and Hyde counties
  • several acts dealing with the estates of individuals

For additional details of the legislation of this assembly, see Legislative Documents

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Edward Clay was accused of theft and expelled on November 26, 1784
  2. ^ William Blount was a delegate to the Continental Congress/Confederation Congress in 1782–1783; 1786–1787. He also signed the Declaration of Independence.
  3. ^ James White was a delegate to the Continental Congress/Confederation Congress, 1786–1788. He was also a non-voting member of the U.S. Congress from the Southwest Territory in 1794.
  4. ^ John Baptista Ashe was a delegate from North Carolina to the Continental Congress/Confederation Congress in 1787.
  5. ^ Abner Nash was a delegate to the Continental Congress/Confederation Congress, 1782–1783. He was also the 2nd Governor of the state (1780–1781)
  6. ^ Thomas Hunter was deemed ineligible for office and replaced by John Ross after a new election.
  7. ^ Timothy Bloodworth was a delegate to the Continental Congress/Confederation Congress in 1786.
  8. ^ William Richardson Davie was the 10th state Governor (1798–1799).
  9. ^ Charles Robertson was accused of being a loyalist during the American Revolution and expelled on November 1, 1784.
  10. ^ William Sharpe was a delegate from North Carolina to the 2nd Continental Congress in 1779–1781.
  11. ^ Richard Caswell was a delegate from North Carolina to the 1st and 2nd Continental Congress in 1774 and 1775.
  12. ^ Isaac Sessums died while in office.
  13. ^ Whitmell Hill was a delegate from North Carolina to the 2nd Continental Congress in 1778–1780.
  14. ^ Allen Jones was a delegate from North Carolina to the 2nd Continental Congress in 1779–1780.
  15. ^ John Williams was a delegate from North Carolina to the 2nd Continental Congress in 1778–1779.

References

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  1. ^ a b "North Carolina Constitution of 1776". Yale Law School. 1776. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  2. ^ Norris, David A. (2006). "North Carolina Capitals, Colonial and State". NCPedia.org. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d Connor, Robert Diggs Wimberly, ed. (1913). A Manual of North Carolina (PDF). Raleigh, North Carolina: E. M. Uzzell & Company. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Wheeler, John Hill, ed. (1874). The Legislative Manual and Political Register of the State of North Carolina for the Year 1874. Raleigh, North Carolina: Josiah Turner, Jr.; State Printer and Binder. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e Cheney, John L. Jr., ed. (1974). North Carolina Government, 1585–1974.
  6. ^ a b Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State House of Commons October to November 1784". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State Senate October to November 1784". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  8. ^ Caswell, Richard; Blount, William (1784). "Laws of North Carolina, 1784" (PDF). carolana.com. Retrieved November 14, 2019.