The North-Carolina standard., 1845-03-19
Fromfh Raleigh Register,
! REyohUffgNARY HISTORY Or
NoTHcARoLINA.
ExEcuTiEE QfFIcE.
Raleigh, March 5th, I845.

EXECUTIVE 0FFIcE,
Raleigh, March 5th, I845, ~
The undersigned most respectfully invites pub
lie notice to the following Resolution, adopted 1Sy
the General Assembly at is las. Session, viz:
Resofued, That his Excelfency, the Cover
nor, be, and is hereby authorized and en-
powered to collect ifpossibles such papers as may
be necessary TO pete the series of Letter Books
and have them copied and arranged, under his
supervision and to obtain, as far as practicable,
either the original papers or copies 1.-The proceed
ings of the several Town, County, and District
Committees, organized in the. Province, in COM
piiance with the recommendation OF the Consttu-
lional Congress of 1774, for the purpose OF car
ryinq into effectthe Articles Of American Associ-
alton, and the proceedings of the various Commit
tees and Council of Safety, subsequently convened
under the authority Of the Provincial Legislature
&c. - s--}'ssaa S..<1.'.- es~gS So -
It will be observed that the Resolution requires
the cohesion of two classes of DoclmentS: ID
+. Ist The Correspondence of the Executive De-
partment from the adoption of the Constitution IN
l776, lill the laner part of The year l794 when
it was first made the duty of the Governor, by
Act of the General Assembly, to keep a Letter
Book, for, the purpose of recording all important
lcttors. This period embraces the enllre Admin
istratons of the three first Governors, viz: Cas-
of Governor BURKE exists, asNI am Informed in
a good state Of preservation, and can be readily
( obtained A part efthat of Governor CAswELL,
has been found in the Department Of State, since
the adjournment of the Legislature, correspond
ing in the Nos. of the Packages, and in other par
ticuars, with memorandum left by him OF his
public papers, stated 10 have been deposited m that
Office and the residue, it is believed, are also
there Of the papers of Governor Nash, none
/ L L.. IHrlf-
ten 10 him by the Board of War ofthe State which
held its session frs at Hlsboro, and subsequent
iIy at Halifax, from the l4th of September, 1880,
until the 3Oth of January, 1871, copies of which
are recorded on the Journal oc the Board, pre-
served in the Department OF State. Frequent en-.
tries also appear on that Journal of letters said TO
have been received from him, and numbered
and fled" but not copied. As his death occurred
but few years after his administration and dur
ing the early childhood Of his only surviving son,
this gentleman, in reply 10 inquiries from me, IS
unable to give any information respecting them
! If yet in existence, and not among the masses o
old Documents in the Capitol. they may, most
probably, be found in the Town of Newbern, the
! residence Of their Author during the time be held
| the Office of Governor.
| Cd. The second class of Documents, relates to
the period which preceded The organization ofthe
! State Government under the Constitution, from
l774, to December, l776. A large Manuscript
bound Volume, in the Office Of the Secretary ol
/ State contains the Journals Of .-..'...
| I. A Provincial Convention, or: Congress- al
New-Bern, on the 9Th Of August, l77O, at which
were appointed the first Delegates To the Consti-
tutional Congress in the following month.
| g A similar Convention at the slme place, Sd
ofApril, l775.
! g. A Congress at Hills borough, 20lh August,
! 1775. 49, "
! A. A Provincial Council at Johnston Court
House. 18th OF October, ITS. '-
! #5. A Provincial Council at Johnston Court
! House, 18th Of December l775.
! g. A Provincial Council at New-Bcrn, 28lh
February, 1776.
| 7. A Congress at Hilifax, 4th of April, 1776.
! 8. A Council of Safety at Wilmington, 5th
June, 1776. ... ...... %
| O. The Journal of the Congress, or,Conven.
tion, at Halifax, 18th of November, I776, which
formed the Constitution, is in separate Volume.
The Provincial Congresses or Conventions,
and in their recess the Provincial Councils exer-
cised all she general powers Of Government, Leg
isa,ivr, Judicial, and Executive, from the dssolu-
tion of the Royal Government, until the present
| organization. But besides these general deposi-
tories of the Sovereign powers of the State, there
were Town, County and District Committees in
the several Sections, who exercised local jurs-
diction " in compliance with the recommendation
of the first Continental Congress for the purpose
of carving into effect the articles of American
Association" The Memorials of the proceed
ings of these Committees, can be Obtained only in
the Districts where they acted and the object of
this publication, is TO request those having control
of any such papers, as are comprehended in the
above Resolution, to comply with the patriotic de-
sire Of the Legislature, in forwarding them to
this Office, 10 be arranged and preserved for pub
lie inspection. Or, at least to grant a temporary
use Of them for the purpose of examination and
making copies; after which, if desired, they will
be returned. -. = =. '..., 3. =. ...
Gentlemen in the different Counties, where
such Memorials exist, who have leisure and take
an interest in such investigation, particularly
solicited to lend their aid in secondng the efforts
of the Government TO rescue from oblivion, these
honorable testimonies of our Revolutionary His
tory. - . -.. s..
The assistance of the Newspaper Press is also
invoked, by copying this article. : =.
| FL. .. -. - = VILLA. GRAHAM
*There is duplicate of this in single pam
phlet, MS.