Wichita eagle., 1889-05-30
Daily = Eas1e
THE FIRST CONGRESS.
Counting Of the Votes for Prest.
dent q Century Ago.
A Memorable Day i'm American History
Well-Known Men Who Held Seats In
tho House and Senate of 17S9-Ths
Election Of Washington.

Suo hOuSc ana senate Oh to0-AhS
Election Of Washington.
The 9th of April, 1889, was memorable
day in our history, although It's hundredth
anniversary passed without official recogni.
ton of any kind, writes the Washington
correspondent of the New York Sun On
that day the First Congress for the frst
time obtained quorum in both branches,
and in its presence the votes for the first
President were opened, counted and de-
clared. The constitution as it then existed
expressly declared that on the opening and
counting of the certificates of the electors
"the person having the greatest number Of
votes shall be the President" The
taking of the prescribed oath was to be a
preliminary to 'the execution of his Office"
after this Official declaration.
Why April 9 should have taken the place
OF March in this final act of the election Of
the first President must always be the
cause of some wonder, although the facts
are well enough known. To begin with,
that was the era of the stage coach, not Of
steam travel, and the roads had been bad.
The mails from New York the seat of gov
eminent, to Philadelphia were, in those
days, semi-weekly, and then tri-weekly
as summer came on. But this will not
wholly account for the fact that the
First Congress, called together for
Wednesday, March 4, did not ges
. quorum until four weeks later,
Wednesday, April l, and the Sen
ate not till Monday, April G. The
truth is that the closing months of the old
Union, whose termination, or transforna-
ton, rather, had been in prospect for a
year and half, had given the Continental
Congress loose habits of attendance and
Legislation. After declaring the indie
pendence of the colonies and successfully
conducting a long war, during which it had
raised and supported large armies and
founded new nation, that body had
dwindled away IN the autumn and winter
of 17SS so quietly that the date of its actual
demise is not agreed upon. 1t was often,
at the end, without quorum. There was
also acurious reluctance in some quarters
to make the final plunge into the new sys-
tenn, and even New York did not choose
electors for the first President, although
by a close vote it had ratified the constitu-
ton, and, with ten other States, had
entered into the new Union. What
ever the relation of physical to other
obstacles on the 4th of March which had
been greeted In New York, the capital with
the firing Of cannon and the ringing of
bells, only eight members presented them
selves in the Senate and thirteen in the
House. During the subsequent weeks
these bodies occupied themselves with the
monotonous duty of adjourning from day
TO day, meanwhile sending out circulars
urging the absent members to come for
ward. 1t is noticeable that although the
Senate was much nearer its quorum at the
start, having eight out of twenty-five men,
bers, the House, which only had thirteen
put of fifty-nine, was first to secure its Or
ganiZation. 1t was able TO secure Speaker
and clerk on the 1st of April, and then
proceeded to business.
When it did get together this First Con-
gress was found to contain many we'll
known and able men. New Hampshire sent
Nicholas Gilman to the House Massachu-
sets had strong delegation, led by Fisher
Ames, George Thacher, Theodore Sedgwick
and Elbridge Gerry. Connecticut sent
Jonathan Trumbull, Jeremiah Wadsworth
and Roger Sherman. New York had
present Egbert Benson, john Lawrence and
William Floyd. Pennsylvania contributed
among others George Clymer, Thomas Fitz-
simmons and Peter and Frederick A.
Muhlenburg-the last named the first
Speaker of the House. New Jersey sent
Elias Boudinot, who was once President of
the CONTINENTAL tOuSICSS- DCldN DIX was
represented by Vining, and Maryland by
Daniel Carroll. The chief representative
from Virginia was James Madison. North
Carolina, like Rhode Island, was unrepre-
sented Among the members from South
Carolina was General Sumpter, the re-
nOwned partisan leader, while Baldwin and
Jackson went from Georgia. Many of the
members had sat in the old Congress, and
probably their familiarity with its later
habits of dilatoriness had much to do with
the delay in organizing the new Govern
ment.
The Senate was conspicuously collection
Of well-known men. 1t included Governor
John Langdon, of New Hampshire, elected
its President for the purpose OF counting
the votes; Caleb Strong, of Massachusetts;
Oliver Ellsworth and W. S. Johnson, OF
Connecticut; Philip Schuyler and Rufus
King, of New York; William Paterson, of
New Jersey; Robert Morris, of Pennsyl-
yania: George Read, OF Delaware; Charles
Carroll of Carrollton, Md; Richard 81.
Lee, of Virginia; Ralph hard and Pierce
Butler, of South Carolina, and William Few,
of Georgia.
When the votes were opened before the
Senate and House on that memorable 9th Of
April, by John Langdon, it was found tina,
the entire sixty nine had been thrown for
Washington as President OF the second
series of votes, to determine the Vice
President, John Adams had thirty-four;
John jay, nine; r. II. Harrison, then Chief
Justice of Maryland, and John Rutledge, Of
South Carolina, six each; John Hancock,
four; George Clinton, three; Samuel Hunt
ington, of Connecticut, and John Milton, Of
Georgia, two each; James Armstrong and
Edward Telfair, each of Georgia, and Gen
eral Benjamin Lincoln, of Massachusetts,
one each. Adams was therefore declared
elected To conclude these ceremonies,
committee, consisting of Messrs. Paterson,
Johnson Lee and Ellsworth, pre- pared a
certificate of election, which Langdon
s gned and sealed, and then the following
letter was dispatched:
NEW YORK, April 6. 17S9.
SIR: -Ihave the honor TO transmit to your Elk
cellency tne Information OF your unanimous
election TO The Office ofPres.delt OF the United
States Of Amer. ca Suffer ne, sir, 10 indulge
the hope that 50 auspic!oUi mark OF public
confidence VIII meet your appreciation, and be
considered as a sure pledge Of the affection and
support you are TO expect from u free and en-
bghiened people.
lam sir. with sentiments OF respect your
obedtent. humble servant, JOHN LASGDoN.
To His ExceIlency. George Washington. ESQ.
This wound up that portion Of the duties
OF the famous day. Langdon promptly sent
of his letters by special messengers &c
Washington and Adams, informing them Of
their election Mr.. Thomson started from
New York for Mount Vernon the next day,
April :. and arrived there week later.
SKINS OF REPTILES