The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-15

The use of Seals as an emblem of or ganized sovereignty and authority, as well as for the purpose of authenticatfng records statutes, official acts, etc., is now universal. All students are famil- far with the use of the seal in English law and history. Individuals and fami- lies have for centuries made use of seals or coats of arms. and by means of them the identity of American with trans.At- 1antic families has often been establish lum." the diminutive of 'signum," "a little image or figure. There are many thousand specimens of seals in the Brit wax. silver and gold. It is said that the bull from which the sovereign of England derives the title of Defender Of the Faith is authenticated by goio- en seal.
 Since its establishment as a Territory. In 1917, Alabama has had two Great Seals
 The territory embraced in the limits os the State, from the first assertion of sovereignty over 1t by the nations or or Europe, has witnessed the. domination of England, France and Spain. The repre-, sentatives of these governments used the seals of their respective sovereigns, or the personal seals of the Governors still survive, heavy. ,flattened pieces of wax, attached to official commlsions or land grants. A consideration Of these while of interest. is hardly pertinent
 Georgia, in the latter part of the eigh- teenth century. laid vigorous claim to what is now Alabama and Missassippii: and the old cartographers refer to all of the country between the Chattahoo, chee and the Mississippi Rivers, and west of that State, as the Georgia Western Country" oo
 This country was, on April 2. 179S. erected into the Mississippi Territory. the present State of Alabama constituting the eastern portion. The territorial gov at far as is known a regularly adopted o1- ficial seal was never in use. However. the following resolution of the Territorial Assembly House Journal, second session, Ninth General Assembly, D. 2D, dated Dec. F, 1916, is indicative Of purpose to remedy this: Mississippi Territory be, and he. IS here by requested to procure from the Gen, eral Government seals for the seVerai and respective public officers in this ter ritory, under the provisions of the act or Congress passed the Sth of May, 1792, and the act of Congress which provides for the organization of a government in the Mississippi Territory"
 On the 2nd of March, 1877, the enabling act creating the State of Mississippi was passed, and the following day the Ala bama Territory was created. & me net iaI1nr ner til Aug. 15 1917, wnen the Constitution of Mississippi had been framed. GU. 5. Statutes at Large, vol; iii' tSa P; S7n; Icw,ves- tabiished Territory. President Monroe appointed the talented Dr. William Wyatt Bibb, his temporary commission oearlng date Sept. 25, 1S17,, and his permanent commission, Dec. 16. 1S17 Dr. Bibb, al though comparatively a young man, had a distinguished career before coming to Legislature, and had served in Congress as a member of the lower house ana also as a Senator. Leaving his Georgia home, he came to St. Stephens to organize the ;aI Il. he was given a complimentary dinner at which were present the principal men or the territory. ,.a,,. ..,-z imposed one of his first needs appears to have been an official or executive seal This was especially necessary oW- he was required to appoint and commits sion. A curious application Of the old adage that necessity is the mother of in- vention now occurs m o,d dhe onrission in the writer's possession. dated Feb. 23 ISIS. shows the use of piece of pink paper, attached by wafer, upon wnlca lines, apparently made by the end or heavy iron rod. ,,s.
 Not content with this rude makeshift. however, he discovered in the act Of Congress of May s, 1792, authority to se- cure a proper seal and he at once made a reqiisition upon the Secretary or State The discovery by the writer or thls highly interesting letter and the replies of the Secretary form full account of the selection of the first seal of the State, and not only explain the use of the map, but forever settle to whom Is due the credit of the selection. The motives irpelling the design will probably never be known. but 1t would not be a violent conjecture to suppose that MT. Bibb was impressed by the wonderful system of the States water ways, which determined his sug- gestion. So considered, the seal is in no sense meaningless.
 Gov. W. W. Bibb to John Quincy
 Adams.
 "St Stephens. 18th. Febry, ISIS. "Sir.
 .'I perceive that an Act of Congress passed the Sth of May l792 requires the Secretary of State to provide proper seals for the officers of the Territories. It becomes my dutT to ask your atten- tion to the subject; and to request that at seal for the Executive Office of this Territory may be furnished as |, early as time to suggest. that the impression may be map of the Territory with its principal rivers. A model or design will be handed to you by our delegate, MT. Crowell, to whom I have transmitted 1t.