Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

BY THIS DAY's MAIL.

KNOXVILLE, August 15.

On Tuesday last the General Assembly of this State adjourned sine die.

The following acts were passed during their sitting:

An act directing the mode of electing one representative to represent this state in the Congress of the United States.

An act providing for the election of electors to elect a President and Vice President of the United States.

An act empowering the justices of each court, of the several counties in this state, to lay, and have collected, an additional county tax for the year 1797.

An act directing the mode of electing the several officers, whose appointment are by the constitution vested in the court of pleas and quarter sessions.

An act making compensation to the members, clerks, and door keepers of the General Assembly, and for other purposes.

Communication of his Excellency the Governor to the Hon. the General Assembly of this state.

Gentlemen of the Senate and of the House of Representatives,

The short time in which I conceived it was necessarily my duty to convene the legislature, compelled me to call you together on so short a notice. In the first instance, it was necessary to give all the time, the emergency of the occasion would admit of: And in the second, from a circumstance, that the election to be held for representatives was approaching so near at hand, made it necessary, as I conceive, for the assembly to have it in their power, by a timely meeting (should they in their wisdom deem it proper) to make an alteration in the act directing the mode of electing representatives to represent this state in the Congress of the United States, before the day of election should arrive, as directed in the aforesaid act, otherwise it might be attended with disputes and contentions of a disagreeable nature; for by a late act of Congress the intended number of our representatives is diminished, of course it proportionally lessens our number of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States. Thus much a derangement will necessarily require an alteration in our acts passed for such purposes.

Our senators not being recognized in the Senate of the United States, is another matter for your consideration and attention: And for your more ample information, the several acts and communications accompanying this address, will elucidate unto you the propriety of my calling the assembly together at this time.

I hope I may be permitted to observe, that it is of importance, and conducive to public happiness to arrange our acts conformably with those of Congress, so far as they shall respect this state.

The foregoing are the reasons why I have thought proper to convene the assembly in session, on the present day: And I make no doubt, you will, through your paternal care, wisdom, and patriotic deliberations, adopt such measures as will tend to promote the public interest and general utility of the state.

I have the pleasure of announcing to you, gentlemen, the admission of the state of Tennessee into the federal union, a circumstance, pregnant with every flattering prospect of peace, happiness and opulence to our infant state. The period is at length arrived, when the people of the South Western Territory may enjoy all the blessings and honors of a free and independent republic.

Permit me to wish your public, domestic, and individual happiness,

While I have the honor to be,
Very respectfully,
Your devoted and
Obedient servant,

JOHN SEVIER.

The committee to whom was referred the communication from the governor, reported, that the following address be presented to his excellency.

To his Excellency JOHN SEVIER, Esq. Governor, &c. of the state of Tennessee

SIR,

We are fully sensible that the important objects by you laid before this General Assembly, made it necessary for you to convene the legislature at this time.

We rejoice with you in the event of this state being firmly admitted into the federal union; and our minds are filled with the most pleasing sensations, when we reflect on the prosperity and political happiness to which we view it as a certain prelude:

Be assured, sir, it will be our first and greatest care to adopt such measures as will promote the true interest of this state, as connected with the American union.

With respect to our representation in the senate of the United States in particular, we flatter ourselves such steps have been taken, that no reason now remains sufficient to justify that body in refusing any longer to recognize our senators.

We view it as essentially necessary to the preservation of peace and harmony, with the Indian tribes, that the constitutional treaties and laws should be duly observed: And we have the fullest confidence that the executive of this state will take proper measures to enforce their due execution.


JOSEPH M'MINN, Ch.