The Revolutionary Records Of The State Of Georgia V2 Part 2 (1908)

PREFACE .TO JOURNALS OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. In inaugurating the republican government in Georgia our Revolutionary fathers adhered as closely as possible to the forms and practices which had prevailed under the kings government. Acts were passed continuing in force all acts of the royal legislatures not in conflict with the Constitution which had just been adopted, and the rules of court and of procedure in the legislature which had hitherto prevailed were continued but there mere, under the Constitution of several respects in which the lower 11o1 se of the legislature differed from the lower. - I-Iouse un cler the l i ggs overnment. Under the royal goverviuent this body was called the Comn ons House of Assembly. It was cornposed of menlbers elected from the parishes and districts by eiectors had to have, before they could vote, certain qualifications, the most important of which were that an elector must be not less than twenty-one years old, and must own not less than fifty acres of land in the parish in which he desired to vote or, in lieu thereof, other taxable property of the value of fifty pounds sterling. To be qualified to sit in the Commons House oi Assembly he had to have, in addition to the qualifications of an elector, certain other qualifications, the most important of which were that he must not be a papist and must own, anywhere in the province, at least five hundred acres of land, or, ir. lieu thereof, other property of the value of five hundred pounds sterling. TkJc members elected their own spe iker, but the kings governor had the right to negative their choice, when they had to elect another and another until they elected one acceptable to the governor. Theyelected their own doorkeepers and messengers, but the governor appointed their clerk and adjourned, prorogued and dissolved them at pleasure. In the transactioll of business they conforn ed very closely to the rules of the House of Commons of Great Britain. They served without pecuniary coinpensation. When the kings government was subverted and the republic was established, this body was called, not the Con inons House oi Assembly, but simply the House of Asseinbly. It was co-posed of members chosen, not from the parishes or districts as under the kings government, but froin the eight couilties into which the state had been divided, each county having ten members except Liberty, which had fourteen, and Glynn and Camden, which had one each. The port and town of Savannah was given four members, and the port and town of Sunbury two menlbers to represent their trade. They elected their own speaker a11d other officers, adopted their own rules of procedure, and adjourned without consulting with or interference by the governor, who was himself elected bp then. The qualificatiolls of an elector were that he must be twenty-one years old, must have paid taxes on property valued at ten pounds, or be of a mechanical trade. No person holding a title of nobility could vote, and failure of any qualified voter to cast his ballot in any election subjected him to a fine of five pounds sterling. The qualifications of a representative wese that he must be twenty-one years old, a resident for twelve inontl s in the county for which he sat, of the Protestant religion, and possessed, in his OIV I right, of two hundred and fifty acres of land, or some property to the anlount of two hundred and fifty pountls, and no person holding any title of nobility could hold any office of trust, profit or honor...