Governor John to the General Sevier’s First Address Assembly Transcribed by Daniel Smith Standards: 4.34, 8.39 Often called the "Father of Tennessee, John Sevier was born in Virginia in 1745, he eventually moved to Washington County, TN and became Tennessee's first governor. He became a hero after he led an army of settlers at the Battle of Kings Mountain. In his first address to the General Assembly, Sevier informs them that Tennessee has been admitted to the Union, but will have one less representative than previously thought. Knoxville 30th July 1796 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 conceived 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 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 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 such 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 public acts conformably with those of Congress, so far as they shall respect this State.
Governor John Sevier’s First Address to the General Assembly Transcribed by Daniel Smith Standards: 4.34, 8.39 Often called the "Father of Tennessee, John Sevier was born in Virginia in 1745, he eventually moved to Washington County, TN and became Tennessee's first governor. He became a hero after he led an army of settlers at the Battle of Kings Mountain. In his first address to the General Assembly, Sevier informs them that Tennessee has been admitted to the Union, but will have one less representative than previously thought. Knoxville 30th July 1796 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 conceived 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 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 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 such 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 public acts conformably with those of Congress, so far as they shall respect this State.
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