Proclamation Convening the General Assembly, 23 January 1781
Proclamation Convening the General Assembly
By his Excellency Thomas Jefferson esqr. Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia
A Proclamation.
Whereas it is become necessary that the General Assembly be called together before the time to which they stand adjourned: I have therefore thought fit with the advice of the Council of State to issue this my proclamation, hereby appointing the first day of march next for the meeting of the said General Assembly, at which time their attendance is required at the Capitol in the Town of Richmond. Given under my hand and the Seal of the Commonwealth at Richmond aforesaid this 23d Day of Jany in the year of our Lord 1781 and of the Commonwealth the fifth.
Th: Jefferson
Engrossed copy (Vi); in a clerk’s hand, signed by TJ, with seal; endorsed: “Proclamation for calling the Assembly. Jany 23d. 81.” Printed in Va. Gaz. (d & n), 3 Feb. 1781. Swem (“Va. Bibliog.,” 7272) lists a separate printing of the Proclamation under an assigned date of 29 Jan. 1781, attributing it to Dixon and Nicolson, with a note: “No copy seen. 100 copies printed.” The Sabin entry (100205) is taken from Swem. No printed copy of this Proclamation has been found.
The Assembly convened on 1 Mch. but adjourned to the following day, not having a quorum until then. It remained in session until 22 Mch. The Journal of the Senate for this session is not known to be extant in print or MS. The MS Journal of the House is in Vi. Not printed at the close of the session, and not included in the 1827–1828 reprints of the Journals, it was printed for the first time in Virginia State Library, Bulletin, xvii, No. 1, Jan. 1928.