James Turner to Thomas Jefferson, 22 December 1803
From James Turner
Raleigh 22nd. December 1803
Sir
I have the honor of transmitting to you, an Authenticated copy of an Act of the General Assembly of the state of North Carolina, passed at their late Session, Ratifying on the part of this state, the amendment proposed by Congress to be made in the Constitution of the United States, respecting the Election of President & Vice President: For the purpose of Your Communicating the same to Congress—
I have the honor to be With high consideration and respect Your obdt. Servt
J. Turner
RC (DNA: RG 11, RA); at foot of text: “The President of the United States”; endorsed by TJ as received 30 Dec. and so recorded in SJL with notation “ratificn”; also endorsed by TJ: “Ratifn of Amdmt to Constn for N.C.” Enclosure: North Carolina General Assembly, “An Act to ratify an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States,” enacted 22 Dec. (MS in same; printed in Laws of North Carolina. At a General Assembly, Begun and Held at Raleigh, on the 21st Day of November, in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Three [Raleigh, 1803], 4).
North Carolina was the first state to ratify the proposed Twelfth amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Turner submitted it to the General Assembly on 20 Dec., and a bill to ratify was presented the same day. It passed both houses the following day, succeeding in the House of Commons by a vote of 91 to 18 (Journal of the House of Commons of the State of North-Carolina. At a General Assembly, Begun and Held at the City of Raleigh, on Monday the Twenty-First Day of November, in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Three [Raleigh, 1803], 57-9; Journal of the Senate of the State of North-Carolina. At a General Assembly, Begun and Held at the City of Raleigh, on Monday the Twenty-First Day of November, in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Three [Raleigh, 1803], 52, 55).