Grafton, Jedediah Barney.

Holderness, J. H. Thompson.
Landaff, Samuel P. Peavey.
Lebanon, Uriah Amsden,
Abner Allen.

Lisbon, Otis Savage.

Littleton, Jonathan Lovejoy,
John M. Charleton,

Lyman, Lebbeus Hastings.
Lyme, Thomas Perkins.

Franconia and Lincoln, Priest Young. Orange, David Barnard.

Groton, Abel Bailey.

Hanover, Edwin D. Sanborn,
Jeremiah Chandler.

Haverhill, Daniel Morse, 2d,
Samuel Page.

Hebron, David Hazelton.
Hill, Isaac T. Parker.

Orford, Daniel P. Wheeler.
Piermont, John F. Stevens.
Plymonth, John H. Gill.
Rumney, Hugh B. Simpson.
Thornton, Jeremiah Gilman.
Warren, Russell K. Clement.
Waterville, Moses Foss.
Woodstock and Ellsworth,
Stephen Coombs.

Holderness, James Huckins,

From Coos County.

Bartlett, John D. Thompson.

Jackson and Pinkham's Grant,

Berlin, Gorham, and Shelburne,

Nathaniel P. Meserve

Thomas J. Hubbard. Jefferson and Randolph,

Benjamin H. Plaisted.

Milan, Stark, and Dummer,

Harwood Pike. Northumberland and Stratford,

Russell Gamsby.

Carroll, Nash and Sawyer's Location,

Hart's Location, and Crawford's Lancaster, James M. Rix.

Grant, Samuel Worthley.

Colebrook, Amos W. Drew.

Columbia, Joshua S. Mathes.

Dalton, Moses H. Rix.

Dixville, Clarksville, Pittsburg, Mills- Stewartstown, John Flanders.
field, and Erroll, Richard J. Blan- Whitefield, Caleb Rix.
chard.

His Excellency the Governor and the Honorable Council then withdrew.

The House was called to order by L. Smith, clerk of the House last year.

On motion of Mr. Hale of Hollis

Moses Norris, jr., was elected chairman.
On motion of Mr. Hadley of Weare-

The House proceeded, by ballot, to the choice of Speaker, and on the first balloting the chairman announced the

and Hon. Samuel H. Ayer was accordingly declared elected Speaker.

Mr. Ayer, on taking the chair, addressed the House as follows:

I

Gentlemen-While I return you the sincere acknowledgments of a grateful heart for the high honor your partiality has conferred, I must also express to you a distrust of my ability to discharge the important duties it involves in a manner commensurate with your generous confidence. should shrink from a position for which I am possessed of so few qualifications, were it not for the conviction that the same generosity which induced you to elevate me to the chair, will also lead you to observe with a friendly eye the many errors I shall undoubtedly commit. Relying then upon your kind forbearance, as well as upon the aid and counsel you will not withhold, but most cheerfully afford me, I accept your trust, and can only promise you that I will bring to its discharge whatever abilities I may possess.

We are here, gentlemen, in obedience to a summons from the highest earthly authority-the sovereign people. They have entrusted us with duties among the most responsible that men are ever called upon to perform; for they involve considerations affecting not only the interests and welfare of our immediate constituents, but, in a great measure, of generations yet unborn. Though an obnoxious law can be readily expunged from the statute book, its effects cannot be so easily effaced. Besides, the inconsiderate passing of bills by one legislature to be repealed by the next, creates such confusion that those which are in force are as little known to the great mass of the community as were the edicts of the Roman emperor, which he promulgated by posting them

upon the pillars of his palace, above the reach of the public eye. It becomes us then to weigh well what we do. No act should be permitted to pass our body, without the most careful deliberation-without the fullest conviction that it will subserve the public weal. To conduct the business of the session with such fidelity, will require much labor, it is true; but no more than a due regard to our official oaths demands-no more than a generous constituency, who have so freely entrusted their interests to our charge, have a right to expect at our hands.

And now, gentlemen, entertaining a deep sense of the responsibility under which we labor, let us proceed to the duties assigned us with all the powers of our minds and all the honesty of our hearts-let us, too, invoke the aid of that wisdom which cometh from on high, remembering that in His great hand we stand, and with His co-operation we can accomplish what feeble man alone cannot.

On motion of Mr. Burnham of Goshen

The House proceeded to the choice of clerk.

On the first balloting, the Speaker announced the state of

Resolved, That Thomas J. Whipple be appointed assistant clerk.

Lewis Smith and Thomas J. Whipple being present, were sworn to the faithful performance of their duties.

On motion of Mr. Kittredge of New Market

Resolved, That information be given to the Honorable Senate that the House of Representatives have assembled, have chosen Hon. Samuel H. Ayer, Speaker, Lewis Smith, clerk, and Thomas J. Whipple, assistant clerk, and are now ready to proceed to the business of the session.

On motion of Mr. Hadley of Weare

Resolved, That the rules of the House for the last annual

session be adopted as the rules of this House, until otherwise ordered.

The following message was received from the Senate by their clerk:

"Mr. Speaker-I am directed to inform the House of Representatives that the Senate have assembled, have elected Hon. Harry Hibbard, President, John H. George, clerk, and Francis R. Chase, assistant clerk, and are now ready to proceed to the business of the session."

On motion of Mr. Eastman of Hampstead

Resolved, That when the House adjourn in the forenoon, they adjourn to meet again at three o'clock in the afternoon, and when they adjourn in the afternoon, they adjourn to meet again at ten o'clock the next morning, until otherwise ordered.

On motion of Mr. Flagg

The House adjourned.

AFTERNOON.

On motion of Mr. Burnham

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to prepare and report rules for the government of the House the present year.

Ordered, That Messrs. Burnham, Fowler, and Hatch, be the committee.

The following message was received from the Senate by their clerk:

"Mr. Speaker-The Senate have passed a resolution adopting the joint rules of the two branches of the legislature for the year 1847, as the joint rules of the two houses for the present year, until otherwise ordered, in which they ask the concurrence of the House of Representatives.”