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GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 173
assembly was to convene in Savannah once a year at such a time as the
president might choose, with the advice of his assistants. Its deliber
ations were not to continue longer than one month. There was to be
one deputy allowed each town, village or district in the province con
taining ten families, and for each settlement having thirty families two
deputies were to be allowed. Savannah was given four deputies,
Augusta and Ebenezer two each. Frederica was also to be allowed two,
if thirty families were there resident.,
In accordance with a provision to this effect made by the trustees,
writs of election were issued, and on January 15, 1751, the assembly
met and organized by electing Francis Harris its speaker. Pickering
Robinson was appointed to prepare a report on the state of the prov
ince. The deputies—sixteen in number—who constituted Georgia's
first provincial assembly, with the jurisdictions represented by each,
were as follows: * '
Savannah District—Francis Harris speaker; John Milledge, Wil
liam Francis, William Russell.
Augusta District—George Catogan, David Douglass.
Ebenezer District—Christian Reidlesperger, Theobald Keiffer.
Abercorn and Goshen Districts—William Ewen.
Joseph Town District—Charles Watson.
Vegnonbourgh District—Patrick Hountoun.
Acton District—Peter Morell.
Little Ogeechee District—Joseph Summers.
Skidaway District—John Barnard.'
Midway District—Audley Maxwell.
Darien District—John Mackintosh, B.
These deputies were required within three days after assembling to
submit a written statement showing the number of inhabitants in the
province, white and black, male and female, the quantity of land culti
vated by each inhabitant, in what crop planted, the number of negroes
owned and employed, the quantity of mulberry trees standing on each
plantation, fenced and unfenced, the progress made by each family in
the culture of silk, indigo, cotton, etc. This detailed report, together
with such suggestions as the assembly might see fit to offer, was to be
signed by the speaker and delivered to the president of the colony, to
be forwarded to the trustees. There were no qualifications prescribed
for delegates to the first assembly, but after June 24, 1751, no inhab
itant of the colony could be elected a deputy who did not have 100
mulberry trees planted and fenced on every fifty-acre tract which he
owned. Moreover, no one could be a deputy who did not adhere strictly
to the prescribed number of negro slaves allowed by law in proportion
to white servants employed, who did not have in his family at least
one female skilled in the reeling of silk, and who did not annually pro
duce fifteen pounds of silk for. every fifty acres which he owned. If
ever a colony was organized on Utopian principles it was Georgia.
Most of her early legislation was monopolized by silk worms; and not
only a man's wealth, but his value to society, his standing in the church
and his hope of heaven were all gauged by mulberry trees.
! Charles C. Jones, Jr., in '' History of Georgia,'' Vol. II.