election before the people, or the passage of a bill before the
Assembly. The Assembly, however, in consequence of two dissolutions by
the Governor, did not convene in Newbern until the 25th of January,
1773, and the popular House illustrated its political character by the
election of John Harvey to the office of Speaker. To this new Assembly
many of the leading members of the House in 1771, were returned.
Thomas Polk and Abraham Alexander were not members; the former having
been employed in the service of the Governor, as surveyor, in running
the dividing line between North and South Carolina, and the latter not
having solicited the suffrages of the people. The county of
Mecklenburg was, in the Assembly, represented by Martin Pheifer and
John Davidson.

The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Harvey, laid before that
body resolutions of the House of Burgess of Virginia (1773) of the
12th of March last; also, letters from the Speakers of the lower
houses of several other provinces, requesting that a committee be
appointed to inquire into the encroachments of England upon the rights
and liberties of America. The House passed a resolution that "such
example was worthy of imitation, by which means communication and
concert would be established among the colonies; and that they will at
all times be ready to exert their efforts to preserve and defend their
rights." John Harvey, (Speaker) Robert Howe, Cornelius Harnet, William
Hooper, Richard Caswell, Edward Vail, John Ashe, Joseph Hewes and
Samuel Johnston were this committee. This is the first record of a
legislative character which led to the Revolution.

During the summer of 1774 the people in all parts of the province
manifested their approbation of the proposed plan of calling a
Congress or Assembly, to consult upon common grievances; and in nearly