On the 1st of August, 1776, the " Convention of Representatives of the State of New York v appointed a committee of thirteen (our Gouverneur Morris being one of its members) to prepare a kk form of government," and that body in turn delegated the task to John Jay. Mr. Jay set to work conscientiously to draft a State constitution, which, having been approved by the committee, was reported to the convention (then sitting at Fishkill) on the 12th of March, 1777. The instrument was adopted by the convention on the 20th of April following. It provided for the election of a governor, senate, and assembly by the people. Although the New York constitution of 1777 is regarded by all authorities as the most satisfactory and judicious measure of government framed in any State during the Revolution, it was in certain essential particulars quite conservative, showing plainly the continuing force of the old colonial institutions. It sought to make the senate a property qualifia peculiarly select body, and to that end prescribed cation for voters in the selection of senators. Over both senate and assembly it placed a third, and non-elective, body-- the " governor's council/' to consist of a number of members of the senate, who were

EVENTS OF 1777 AND

to be chosen by ballot by the assembly. All judges and numerous other officers, now elective, were made appointive. An earnest endeavor was made by Gouverneur Morris to have a clause inserted in the constitution providing for the gradual abolition of slavery; but the convention declined to institute such an innovation. The old State convention reserved to itself the authority to appoint the first judges, and designated as chief justice our John Jay, who opened the first session of the Supreme Court at Kingston in September, 1777. He held tin1 office, however, for only two years, being succeeded on the 23d of October, 1779, by Richard Morris, also a son of Westchester County.1 Chief Justice Morris remained at the head of the judiciary of the State until 1790.