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Precepts in form following were issued to the Selectmen of the several Towns composing the first Eastern District; [?],
"State of Maine,
To the Selectmen of the town of _______, in the first Eastern District
[to the left of the following paragraph is a circle with the word "Seal." underlined inside it and "William King" written under it]
Whereas the Constitution of the United States provides, that when vacancies in Congress happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall give Writs of Election to fill such vacancies:
These are in the name of the State to require you, in manner as the Law directs for calling Town Meetings, to cause the qualified electors of the town of _______ to assemble on Monday, the sixth day of November next, to give in their Votes to the Selectmen who shall preside at said meeting, for one Representative, that is an Inhabitant of the said District, to represent them in the Congress of the United States of America, in room of the Honorable John Holmes, who has resigned his seat as a Representative. And you, the said Selectmen, or a major part of you, shall, in open Town Meetings, sort and count the votes, and form a list of the persons voted for, with the number of votes for each person set against his name; and shall make a public declaration in town Meeting, of the names of the persons voted for, and of the number of votes they respectively have; and shall, in open Town meeting, seal up said list, certified by you, and transmit the same within ten days next after such meeting, to the Secretary of this State, or to the Sheriff of the County in which the said town lies, who is hereby directed to transmit the same to the Secretary aforesaid, on or before the twentieth day of November next.
Given at the Council Chamber, in Portland, this second day of September, Anno Domini one thousand, eight hundred and twenty; and in the forty fifth year of the Independence of the United States of America.
By the Governor,
Ashur Ware, Secretary of State”