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7.

The Clerk being thus duly qualified, the Chairman retired from the desk, and the Clerk presided during the further organization.

A committee, consisting of Messrs Smith of Nobleboro, Bourne of Kennebunk, Shaw of Wiscasset, Selden of Norridgewock & Folsom of Eastport, was appointed to receive, sort and count the votes for a Speaker; and on counting the same it appeared the whole number given in, was One hundred and forty four, - necessary to constitute an election, seventy three - that George Evans Esquire of Gardiner had Ninety seven and was duly elected - on being notified of his election, he took the Speakers Chair, & addressed the House as follows "Gentlemen of the House of Representatives, I request your acceptance of my most respectful acknowledgements, for the token of your confidence & partiality, with which I have been honored - To be esteemed worthy of this distinction, by so large a proportion of the representatives of an enlightened community, embracing so much worth, talent & legislative experience, demands my warmest gratitude, and inspires the strongest solicitude & the most powerful motives so to discharge the trust with which I am invested as to retain that good opinion now bestowed in advance. Sensible of the responsibilities and the obligations connected with the expression of your favor, I entertain a just diffidence of my ability to answer your reasonable expectations in the discharge of the duties to which I am called; yet I may hope with confidence not to fall short of that degree of success, which will ensure your kind and liberal indulgence for unintentional errors & imperfections, against which the best exercise of my humble powers will not always be an adequate security. To discharge the duties of this place with fidelity, accuracy, promptitude & impartiality, will be my unceasing endeavour , and I shall rely much upon the wisdom and experience of the House, for the attainment of this end.

In deliberative assemblies, especially under a popular form of government, entire unanimity of opinion will rarely if ever be found to exist; and it is hardly to be anticipated that we shall furnish an exception to this general truth, convened at