se members
were to be elected annually by the people, in the proportion of two
members from each county; for an upper House of Assembly to consist of
twenty-four members, who were to be elected annually by the people, in
the proportion of one member from each of the senatorial districts
into which the several counties should be grouped; for a governor, to
be elected annually by joint ballot of both houses, and not to
"continue in that office longer than three years successively," nor
then to be eligible again for the office until after the lapse of four
years from the close of his previous term; for a privy council of
eight members, for delegates in Congress, and for judges in the
several courts, all to be elected by joint ballot of the two Houses;
for justices of the peace to be appointed by the governor and the
privy council; and, finally, for an immediate election, by the
convention itself, of a governor, and a privy council, and such other
officers as might be necessary for the introduction of the new
government.[253]

In accordance with the last provision of this Constitution, the
convention at once proceeded to cast their ballots for governor, with
the following result:--

For Patrick Henry 60
For Thomas Nelson 45
For John Page 1

By resolution, Patrick Henry was then formally declared to be the
governor of the commonwealth of Virginia, to continue in office until
the close of that session of the Assembly which should be held after
the end of the following March.

On the same day on which this action was taken, he wrote, in reply to
the official notice of his election, the following letter of
acceptance,--a graceful, manly, and touching composition:--

TO THE HONORABLE THE PRESIDENT AND HOUSE OF CONVENTION.

GENTLEMEN,--The vote of this day, appointing me governor of
this commonwealth, has been notified to me, in the most
polite and obliging manner, by George Mason, Henry Lee,
Dudley Digges, John Blair, and Bartholomew Dandridge,
Esquires.

A sense of the high and unmerited honor conferred upon me by
the convention fills my heart with gratitude, which I trust
my whole life will manifest. I take this earliest
opportunity to express my thanks, which I wish to convey to
you, gentlemen, in the strongest terms of acknowledgment.

When I reflect that the tyranny of the British king and
parliament hath kindled a formidabl