The Committee, being informed that Mr. Cocke, who was returned a member for Washington County, was Clerk of the Court of said County, called Mr. Cocke before them, and upon examination it appeared by a record from the Court of the Washington District, corroborated by the testimony of Charles Robinson, that he was elected Clerk of Washington District, now Washington County, on the fourth Tuesday in August, 1777;
Resolved, therefore, that Mr. Cocke, as being Clerk of a County Court, is not entitled to keep his seat in the House of Commons.
The Committee, having taken into consideration the petition of Clement Crocke, respecting the election of Isham Webb and Joshua Swain, for Tyrrell County, and finding the same unsupported by any Testimony, saving only a single Deposition taken ex parte;
Resolved, that the Election aforesaid is good and valid, and that the said Swain and Webb ought to keep their seats.
The Committee, being informed that General. Butler, a member for Orange County; Colonel Jonas Johnston, for Edgecomb; Mr. William Robinson, for Pitt; and Mr. Timothy Bloodworth, for New Hanover, were appointed Entry Takers in their several Counties, and, upon Enquiry, finding the same to be true, proceeded to consider the twenty-fifth section of the Constitution, whereby it is declared that no person who heretofore has been, or hereafter may be, a receiver of publick money, shall be entitled to a seat in the General Assembly until he shall have fully accounted for and paid all monies for which he may be liable: Therefore it was Resolved, as the Opinion of the Committee, that Entry Takers come within the meaning of the aforesaid Section, and therefore that General Butler Colonel Jonas Johnston, Mr. William Robinson and Mr. Timothy Bloodworth are not entitled to seats in the House of Commons.