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0924

WASHINGTON, GA., } 
DEC. 19TH 1865. }

To His Excellency,
CHAS J. JENKINS:

Sir-The undersigned have the honor to report, that the Commission appointed by Resolution of the recent Convention, for the purpose of preparing and reporting to the General Assembly, a System of Laws, to carry into effect the 5th paragraph of the 5th section of the 2nd article, and the 3rd clause of the 2nd section of the 4th article of the Constitution, assembled, as by said Resolution requested, at Milledgeville, on the 13th day of November last, and took counsel together on the subject submitted to them. At such meeting, the Hon. Linton Stephens announced that he could continue to act under said appointment, and as one of said Commission. The Committee then, as by said Resolution of the Convention authorized, proceeded to elect Samuel Barnett, Esq., of Wilkes county, to fill the vacancy. The appointment was accepted by Mr. Barnett, and he has aided in the preparation of the work which is now presented. 

That work has been reported by us "at the earliest practicable day," though much later than we desired; yet no later than was essential to the preparation of well considered and digested matter. If circumstances had allowed even more time for the work, we are sure that we could have made it more efficient for the purposes desired.  

As an appropriate method of discharging the task assigned to us, we have put the matter prepared in an orderly arrangement of Articles and Sections, with the proper divisions and titles of subjects; and we accompany it with the draft of a short adopting bill, which may be used, unless the General Assembly, for any reason, should think it objectionable, because of the latter part of the fifth clause of the fourth section of the second article of the Constitution. In that event, the matter may very well be adopted by several bills having the titles following: that is to say: 

1st. An act prescribing certain general provisions preliminary to other legislation, intended to carry into effect the fifth clause of the fifth section of the second article, and the latter part of the third clause of the second section of the fourth article of the Constitution.

2d. An act to establish County Courts in this State.