Page:The Iowa journal of history and politics, v. II.pdf/22

8 Augustus Muhlenberg, first Speaker of the House of Representatives; and Thomas Fitzsimons, a distinguished merchant of Philadelphia. The senators elected were Robert Morris, the financier of the Revolution, and William Maclay, a vain, garrulous man, in whom Pennsylvania set her precedent for sending mediocrities to the Senate. James Wilson was chosen elector. The State's ten electors voted in Reading borough, February 4. As is well known, Washington received the entire electoral vote of this State, and of the other nine States that voted. Pennsylvania gave John Adams eight votes and John Hancock two.

The legislature of New Hampshire, which met November 5, 1788, passed an act, November 12, for the election by the people of electors and representatives on a general ticket, to be held the third Monday in December—the fifteenth. The votes for electors were to be returned to the legislature, which, on the first Wednesday in January, the date fixed by Congress for the choice of electors, was to ascertain and declare appointed the five electors having the highest number of votes, provided such number was a majority. In case one or more electors of the five highest failed of a majority, the legislature was ordered to choose as many as might be wanting from double the number of candidates having the highest number of votes.

As in other States, New Hampshire had a Federalist and an Anti-Federalist party or faction, each of which presented candidates. There was, however, no definite line of cleavage between the two parties, and little party organization.