Early Governors' Papers

Nashville March 19. 1831

To the Governor of Tennessee

Sir.

You will consider this my resignation of the Office of Surveyor of the county of Marion.

yr. obdt. svt.

Geo. W. Rice

12^th [Regim?]

Surveyor, Marion,

To his Excellency the Governor of the State of Tennessee.

The petition of the undersigned subcribers would humbly make known to Your Excellency that at October Term of the Circuit Court of Marion County, 1821, a Certain Major Farris was charged in an Indictment [withaving?] a certain Champness Kerser and a cetrain Charles Elkins of having falsely, fraudulently, wickedly and unlawfully, and with intent to cheat and defraud, swindled a certain Samuel Lemmons of a waggon [sic] and two horses of the value of four hundred dollards; that at said October Term, the said Major Farris was tried & found guilty by the Jury, and a sentence was pronounced upon him that "for such his offence he be fined the sum of thirty dollars, and remain in close confinment in the Jail of Marion County, for the Term of four calendar months," which sentence in the opinion of your Excellencys memorialists, is oppressive and unrighteous, that the said Major Farris has been known to your Excellency's petitioners, some of them for a number of years, that during our acquain-tance with him, he has stood as fair in society as any other gentleman of his Rank and ability, and we do not hesitate to announce to your Excellency that we believe the character the the said Major Farris could not be justly assailed in any Country; that we believe the said Farris is not guilty of the alleged charges, for which he has been convicted and thus oppossed, that we believe it was the mere circumstance of his being at that time occasionally in the company of those to whom more guilt might be attached, connected with the wanton disposition of those who does not regard virtue & humility, that has wanted this conviction on the said Major Farris, and subjected him to suffer the cruel sentence of the Honorable court, that the said Major Farris afterwards petitioned the Humble

Murfrees Borough 17 oct

I am aquainted with some of the petitioners names and knows some of them to be of the best respecability in Mareon County [sic] James Standefer

James [Standefer?] of Marion County Samuel Lemony this hand was the prosecuter I have [illegible] the Petition of Major Farris and the names of the signers a number of them are of the first respectibility and I also certify that I have [illegible] heard any thing alleged derogatory to the standing of the said Farris as an honest men [illegible] this offense. H Mitchell