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73-636: The Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was the collective directorial executive branch of the Pennsylvanian state government between 1777 and 1790. It was headed by a president and a vice president (analogous to a governor and lieutenant governor, respectively). The best-known member of the Council was Benjamin Franklin , who also served as its sixth president. The 1776 Constitution of

146-436: A couple living together (opposite-sex or same-sex). De facto unions are defined in the federal Family Law Act 1975 . De facto relationships provide couples who are living together on a genuine domestic basis with many of the same rights and benefits as married couples. Two people can become a de facto couple by entering into a registered relationship (i.e.: civil union or domestic partnership) or by being assessed as such by

219-410: A court order awards custody, either sole or joint. A de facto monopoly is a system where many suppliers of a product are allowed but the market is so completely dominated by one that the other players are unable to compete or even survive. The related terms oligopoly and monopsony are similar in meaning and this is the type of situation that antitrust laws are intended to eliminate. In finance,

292-427: A de facto national language but no official, de jure national language. Some countries have a de facto national language in addition to an official language. In Lebanon and Morocco , Arabic is an official language (in addition to Tamazight in the case of Morocco), but an additional de facto language is also French. In New Zealand, the official languages are Māori and New Zealand Sign Language ; however, English

365-426: A few instances in which an individual did not take the oath of office until the day following his election. Section 40 of the 1776 Constitution stipulates: "Every officer, whether judicial, executive or military, in authority under this commonwealth, shall take the following…oath of office before he enters on the execution of his office," meaning that an individual could not assume the duties of his office before taking

438-430: A power above the forms of law, claim to act and do really act in their stead. In politics, a de facto leader of a country or region is one who has assumed authority, regardless of whether by lawful, constitutional, or legitimate means; very frequently, the term is reserved for those whose power is thought by some faction to be held by unlawful, unconstitutional, or otherwise illegitimate means, often because it had deposed

511-477: A previous leader or undermined the rule of a current one. De facto leaders sometimes do not hold a constitutional office and may exercise power informally. Not all dictators are de facto rulers. For example, Augusto Pinochet of Chile initially came to power as the chairperson of a military junta , which briefly made him de facto leader of Chile, but he later amended the nation's constitution and made himself president until new elections were called, making him

584-651: A series of east-west streets named in honor of Pennsylvania's presidents and early governors. Moving south on South 25th Street are Wharton, Reed and Dickinson Streets. (Bryan, never officially elected to the office, is omitted.) The next street south of Dickinson appears as Franklin Street on Barnes' New Map of the Consolidated City of Philadelphia, 1855 . A city ordinance of 1858 changed the name of Franklin Street to its current name, Tasker Street. Moore Street, out of sequence, follows after one intervening street (Morris). Moore

657-505: A session or of any counsellor's term. Rather, new counsellors appear to have begun their terms whenever they were able to reach Philadelphia following their elections. The general election at that time was held on the second Tuesday in October and most counsellors took office in late October or in November. In most instances it is easy to fix the date on which a particular counsellor's term began, as

730-590: A state in Australia. This is because the power to legislate on de facto matters relies on referrals by States to the Commonwealth in accordance with Section 51(xxxvii) of the Australian Constitution , where it states the new federal law can only be applied back within a state. There must be a nexus between the de facto relationship itself and the Australian state. If an Australian de facto couple moves out of

803-598: A state, they do not take the state with them and the new federal law is tied to the territorial limits of a state. The legal status and rights and obligations of the de facto or unmarried couple would then be recognised by the laws of the country where they are ordinarily resident. This is unlike marriage and "matrimonial causes" which are recognised by sections 51(xxi) and (xxii) of the Constitution of Australia and internationally by marriage law and conventions, Hague Convention on Marriages (1978). A de facto relationship

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876-453: A subsequent legitimate government. That doctrine was nullified by the constitutional reform of 1994 . Article 36 states: Two examples of de facto leaders are Deng Xiaoping of the People's Republic of China and general Manuel Noriega of Panama . Both of these men exercised nearly all control over their respective nations for many years despite not having either legal constitutional office or

949-461: Is a third de facto language. Russian was the de facto official language of the central government and, to a large extent, republican governments of the former Soviet Union , but was not declared de jure state language until 1990. A short-lived law, effected April 24, 1990, installed Russian as the sole de jure official language of the Union prior to its dissolution in 1991. In Hong Kong and Macau ,

1022-438: Is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with de jure ('by law'). In jurisprudence , a de facto law (also known as a de facto regulation ) is a law or regulation that is followed but "is not specifically enumerated by a law." By definition, de facto 'contrasts' de jure which means "as defined by law" or "as a matter of law." For example, if a particular law exists in one jurisdiction, but

1095-416: Is comparable to non-marital relationship contracts (sometimes called "palimony agreements") and certain limited forms of domestic partnership, which are found in many jurisdictions throughout the world. A de facto Relationship is not comparable to common-law marriage , which is a fully legal marriage that has merely been contracted in an irregular way (including by habit and repute). Only nine U.S. states and

1168-427: Is considered by the Commonwealth to have been a full-fledged governor of Pennsylvania, perhaps due to the length of his term as acting president.) Several figure prominently in the history of Pennsylvania, but none more so than Dr. Benjamin Franklin. His presidency was one of his last acts of public service, and he died less than two years after leaving office. Franklin was also the longest-serving president, having held

1241-526: Is elected by the Federal Assembly for four years, and is composed of seven members, among whom one is president and one is vice-president on a rotating basis, although these positions are symbolic in normal circumstances. The link between the Swiss managerial system and the presidential system is even more evident for the cantonal governments, where currently all directors are all individually directly elected by

1314-556: Is followed by Mifflin Street, McKean Street, and Snyder Street (the latter being Pennsylvania's second and third governors under the 1790 Constitution). Wharton Street borders Wharton Square Park , although it is not clear if the park is named after Thomas Wharton or another member of his prominent family. Dickinson College and the Dickinson School of Law , both in Carlisle, Pennsylvania , were named after John Dickinson. Similarly,

1387-406: Is followed in another where it has no legal effect (such as in another country), then the law could be considered a de facto regulation (a " de facto regulation" is not an officially prescribed legal classification for a type of law in a particular jurisdiction, rather, it is a concept about law(s). A de facto regulation may be followed by an organization as a result of the market size of

1460-459: Is not a marriage and has significant differences socially, financially and emotionally." The above sense of de facto is related to the relationship between common law traditions and formal (statutory, regulatory, civil) law, and common-law marriages . Common law norms for settling disputes in practical situations, often worked out over many generations to establishing precedent , are a core element informing decision making in legal systems around

1533-402: Is not a meeting of ministers, but a college of heads of state and simultaneously the federal cabinet . The current president of the confederation is in fact only a primus inter pares (first among equals) with representative functions in particular for diplomacy with other States, without any power either of direction or of coordination of the activity of colleagues. The Swiss Federal Council

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1606-517: Is used for both: to contrast obligatory standards (also known as "de jure standards"); or to express a dominant standard, when there is more than one proposed standard. In social sciences , a voluntary standard that is also a de facto standard, is a typical solution to a coordination problem . Several countries, including Australia, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States, have

1679-735: The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was framed by a constitutional convention called at the urging of the Continental Congress . The convention began work in Philadelphia on July 15, 1776, less than two weeks following adoption of the Declaration of Independence . The Constitution was adopted September 28 of the same year. The document included both A Declaration of the Rights of the Inhabitants of

1752-678: The Directory of 1795–1799 in France . The French Directory was inspired by the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 , which prominently featured a collegial 12-member Supreme Executive Council with the president in fact only primus inter pares (first among equals). Variants of this form of government, based on the French model, were also established in the European regions conquered by France during

1825-457: The Family Court or Federal Circuit Court . Couples who are living together are generally recognised as a de facto union and thus able to claim many of the rights and benefits of a married couple, even if they have not registered or officially documented their relationship, although this may vary by state. It has been noted that it is harder to prove de facto relationship status, particularly in

1898-849: The French Revolutionary Wars . Directorial systems have a lower presidentialism metric value compared to presidential systems due to lower concentration of political power in the hands of one individual. Military juntas differ from the directorial system by not being elected. Utilizing sortition to select multiple executives can lead to a directorial system. In the past, countries with elected directories include: De facto De facto ( / d eɪ ˈ f æ k t oʊ , d i -, d ə -/ day FAK -toh, dee -⁠, də -⁠ ; Latin: [deː ˈfaktoː] ; lit.   ' in fact ' ) describes practices that exist in reality, regardless of whether they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It

1971-473: The Vice -Presidency—at least officially—even after leaving his seat on the Council. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania reports that Biddle's vice-presidential term extended to October 31, 1787, at which time Peter Muhlenberg succeeded him in that office. However, Biddle's term as counsellor from Berks County ended eighteen days earlier, on October 13, when he was succeeded in that office by James Read. Furthermore, Biddle

2044-452: The World Bank has a pertinent definition: A "de facto government" comes into, or remains in, power by means not provided for in the country's constitution, such as a coup d'état, revolution, usurpation, abrogation or suspension of the constitution. In engineering, de facto technology is a system in which the intellectual property and know-how is privately held. Usually only the owner of

2117-422: The jurisdiction imposing the regulation as a proportion of the overall market; wherein the market share is so large that it results in the organization choosing to comply by implementing one standard of business with respect to the given de facto law instead of altering standards between different jurisdictions and markets (e.g. data protection, manufacturing, etc.). The decision to voluntarily comply may be

2190-527: The special administrative regions of China , the official languages are English and Portuguese respectively, together with Chinese. However, no particular variety of Chinese referred to in law is specified. Cantonese ( Hong Kong Cantonese ) in traditional Chinese characters is the de facto standard in both territories. A de facto government is a government wherein all the attributes of sovereignty have, by usurpation, been transferred from those who had been legally invested with them to others, who, sustained by

2263-412: The 1776 Constitution. The official minutes of the Council contain no indication that the president in any of these situations (Moore, Dickinson and Franklin, respectively) had formally left, relinquished or been removed from office; nonetheless during these periods the president was absent from council meetings, which were thus overseen by the vice-president. This suggests that any "interim administration"

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2336-426: The 20th century, the phrase de facto state of war refers to a situation where two nations are actively engaging, or are engaged, in aggressive military actions against the other without a formal declaration of war . A domestic partner outside marriage is referred to as a de facto husband or wife by some authorities. In Australian law , a de facto relationship is a legally recognized, committed relationship of

2409-637: The British occupation of Philadelphia in the fall of 1777—the last meeting in Philadelphia took place on September 23 and the first in Lancaster on October 1. The Council returned to Philadelphia June 26, 1778. The Council was replaced by a single governor on December 21, 1790. Seven men served as president of the Supreme Executive Council. (One, George Bryan, was never elected to the position, but today

2482-447: The Commonwealth and a Plan or Frame of Government . The latter includes 47 sections, several of which deal with the formation and function of the Supreme Executive Council. Section 3: "The supreme executive power shall be vested in a president and council ." Section 19: "For the present the supreme executive council of this state shall consist of twelve persons chosen in the following manner..." The city of Philadelphia and

2555-542: The Council and the General Assembly (the state legislature), usually held in November. Section 20: The Council and its president were given power to Additionally: The 1776 Constitution stipulated that the Council meet at the same time and location as the General Assembly. In practice, the Council sat year-round: there was no formal cycle of sessions (e.g. 110th United States Congress ) and no specific date for

2628-520: The Council set to be dissolved in December 1790, a provision of the new state constitution allowed counsellors and council officers whose terms would have expired that autumn to remain in office until December 21, rather than hold elections for new counsellors who would sit for only one or two months. Also, a review of the dates on which a particular county's counsellors began their terms will reveal several instances in which more than three years elapsed between

2701-582: The District of Columbia still permit common-law marriage; but common law marriages are otherwise valid and recognised by and in all jurisdictions whose rules of comity mandate the recognition of any marriage that was legally formed in the jurisdiction where it was contracted. De facto joint custody is comparable to the joint legal decision-making authority a married couple has over their child(ren) in many jurisdictions (Canada as an example). Upon separation, each parent maintains de facto joint custody, until such time

2774-466: The Minutes of the Council will note that on a particular date a particular gentleman was administered the oath and admitted to his seat. Many counsellors had sporadic attendance, and several were absent for a year or more at a time. This was particularly true of representatives from the distant western counties, although the phenomenon was certainly not limited to those gentlemen. Some counsellors simply sat out

2847-472: The Two Sicilies ). The de facto boundaries of a country are defined by the area that its government is actually able to enforce its laws in, and to defend against encroachments by other countries that may also claim the same territory de jure. The Durand Line is an example of a de facto boundary. As well as cases of border disputes , de facto boundaries may also arise in relatively unpopulated areas in which

2920-580: The United States (outside of the South) until the 1950s and 1960s was simply discrimination that was not segregation by law (de jure). " Jim Crow laws ", which were enacted in the 1870s, brought legal racial segregation against black Americans residing in the American South . These laws were legally ended in 1964 by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 . Most commonly used to describe large scale conflicts of

2993-598: The appointed representative of the monarch or the Proprietor , rather than to an elected official.) The executive branch of the state government has been headed by a governor since that time. The 1790 Constitution made no provision for a lieutenant governor. Upon the death or resignation of the governor the office would be assumed by the Speaker of the State Senate . (This position no longer exists.) The office of lieutenant governor

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3066-505: The border was never formally established or in which the agreed border was never surveyed and its exact position is unclear. The same concepts may also apply to a boundary between provinces or other subdivisions of a federal state . In South Africa, although de jure apartheid formally began in 1948, de facto racist policies and practices discriminating against black South Africans, People of Colour, and Indians dated back decades before. De facto racial discrimination and segregation in

3139-435: The case of the death of one of the partners. In April 2014, an Australian federal court judge ruled that a heterosexual couple who had a child and lived together for 13 years were not in a de facto relationship and thus the court had no jurisdiction to divide up their property under family law following a request for separation. In his ruling, the judge stated "de facto relationship(s) may be described as 'marriage like' but it

3212-448: The completion of his term as President . For example, Redick's supposed acting presidency spanned the final three weeks of Dr. Franklin's presidential term. Franklin's three-year term as counsellor from the City of Philadelphia was to expire on or around October 17, 1788—two weeks before the conclusion of his final one-year presidential term on October 31. The 1776 Constitution is not specific on

3285-586: The convicted person to "live out the vast majority of their life in jail prior to their release." A de facto standard is a standard (formal or informal) that has achieved a dominant position by tradition, enforcement, or market dominance. It has not necessarily received formal approval by way of a standardization process, and may not have an official standards document. Technical standards are usually voluntary, such as ISO 9000 requirements, but may be obligatory, enforced by government norms, such as drinking water quality requirements. The term "de facto standard"

3358-593: The eleven counties existing at that time each elected a representative to sit on the Council. These eleven counties were Philadelphia (at that time a governmental entity distinct from the City of Philadelphia), Chester , Bucks , Lancaster , York , Cumberland , Berks , Northampton , Bedford , Northumberland , and Westmoreland . Seats were added for Washington , Fayette , Franklin , Montgomery , Dauphin , Luzerne , Huntingdon , and Allegheny as those counties were established. Many of these counties occupied considerably different and often much larger territories in

3431-623: The formal and legal ruler of Chile. Similarly, Saddam Hussein 's formal rule of Iraq is often recorded as beginning in 1979, the year he assumed the Presidency of Iraq . However, his de facto rule of the nation began earlier: during his time as vice president ; he exercised a great deal of power at the expense of the elderly Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr , the de jure president. In Argentina , the successive military coups that overthrew constitutional governments installed de facto governments in 1930–1932 , 1943–1946 , 1955–1958 , 1966–1973 and 1976–1983 ,

3504-423: The formal election of a successor. Franklin, for instance, was succeeded as counsellor for the City of Philadelphia by Samuel Miles on October 20, but his presidency officially did not end until November 5. If Franklin did indeed continue to exercise the office during those final weeks not only would he have been presiding beyond the end of his term as counsellor but also beyond the three-year term limit established by

3577-558: The last of which combined the powers of the presidential office with those of the National Congress . The subsequent legal analysis of the validity of such actions led to the formulation of a doctrine of the de facto governments , a case law ( precedential ) formulation which essentially said that the actions and decrees of past de facto governments, although not rooted in legal legitimacy when taken, remained binding until and unless such time as they were revoked or repealed de jure by

3650-415: The last several months of their terms, their names disappearing from the Minutes by late summer or early autumn. Thus, the following list of counsellors generally notes only the day on which each began his term; unless indicated otherwise it is assumed that each term extended to the beginning of the next, regardless of the incumbent's actual attendance. Counsellors were accorded the title of Esquire . With

3723-531: The late 18th century than they presently. Counsellors were elected to three-year terms; the terms were staggered so that one third would be contested each year. ( Counsellors is the spelling used in the Constitution itself, although the word is also rendered councillors , counsellors , and councilors in other documents.) The president and vice-president of the Council were chosen from those twelve counsellors, elected to one-year terms by an annual joint ballot of

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3796-809: The legal authority to exercise power. These individuals are today commonly recorded as the "leaders" of their respective nations; recording their legal, correct title would not give an accurate assessment of their power. Another example of a de facto ruler is someone who is not the actual ruler but exerts great or total influence over the true ruler, which is quite common in monarchies. Some examples of these de facto rulers are Empress Dowager Cixi of China (for son Tongzhi Emperor and nephew Guangxu Emperor ), Prince Alexander Menshikov (for his former lover Empress Catherine I of Russia ), Cardinal Richelieu of France (for Louis XIII ), Queen Elisabeth of Parma (for her husband, King Philip V ) and Queen Maria Carolina of Naples and Sicily (for her husband King Ferdinand I of

3869-478: The listing of former governors). None of these men (including Bryan) was given the title of acting president during his time in office—each continued to be addressed as Vice-President and was titled Acting President only after the fact. (And, regarding all but Bryan, the honor is strictly unofficial.) During George Bryan's "term" as acting president, the office of president was, in fact, vacant—Thomas Wharton died May 23, 1778, and an election to choose his successor

3942-451: The matter, but as the president and vice-president were chosen from among the members of the Council, it appears that most presidents chose to leave that office, or were replaced, prior to the expiration of their term as counsellor, rather than have an executive preside over a body of which he was no longer a member. Thus, these "acting presidencies" may have spanned the period between the de facto end of one presidency (due to term limits) and

4015-447: The necessary oath. Cross referencing the election dates above with the preceding listings of terms in office will thus reveal several slight discrepancies, all resulting from a delayed administration of the oath: No reasons for the delays are noted in the minutes of the Council. Neither set of dates involved a conflict with the sabbath . There were other instances that involved re elections of men who had already been sworn into office at

4088-437: The office for slightly over three years. There is some question about the de facto end of his term, suggesting that the aging Franklin was not actively involved in affairs of state toward the end of his presidency. (This is certainly not a consensus view, as other sources report that all actions of the Council during his term had Franklin's approval, even if that meant convening the Council at Franklin's home.) The shortest term

4161-458: The office of Vice-President of Pennsylvania is analogous to the modern office of Lieutenant Governor . Of the ten men who held the office, two succeeded to the presidency (the first—Bryan— de facto , the second—Moore— de jure ). The longest vice-presidential term was that of George Bryan; he served over two and a half years, although he also served as de facto acting president for six months concurrent with his vice-presidential term. The shortest term

4234-545: The popular election (held the second Tuesday in October) in which counsellors and Assemblymen were elected by eligible citizens. Routine elections involved a joint ballot of the Council and the General Assembly. Several other elections were held to fill vacancies resulting from resignation; these involved only a vote by the Council rather than a joint ballot with the Assembly. More often than not, records do not list contenders (other than

4307-486: The result of: a desire to simplify manufacturing processes & cost-effectiveness ( such as adopting a one size fits all approach ), consumer demand & expectation, or other factors known only to the complier. In prison sentences , the term de facto life sentence (also known as a "virtual" life sentence ) is used to describe a "non-life sentence" that is long enough to end after the convicted person would have likely died due to old age, or one long enough to cause

4380-891: The start of successive terms. It is uncertain whether the seat technically became vacant after exactly three years or if the incumbent's term extended to the start of his successor's, even if this meant exceeding the three-year term limit imposed by the 1776 Constitution. City of Philadelphia Philadelphia County Chester County Bucks County Lancaster County York County Cumberland County Berks County Northampton County Bedford County Northumberland County Westmoreland County Washington County (erected 1781) Fayette County (erected 1783) Franklin County (erected 1784) Montgomery County (erected 1784) Dauphin County (erected 1785) Luzerne County (erected 1786) Huntingdon County (erected 1787) Allegheny County (erected 1788) A constitutional convention

4453-582: The start of term of councilors or council officers. The Supreme Executive Council formally convened March 4, 1777. The first president and vice-president were elected the following day. The Council sat in the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, now known as Independence Hall . It met in what had been the Governor's Council Chamber during British rule. The Executive Council, along with the General Assembly, moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania , ahead of

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4526-454: The start of their previous term and which thus caused no delay. These are not noted here. Counsellors were elected to represent each county in Pennsylvania as well as the city of Philadelphia. They were elected to three-year terms. Many served less than a full three, while others appear to have served slightly more. The Council sat year-round and there was no specific date set for the start of

4599-427: The technology manufactures the related equipment. Meanwhile, a standard technology consists of systems that have been publicly released to a certain degree so that anybody can manufacture equipment supporting the technology. For instance, in cell phone communications, CDMA1X is a de facto technology, while GSM is a standard technology. Examples of a de facto General Manager in sports include Syd Thrift who acted as

4672-624: The voters. In political history, the term directory , in French directoire , is applied to high collegial institutions of state composed of members styled director. Early directorial systems were the Ambrosian Republic (1447-1450), the Bohemian Revolt (1618–1620), New England Confederation (1643–1686), partially in First Stadtholderless Period of Dutch Republic (1650–1672), Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 and

4745-520: The winners) or vote tallies, saying simply that a particular gentleman was duly elected president and another vice-president. Presidents and vice-presidents were elected to one-year terms. They could be reelected, but their term as president or vice-president could not (in theory) extend beyond the end of their three-year term as counsellor. Throughout the history of the Council it was standard practice for newly elected presidents and vice-presidents to take office immediately upon election. However, there were

4818-631: The world. Because its early forms originated in England in the Middle Ages , this is particularly true in Anglo-American legal traditions and in former colonies of the British Empire , while also playing a role in some countries that have mixed systems with significant admixtures of civil law. Due to Australian federalism , de facto partnerships can only be legally recognised whilst the couple lives within

4891-464: Was called in 1789 and a new state constitution was adopted the following year. The 1790 Constitution did away with the Supreme Executive Council and vested supreme executive power in the office of governor. On December 21, 1790 Thomas Mifflin, the last President of Pennsylvania, took office as the state's first governor. (The title of governor had been used during the Colonial era, although it referred to

4964-505: Was created by the 1873 State Constitution and first occupied (by John Latta ) in 1875. Directorial system One country now using this form of government is Switzerland (and to a lesser extent, San Marino ), where directories rule all levels of administration, federal, cantonal and municipal. On the face of it, the Swiss Federal Council might appear to be a typical parliamentary government; technically, however, it

5037-413: Was elected secretary of the Council on October 23, a clerical position that likely would not have been assumed by one who was also an officer of the Council and a high state official. The first election of a president and vice-president of Pennsylvania took place March 5, 1777, the day after the Council first convened. Thereafter, leadership elections took place in the fall, generally in November, following

5110-519: Was established quietly and " off the record ". A similar situation occurred at the end of Joseph Reed's presidency. Reed was succeeded as counsellor from Philadelphia County by John Bayard on October 16, 1781 but ostensibly remained president until William Moore took office on November 15. Yet no claims of an "acting presidency" have been made for Moore, who held the Vice -Presidency during this interim period, immediately prior to his election as president. Similarly, Charles Biddle appears to have retained

5183-448: Was not held until December 1—due perhaps to the Council's evacuation to Lancaster during that time. At over seven months, Bryan's tenure was such that today he is considered a full-fledged governor by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The situations of the three other "acting presidents" is less clear, although there are some similarities. In each instance the president was replaced—or due to be replaced—as his county's Counsellor before

5256-418: Was that of George Bryan, who served as acting president for just over six months. Although these men may be referred to properly as Presidents of Pennsylvania their office is analogous to the modern office of governor , and they are often included in lists of those who have held the latter title. Presidents and vice-presidents were styled His Excellency . The neighborhood of South Philadelphia contains

5329-401: Was that of Matthew Smith, who served for twelve days in October 1779. At least one source credits four vice-presidents with having served as acting presidents : With the exception of Bryan, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania makes no such distinction, and its listing of the state's early governors includes neither Potter, Biddle, nor Redick. (presidents of Pennsylvania are sometimes included in

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