With the new form of government needing to be operational prior to the completion of the first national census, Article I, Section 2, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution set a temporary apportionment of seats.

North Carolina and Rhode Island did not ratify the Constitution until after the 1st Congress began, and consequently did not elect their representatives until 1790.

Actual political parties did not yet exist, but new members of Congress were informally categorized as either "pro-Administration" (i.e., pro-Washington and pro-Hamilton) or "anti-Administration".

The first session of the first House of Representatives came to order in Federal Hall, New York City on March 4, 1789, with only thirteen members present.

Article I, Section 2, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution set a temporary congressional apportionment until the first national census was completed in 1790.

The first election did not reflect the fact that the two counties were centers of agrarian discontent and of support for Shays's Rebellion.

Only Whiting was regarded as a Shaysite and an Anti-Federalist, while the other five men were Federalists - and two of these - Worthington and Williams - had been virtual if not actual Loyalists during the Revolution.

In the fifth district, The only problem was whether Partridge could retain his post of sheriff of Plymouth County and accept a seat in Congress, as he had done in 1779-1782 and 1783-1785.

He accepted in the two following letters but explained that he would not take the seat if he had to give up his post as sheriff (12, 20 January, 23 February).

On 12 February Governor Hancock asked his Council for advice about Partridge and about George Leonard, judge of probate in Bristol County, who had been elected to Congress from the Bristol-Dukes-Nantucket District.

The next day Governor Hancock sent the Council's written reply to the legislature and asked for its advice (13 February, Miscellaneous Legislative Documents, House Files, M-Ar).

The two houses appointed a joint committee which wrote a report that was approved and sent to the Governor on Monday, 16 February.

The legislature declared that if George Leonard continued to hold the office of judge of probate and also took a seat on Congress, any future legislature would address the Governor authorizing him and the Council to appoint another person judge of probate in Bristol County.

It pointed out that sheriffs served during the pleasure of the governor, and (with the advice of his Council) were removable by him at any time.

The three leading candidates in the three Worcester District elections were Jonathan Grout, Timothy Paine, and Artemas Ward.

The issue of Paine's appointment as a mandamus councillor by the British government in 1774 had been brought up for the first time by the Boston Independent Chronicle, 12 February, and not by the Worcester newspapers.