<P> John Hancock was elected to a second term in November 1785, even though he was not then in Congress, and Congress was aware that he was unlikely to attend . He never took his seat, citing poor health, though he may have been uninterested in the position . Two delegates, David Ramsay and Nathaniel Gorham, performed his duties with the title of "chairman". When Hancock finally resigned the office in June 1786, Gorham was elected . After he resigned in November 1786, it was months before enough members were present in Congress to elect a new president . In February 1787, General Arthur St. Clair was elected . Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance during St. Clair's presidency and elected him as the governor of the Northwest Territory . </P> <P> As the people of the various states began debating the proposed United States Constitution in later months of 1787, the Confederation Congress found itself reduced to the status of a caretaker government . There were not enough delegates present to choose St. Clair's successor until January 22, 1788, when the final president of Congress, Cyrus Griffin, was elected . Griffin resigned his office on November 15, 1788, after only two delegates showed up for the new session of Congress . </P> <P> Prior to ratification of the Articles, presidents of Congress served terms of no specific duration; their tenure ended when they resigned, or, lacking an official resignation, when Congress selected a successor . When Peyton Randolph, who was elected in September 1774 to preside over the First Continental Congress, was unable to attend the last few days of the session due to poor health, Henry Middleton was elected to replace him . When the Second Continental Congress convened the following May, Randolph was again chosen as president, but he returned to Virginia two weeks later to preside over the House of Burgesses . John Hancock was elected to fill the vacancy, but his position was somewhat ambiguous, because it was not clear if Randolph had resigned or was on a leave of absence . The situation became uncomfortable when Randolph returned to Congress in September 1775 . Some delegates thought Hancock should have stepped down, but he did not; the matter was resolved only by Randolph's sudden death that October . </P> <P> Ambiguity also clouded the end of Hancock's term . He left in October 1777 for what he believed was an extended leave of absence, only to find upon his return that Congress had elected Henry Laurens to replace him . Hancock, whose term ran from May 24, 1775 to October 29, 1777 (a period of 2 years, 5 months), was the longest serving president of Congress . </P>

Who was voted the leader of the second continental congress