The Debates in the several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution, Vol. 1

Jonathan Elliot

• Publisher: Jazzybee Verlag
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9783849653484
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Constitutions
• Index: Politics & International Relations

The five volumes furnish a collection of the Debates and Proceedings which took place in the different states, on the adoption of the Federal Constitution, as submitted by the General Convention, on the 17th of September, 1787. In the compilation, care has been taken to search into contemporary publications, in order to make the work as perfect as possible. Still, however, the sentiments they contain may, in some instances, have been inaccurately taken down, and, in others, probably, too faintly sketched, fully to gratify the inquisitive politician; but they nevertheless disclose the opinions of many of the most distinguished revolutionary patriots and statesmen, in relation to the powers intended to be granted to the Congress of the United States under the Constitution, and certainly may form an excellent guide in expounding many doubtful points in that instrument. In forming a History of the Constitution, the materials they furnish must be also considered of the greatest importance. The lights, too, which they throw on the character and the men of those extraordinary times, will always give them a sufficient interest, in the eyes of an intelligent community, to confer a peculiar value on their publication, rescued from the ephemeral prints of that day.

THE RATIFICATIONS OF THE TWELVE STATES,

Reported in the General Convention.

1.: DELAWARE.

We, the deputies of the people of the Delaware state, in Convention met, having taken in our serious consideration the Federal Constitution proposed and agreed upon by the deputies of the United States in a General Convention held at the city of Philadelphia, on the seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, have approved, assented to, ratified, and confirmed, and by these presents do, in virtue of the power and authority to us given, for and in behalf of ourselves and our constituents, fully, freely, and entirely approve of, assent to, ratify, and confirm, the said Constitution.

Done in Convention, at Dover, this seventh day of December, in the year aforesaid, and in the year of the independence of the United States of America the twelfth.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names.

Sussex County.	Kent County.	Newcastle County.
John Ingram,	Nicholas Ridgely,	James Latimer, President,
John Jones,	Richard Smith,	James Black,
William Moore,	George Fruitt,	John James,
William Hall,	Richard Bassett,	Gunning Bedford, Sen.
Thomas Laws,	James Sykes,	Kensey Johns,
Isaac Cooper,	Allen M’Lean,	Thomas Watson,
Woodman Storkley,	Daniel Cummins, Sen.	Solomon Maxwell,
John Laws,	Joseph Barker,	Nicholas Way,
Thomas Evans,	Edward White,	Thomas Duff,
Israel Holland.	George Manlove.	Gunning Bedford, Jun.

[l. s.]

To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting.

I, Thomas Collins, president of the Delaware state, do hereby certify, that the above instrument of writing is a true copy of the original ratification of the Federal Constitution by the Convention of the Delaware state, which original ratification is now in my possession.

In testimony whereof, I have caused the seal of the Delaware state to be hereunto annexed.

THOMAS COLLINS.

2.: PENNSYLVANIA.

In the Name of the People of Pennsylvania.

Be it known unto all men, that we, the delegates of the people of the common wealth of Pennsylvania, in General Convention assembled, have assented to and ratified, and by these presents do, in the name and by the authority of the same people, and for ourselves, assent to and ratify the foregoing Constitution for the United States of America. Done in Convention at Philadelphia, the twelfth day of December. in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, and of the independence of the United States of America the twelfth. In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names.

FREDERICK A. MUHLENBERG, President

George Latimer,	Anthony Wayne,	Benjamin Pedan,
Benjamin Rush,	William Gibbons,	John Arndt,
Hilary Baker,	Richard Downing,	Stephen Balliat,
James Wilson,	Thomas Cheney,	Joseph Horsefield,
Thomas M’Kean,	John Hannum,	David Dashler,
To. Macpherson,	Stephen Chambers,	William Wilson,
John Hunn,	Robert Coleman,	John Boyd,
George Gray,	Sebastian Graff,	Thomas Scott,
Samuel Ashmead,	John Hubley,	John Nevill,
Enoch Edwards,	Jasper Yeates,	John Allison,
Henry Wynkoop,	Henry Slagle,	Jonathan Roberts,
John Barclay,	Thomas Campbell,	John Richards,
Thomas Yardley,	Thomas Hartley,	James Morris,
Abraham Stout,	David Grier,	Timothy Pickering,
Thomas Bull,	John Black,	Benjamin Elliot.

Attest. James Campbell, Secretary.

3.: NEW JERSEY.

In Convention of the State of New Jersey

Whereas a Convention of delegates from the following states, viz., — New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, — met at Philadelphia, for the purpose of de...

Table of contents

• PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
• SECOND EDITION.
• NOTICES OF THIS WORK.
• CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
• SKETCH OF ANTE-REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY.
• GRADUAL APPROACHES TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE.
• THE UNANIMOUS DECLARATION OF THE THIRTEEN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
• POLITICAL RIGHTS AND SOVEREIGNTY.
• OCCURRENCES INCIDENT TO ACT OF CONFEDERATION
• OFFICIAL LETTER ACCOMPANYING ACT OF CONFEDERATION.
• JEFFERSON’S NOTES OF DEBATE ON CONFEDERATION
• ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION To all to whom these Presents shall come,
• RATIFICATION.
• ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS IN CONGRESS
• PROCEEDINGS WHICH LED TO THE ADOPTION OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.
• ADDRESS TO THE STATES, BY THE UNITED STATES IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED.
• PAPER NO. II.: REPLY TO THE RHODE ISLAND OBJECTIONS, TOUCHING IMPORT DUTIES.
• POWERS OF CONGRESS TO REGULATE COMMERCE.
• REPORT OF THE STATES ON THE REGULATION OF COMMERCE, &c.
• MR. MADISON’S RESOLUTION FOR EMPOWERING CONGRESS TO REGULATE TRADE.
• PROPOSITION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF VIRGINIA.
• PROCEEDINGS OF COMMISSIONERS TO REMEDY DEFECTS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
• REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS.
• FEDERAL CONVENTION.
• JOURNAL OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION
• “RULES TO BE OBSERVED AS THE STANDING ORDERS OF THE CONVENTION.
• RESOLUTIONS OFFERED BY MR. EDMUND RANDOLPH TO THE CONVENTION, MAY 29, 1787.
• MR. CHARLES PINCKNEY’S DRAFT OF A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
• PROPOSITIONS OFFERED TO THE CONVENTION BY THE HON. MR. PATTERSON, JUNE 15, 1787.
• COLONEL HAMILTON’S PLAN OF GOVERNMENT.
• STATE OF THE RESOLUTIONS, SUBMITTED TO THE CONSIDERATION OF THE HOUSE BY THE HON. MR. RANDOLPH,
• AS ALTERED, AMENDED, AND AGREED TO, IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE.
• RESOLUTIONS OF THE CONVENTION,
• DRAFT OF A CONSTITUTION, REPORTED BY THE COMMITTEE OF FIVE, AUGUST 6, 1787.
• REVISED DRAFT OF THE CONSTITUTION, REPORTED SEPTEMBER 12, 1787, BY THE COMMITTEE OF REVISION.
• THE LETTER TO CONGRESS.
• SUPPLEMENT TO THE JOURNAL OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION.
• THE RATIFICATIONS OF THE TWELVE STATES,
• 1.: DELAWARE.
• 2.: PENNSYLVANIA.
• 3.: NEW JERSEY.
• 4.: CONNECTICUT
• 5.: COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
• 6.: STATE OF GEORGIA.
• 7.: MARYLAND.
• 8.: STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
• 9.: STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
• 10.: VIRGINIA, to wit:
• 11.: STATE OF NEW YORK.
• 12.: STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA.
• 13.: RHODE ISLAND.
• 14.: STATE OF VERMONT.
• LUTHER MARTIN’S LETTER ON THE FEDERAL CONVENTION OF 1787.
• THE NOTES OF THE SECRET DEBATES OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION OF 1787,
• LETTER FROM THE HON. ROBERT YATES AND THE HON. JOHN LANSING, JUN., ESQUIRES, TO THE GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK; CONTAINING THEIR REASONS FOR NOT SUBSCRIBING TO THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION.
• A LETTER OF HIS EXCELLENCY, EDMUND RANDOLPH, ESQ., ON THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION; ADDRESSED TO THE HONORABLE THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES, VIRGINIA.
• LETTER FROM THE HON. ROGER SHERMAN, AND THE HON. OLIVER ELLSWORTH, ESQUIRES, DELEGATES FROM THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT, IN THE LATE FEDERAL CONVENTION, TO HIS EXCELLENCY, THE GOVERNOR OF SAID STATE.
• LETTER CONTAINING THE REASONS OF THE HON. ELBRIDGE GERRY, ESQ., FOR NOT SIGNING THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION.
• OBJECTIONS OF THE HON. GEORGE MASON, ONE OF THE DELEGATES FROM VIRGINIA IN THE LATE CONTINENTAL CONVENTION, TO THE PROPOSED FEDERAL CONSTITUTION; ASSIGNED AS HIS REASONS FOR NOT SIGNING THE SAME.
• ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK,
• LETTER FROM THE Hon. RICHARD HENRY LEE, Esq., ONE OF THE DELEGATES IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.
• GOUVERNEUR MORRIS TO GENERAL WASHINGTON
• GOUVERNEUR MORRIS TO TIMOTHY PICKERING, IN CONGRESS.
• JAMES MADISON TO MR. SPARKS.
• Footnotes: