New York Ratifying Convention. Notes on Debates, [24 June 1788]
New York Ratifying Convention.
Notes on Debates1
[Poughkeepsie, New York, June 24, 1788]
| Lansing …2 | mode of appointment duration in office means of controul— |
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| Chancellor—3 | Senators equally interested in preserving the residuary powers— | ||||
| Senate intended as representation of the sovereignties of the states— Therefore ought to be dependent. |
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States have never exercised power of rotation— |
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| Rotation in Congress has been valuable— Parties have been extinguished— Will not have less stability— If there no danger that they may betray their trust— Small number— Sickness of a member— Non attendance— |
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| Mr. Lansing—4 | ☞ | ||||
| 1— | to make them actual repres: |
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| 2 | to make them dependent— | ||||
| 3 | Knowlege of circumstances best promoted | ||||
| 4 | Perpetual body— | Perpetiation of faction— | |||
| 5 | Corruption | ||||
| 6 | Social views ought to be regarded— |
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| [Hamilton]5 | Observations on Necessity of— |
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| stable principle— | |||||
| Necessary of considerable duration | |||||
| for knowledge | |||||
| responsibil[it]y | |||||
| sense of national character | |||||
| safety against executive | |||||
| Influence of the states | |||||
| Melancton Smith—6 | |||||
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| Lansing7 |
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| State passions &c. will operate. | |||||
| Lansing—8 |
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| Smith9 impossible to form a genuine representation— | |||||
| Therefore must check Therefore must weaken the senate. Question whether a sufficient stability will not be given?— Six years sufficient to acquire but when practice? Unchangeable body Distance will weaken dependence! Policy of the present confederation. |
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AD, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress.
1. These fragmentary notes were made by H as he listened to speeches at the Ratifying Convention. They are printed here exactly as he made them.
2. John Lansing, Jr. See , II, 289–91.
3. Robert R. Livingston. Livingston’s remarks were in answer to those of Lansing which H recorded on the left side of the page. See , II, 291–93.
4. This is H’s record of the second speech made by John Lansing, Jr., on June 24, 1788 (, II, 293–96).
5. While Lansing was speaking or immediately after he had concluded, H wrote these notes for his own use in rebutting him. H’s remarks, in which he incorporated these notes, were not made, however, until several other men had addressed the Convention. For the speech in which H drew on these notes, see “New York Ratifying Convention. Remarks,” Francis Childs’s Version, June 24, 1788.
6. This point was made by Melancton Smith in a speech of only two sentences which he made in reply to remarks by Robert R. Livingston (, II, 299).
7. Lansing’s remarks, on which H made these notes, are printed in , II, 299–300. At this point in the Convention H spoke but made no notes of his own speech.
8. Lansing again addressed the Convention (, II, 307–09).
9. For Smith’s remarks which H summarized, see , II, 309.