1To James Madison from Jacquelin Ambler, 3 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover missing. Docketed by JM, “May 3d. 1783.” Another Week is elapsed, and Mr. Newton has failed to forward the thousand pound Bill which he informed me is due to this State from some Gentlemen in Philad. & both he & the other Commissioners were anxious to pay into the Treasury. I regret exceedingly having given you reason to expect it. You cannot be more...
2Benjamin Harrison to Virginia Delegates, 3 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
FC (Virginia State Library). In the hand of Thomas Meriwether, assistant clerk of the Council of State. Addressed to “Virginia Delegates in Congress.” I duely received your favor of the 22d. of last Month, and anxiously wait for the News by the French Frigates, a report prevails here that Lord Shelburne has said in the House of Lords that as there is no Time fixed by the Treaty for the...
3Thomas Walke to Virginia Delegates, 3 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( NA : PCC , No. 78, XXIV, 367–70). Addressed “To the Honble The Virginia Delegates in Congress.” Docketed, “Letter from Thos Walke to the Delegates of Virga. May 3d 1783. Read May 8th, 1783 (copy of the within sent to the Commander in Chief Agreeably to an order of Congress of this day.)” In consequence of the 7th: article of the treaty between America, and England; I, with a number of...
4Virginia Delegates to Bernardo de Gálvez, 4 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
Copy ( Sección Cuba 2370 , Archivo General de Indias, Seville). Addressed to “His Excellency don Bernardo de Galvez, Governor of the Havana.” This copy, including the signatures and the enclosure, appears to have been made by a clerk. For a suggested explanation of the copy’s origin, see n. 3. Oliver Pollock, a merchant of New Orleans, had rendered important service to both Congress and...
5To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 4 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC (Historical Society of Pennsylvania). Cover missing. I am now to acknowledge the rect. of yr. two favrs. of the 8th. & 22d. past, Mr. Jones being, as I suppose from his letter, by this time in Virginia: this circumstance will increase your trouble, but I must reiterate former injunctions, that when it will be particularly inconvenient to you to write, you make free in leaving me...
6Notes on Debates, 5 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
MS ( LC : Madison Papers). For a description of the manuscript of Notes on Debates and a discussion of JM’s reasons for recording what was said and done in Congress, see Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al ., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). , V, 231–34 . Mr. Bland & Mr. Mercer moved to erase from the Journal the resolution...
7Notes on Debates, 6 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
MS ( LC : Madison Papers). For a description of the manuscript of Notes on Debates, see Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al ., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). , V, 231–34 . A motion was made by Mr. Lee, to recommend to the several States to pass laws indemnifying Officers of the Army for damages sustained by individuals...
8From James Madison to Theodorick Bland, 6 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
MS (Virginia State Library). On the same small page, above JM’s receipt for pay as a delegate, appears one signed by Joseph Jones on behalf of himself and John Francis Mercer, and another signed by Arthur Lee. On a second small page, which originally may have been joined with the other to form a single folio, Bland wrote his own receipt, followed by: “The Auditors will be pleased to debit the...
9Virginia Delegates to Benjamin Harrison, 6 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC (Historical Society of Pennsylvania). Cover missing. Docketed, “Lr. from the Delegs: in Congress: May 6th. 1783.” Although only JM signed it, he obviously was writing on behalf of all members of the delegation. Your Excellency’s favor of the 25th. Ulto. came duly to hand yesterday. A commercial intercourse is under present circumstances carried on freely from other States with our late...
10From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 6 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Address on cover is no longer legible, except for “Thomas Jefferson Esqr.” Docketed by him, “Madison Jas. May 6 1783.” On the verso of the cover Jefferson deciphered the passages written in the JM-Jefferson Code No. 2, and here italicized. This code was first used by Jefferson in his letter of 14 April 1783 to JM ( Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M....
11From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 6 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Cover franked by “J. Madison Jr.” and addressed by him to “Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond.” Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison, 6th. May 1783.” Many years later JM or someone at his bidding placed a bracket at the close of the fourth paragraph, probably to designate that the letter to that point should be published in the first comprehensive...
12Notes on Debates, 7 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
MS ( LC : Madison Papers). For a description of the manuscript of Notes on Debates, see Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al ., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). , V, 231–34 . The Resolution moved yesterday by Mr. Lee for indemnifying military Officers, being reported by the Committee was agreed to The Committee on a motion of...
13To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 7 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Jefferson’s hand. Docketed by JM, “From Ths. J. to J.M. May 7, 1783.” On the docket page someone unknown wrote, “Ths. Jefferson May 7. 1783.” Using the JM-Jefferson Code No. 2, Jefferson enciphered the words which are here italicized. Interlineated on the manuscript is JM’s decoding of these ciphers. Filed with the manuscript are two pages entitled by...
14Notes on Debates, 8 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
MS ( LC : Madison Papers). For a description of the manuscript of Notes on Debates, see Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al ., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). , V, 231–34 . Mr. Bland suggested that the Prisoners of War should be detained, until an answer be given as to the delivery of slaves, represented in a letter from...
15Motion of Instruction to the President, [9 May] 1783 (Madison Papers)
MS ( NA : PCC , No. 36, II, 111). Docketed, “Motion of Mr. Madison Seconded by Mr. Holten passed May 9th 1783.” Closely following the tally of votes by which the plan for restoring public credit was adopted on 18 April 1783, there is printed in the Gaillard Hunt edition of the journals of Congress John Rutledge’s undated and undocketed motion of almost the same tenor as the present one of JM....
16Notes on Debates, 9 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
MS ( LC : Madison Papers). For a description of the manuscript of Notes on Debates, see Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al ., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). , V, 231–34 . A question on a Report relating to the occupying the Posts when evacuated by the British was postponed by Virginia in right of a State. Mr. Dyer moved a...
17Benjamin Harrison to Virginia Delegates, 9 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
FC (Virginia State Library). In the hand of Thomas Meriwether. Addressed to “Virginia Delegates in Congress.” I duly received your favor of the 29th. of last Month. In my last I requested you to let Mr. Thompson know I would send by this Post an Act of Assembly repealing the Cession of the Western Teretory. I then thought there had been one, but the Clerk of the Delegates informs me I was...
18To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 9 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Docketed by JM, “May 9th. 1783.” Cover addressed by Randolph to “The honble James Madison jr. esq of congress Philadelphia.” The right margin of the second of the three folios comprising the letter was trimmed so carelessly as to excise portions of the text. The due arrival of your friendly attention by every post has not been...
19To James Madison from Jacquelin Ambler, 10 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover addressed to “The Honobl. James Madison of Congress Philadelphia.” Docketed by JM, “May. 10. 1783.” To my great mortification Mr. Newton is not yet come to the Assembly and, altho’ I wrote pressingly to him last week to send me the Bill, I have received no Answer. I hinted in my last the probability of your drawing from Mr. Newton’s Bill a part of the Arrears...
20To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 10 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Force Transcripts). In the left margin at the top of the transcription, Peter Force’s clerk wrote “MSS. [M]cGuire’s.” See Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al ., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). , I, xxii, xxiii. Addressed to “The Honble James Madison, Esqr Philadelphia.” I have no favr from you to acknowledge since...
21Notes on Debates, 12–13 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
MS ( LC : Madison Papers). For a description of the manuscript of Notes on Debates, see Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al ., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). , V, 231–34 . On 12 May, besides adopting instructions to Washington about the military posts in the Old Northwest and referring to a committee, JM, chairman, the...
22Virginia Delegates to Benjamin Harrison, 13 May 1783—Missing Letter (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 13 May 1783 . In a letter of 20 May to Edmund Randolph ( q.v. ), JM mentioned a “letter from the Delegation by the last post to the Govr.,” asking him to inform the General Assembly of the expected negotiations “for a Treaty of Commerce” with Great Britain and of the delegates’ wish to know “the final sense of the State” on that subject. Governor Harrison referred the letter...
23From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 13 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover franked by JM and addressed to “Thomas Jefferson Esqr.” Many years later, after recovering the letter, JM docketed the cover page, “Madison Jas May. 13, 1783.” Henry D. Gilpin printed all of the letter except the last paragraph ( Madison, Papers [Gilpin ed.] Henry D. Gilpin, ed., The Papers of James Madison (3 vols.; Washington, 1840). , I, 531–32). The...
24From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 13 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover missing. Randolph’s surname is written in an unknown hand at the bottom of the letter’s second page. Internal evidence permits no doubt that he was the addressee. By Mr. Lee who set out yesterday afternoon I sent you a pamphlet collecting into one view all the acts & documents relative to the National debt &c which Congress have prepared for the Legislatures....
25Notes on Debates, 14 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
MS ( LC : Madison Papers). For a description of the manuscript of Notes on Debates, see Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al ., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). , V, 231–34 . Mr. Hamilton & Mr. Elseworth moved a call on the States, to fulfil the recommendation relative to the Tories. After some remarks on the subject, the...
26Notes on Debates, 15 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
MS ( LC : Madison Papers). For a description of the manuscript of Notes on Debates, see Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al ., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). , V, 231–34 . The Report relating to the Dept. of For: Affairs taken up and after some discussion of the expediency of raising the Salary of the Secy, Congress...
27To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 15 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Docket lacking. JM did not receive this letter until 9 June. See JM to Randolph, 10 June 1783 . The assembly have plunged into business without delay; and the important question of the impost has occupied their first attention. Mr. Henry is its strenuous supporter, and was the author of the resolution, by which an impost is declared...
28Notes on Debates, 16–17 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
MS ( LC : Madison Papers). For a description of the manuscript of Notes on Debates, see Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al ., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). , V, 231–34 . In the journal edited by Gaillard Hunt the entries for 16 May and the editorial augmentation thereof make clear that the session was almost wholly...
29To James Madison from Jacquelin Ambler, 17 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Letter unsigned but in Ambler’s hand. Cover addressed to “The Honobl. James Madison of Congress Philadelphia.” Docketed by JM, “May 17. 1783.” Mr. Newton has at length sent the first Bills which I now transmit you, two of £500. each. I was alarmed at the first view of them, being drawn at a very long period after sight, but I observe they were accepted as long ago as...
30Benjamin Harrison to Virginia Delegates, 17 May 1783 (Madison Papers)
FC (Virginia State Library). In the hand of Thomas Meriwether. Addressed to “Virginia Delegates in Congress.” I have nothing of Consequence to communicate to you by this Post[.] a sufficient Number to constitute an Assembly met on Munday last, but the great Business of the Session is not sufficiently open’d to enable me to form a conclusive Judgment on the Steps that will be taken to improve...