George Washington Papers

From George Washington to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 1 April 1790

To the United States Senate and House of Representatives

United States [New York] April 1st 1790.

Gentlemen of the Senate and House of Representatives.

I have directed my private Secretary to lay before you a copy of the adoption, by the Legislature of South Carolina, of the articles proposed by Congress to the Legislatures of the several States as amendments to the Constitution of the United States; together with the copy of a Letter from the Governor of the State of South Carolina to the President of the United States, which have lately come to my hands.1 The originals of the foregoing will be lodged in the Office of the Secretary of State.

Go: Washington

LS, DNA: RG 46, First Congress, Records of Legislative Proceedings, President’s Messages; LB, DLC:GW; copy, DNA: RG 233, First Congress, Records of Legislative Proceedings, Journals.

1The enclosure was a letter of 28 Jan. 1790 from Gov. Charles Pinckney of South Carolina announcing the adoption by South Carolina of the amendments to the Constitution (DNA: RG 46, First Congress, Records of Legislative Proceedings, President’s Messages). Pinckney enclosed copies of the 18 Jan. resolution of the South Carolina house of representatives, signed by Speaker Jacob Read, and of the 19th Jan. concurring resolution of the South Carolina senate, signed by Daniel DeSaussure, president of the senate. GW’s letter and its enclosure was received by the U.S. House of Representatives on 1 April 1790 (DHFC, description begins Linda Grant De Pauw et al., eds. Documentary History of the First Federal Congress of the United States of America, March 4, 1789-March 3, 1791. 20 vols. to date. Baltimore, 1972–. description ends 3:353–54).

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