George Washington Papers

Enclosure: Draft for “A Proclamation By the President of the United States”, 24 October 1793

Enclosure

Draft for “A Proclamation By the President of the United States”

[c.24 October 1793]

Whereas the situation of public affairs requires, that the ensuing session of congress should not be postponed beyond the first monday in december next, being the day appointed by the constitution of the United States for the assembling thereof; and there is reason to doubt, whether the city of Philadelphia, the temporary seat of government, which for some time past hath laboured under1 a contagious fever, may on that day be fit for their reception: I do therefore, by virtue of the power, in me vested by the said constitution, to convene congress on extraordinary occasions, by these presents convene the senate and house of representatives of the United States, at [ ] in the state of [ ] on the [ ] day of [ ] next: And I do accordingly hereby notify to the members of the said senate and house of representatives respectively, then and there to attend for the dispatch of legislative business.

Given under my hand, and the seal of the United States this [ ] day of [ ] in the year of our lord 1793 and of Independance the seventeenth.

Qu: Altho’ the above is in the best form, which occurs to me, does it not exhibit many objections to the thing itself, if it be really the best form?

D, in Edmund Randolph’s writing, DLC:GW.

1Above “laboured under,” Randolph inserted “been visited with,” although he did not strike the former phrase.

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