151Slave Trade Petitions, [23 March] 1790 (Madison Papers)
The select committee on the slave trade memorials presented its report, consisting of seven resolutions, on 5 March ( DHFC Linda Grant De Pauw et al., eds., Documentary History of the First Federal Congress of the United States of America (3 vols. to date; Baltimore, 1972—). , III, 316, 340–41). This report came before the Committee of the Whole on 16 March. After repeated attempts on 16 and...
152From James Madison to Tench Coxe, 28 March 1790 (Madison Papers)
I have been some days in debt for your favor of the 21st instant. Accept my thanks for the Medal and copy of your new Constitution inclosed in it. I have delivered to Mr. Jefferson the remarks on a standard of measures, and communicated to him the several other interesting matters which you mention. The former will be disclosed to no one else, but remain in his hands for the purpose intended....
153From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 30 March 1790 (Madison Papers)
Your favr. of the 15. which requests an immediate acknowledgment, by some irregularity did not come to hand till I had recd. that of the 18, nor till it was too late to comply with the request by the last mail. I have been so unlucky also as to miss seeing the President twice that I have waited on him in order to intimate the circumstances which you wish him to know. I shall continue to repeat...
154From James Madison to Adam Stephen, ca. 1 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. Ca. 1 April 1790. Acknowledged in Stephen to JM, 25 Apr. 1790 . Gives views on the assumption of state debts.
155From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 4 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
You will see by the papers herewith covered that the proposed assumption of the State debts continues to employ the deliberations of the House of Reps. The question seems now to be near its decision, and unfortunately, tho’ so momentous a one, is likely to turn on a very small majority, possibly on a single vote. The measure is not only liable to many objections of a general cast, but in its...
156From James Madison to William Short, 6 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 17 Novr. had so long a passage and since it came to hand opportunities to France have been so deficient, that it has remained unacknowledged much longer than the pleasure it gave me would otherwise have allowed. The crisis in France is so interesting, particularly to this Country, that nothing can be more acceptable than the circumstances which mark the revolution and augur a...
157From James Madison to Henry Lee, 13 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 4th ult. by Col. Lee was received from his hands on Sunday last. I have since recd. that of the 3d Instant. The anticedent one from Alexandria, though long on the way was recd. some time before. In all these, I discover strong marks of the dissatisfaction with which you behold our public prospects. Though in several respects they do not comport with my wishes—yet I cannot...
158From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 13 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
I thank you for your favor of the 2d. instant. From the sentiments expressed in it you will hear with pleasure that the proposed assumption of the State debts, was yesterday negatived, after many days deliberation, by 31 vs 29. We hoped that this vote would have been mortal to the project. It seems however that it is not yet to be abandoned. The other part of the Secretary’s Report has been...
159From James Madison to James Monroe, 17 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
An answer to your favor of the 5th. has been delayed by my hourly expectation of hearing from Taylor. A few days ago he came to Town and I have had an interview and settlement with him. The balance with the interests at 7 PerCt. was 864 dollars. He has not however executed the conveyance for want of some chart which he could not get here, but has entered into bond to do so by August, with good...
160Assumption of the State Debts, [20 April] 1790 (Madison Papers)
The House took up the report of the Committee of the Whole, consisting of eight resolutions, on 29 March. The first three passed, but the fourth (providing for the assumption of state debts) and the remaining resolutions were recommitted ( DHFC Linda Grant De Pauw et al., eds., Documentary History of the First Federal Congress of the United States of America (3 vols. to date; Baltimore,...
161From James Madison to Ambrose Madison, ca. 20 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. Ca. 20 April 1790. Mentioned in JM to James Madison, Sr., 2 May 1790 . Advises him to ship tobacco abroad or postpone its sale in anticipation of rising prices.
162Notes for Speech in Congress, [22 April] 1790 (Madison Papers)
—will pay near ⅕ } ratio ⅙ —little more received 1/7 —Massts. pay little more than 1/7 } ratio 1/7 & ½ —receive more than ⅕ Distrust of Sts— ☞ sd. Sts done all they cd. —as Illinois claims— if rejected unjust if admitted dangerous Not beneficial to Natl. Govt. in present form Not just Not equalizing not practicable bare majority— Since 31. Mar: 1783 pd. to Treay. U. S.
163Assumption of the State Debts, [22 April] 1790 (Madison Papers)
The sixth resolution (see headnote to speech of 20 Apr.) was amended and approved on 21 April. The seventh resolution, “that immediate provision ought to be made for the present debt of the United States; and that the faith of government ought to be pledged to make provision, at their next session, for so much of the debts of the respective States, as shall have been subscribed upon any of the...
164Motion on the Death of Franklin, [22 April] 1790 (Madison Papers)
Mr. Madison rose and made the following motion: Mr. Speaker said he, Tho’ we have been informed not only thro’ the channel of the newspapers but by a more direct communication, of the decease of an illustrious character whose native genius has rendered distinguished services to the cause of science and of mankind in general, and whose patriotic exertions have contributed in a high degree to...
165Public Credit, [26 April] 1790 (Madison Papers)
FitzSimons moved to discharge the Committee of the Whole from that part of the secretary of the treasury’s report relating to assumption. After this motion passed, the Committee of the Whole completed its consideration of the resolutions. The House then took up the recommitted resolutions as amended. A sharp debate ensued over the first alternative of the sixth resolution, which allowed...
166From James Madison to the Governor of Virginia, 27 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
Information having been received here that some persons acquainted with the appropriation made at the last Session of Congress in favor of the officers & soldiers of the Virginia & N. Carolina lines of the late army, are taking advantage of the claimants who are ignorant of that provision, by purchasing their claims for very inconsiderable proportions of their amount, it became a question...
167From James Madison to Mann Page, 27 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 27 April 1790. Mentioned in James Mercer to JM, 12 May 1790 . Passes along a recommendation for the vacant professorship at the Fredericksburg Academy.
168From James Madison to James Madison, Sr., 2 May 1790 (Madison Papers)
I wrote some days ago to my brother Ambrose since which little has taken place worth adding. The inclosed newspapers contain a sketch of what has been done in the House of Reps. I mentioned to my brother that I thought it better to ship or postpone the sale of Tobo. than to sell at the present price in the Country. I am more & more convinced that this will be prudent. The price has risen...
169From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 2 May 1790 (Madison Papers)
I thank you very sincerely for the readiness with which you have complied with my troublesome request on the subject of the Stamp-Act. I made it on a supposition that you had been present at the proceedings of the Virga. Assembly, which I find was not the case. But, knowing the accuracy & extent of your intelligence on all such interresting occurrences, I consider the particulars with which...
170From James Madison to Benjamin Rush, 3 May 1790 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 3 May 1790. Offered for sale in the Parke-Bernet Catalogue No. 468, May 1943.
171From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 6 May 1790 (Madison Papers)
Your’s of Apl. 27. is this instant put into my hand. I have written to you all the letters that were promised, and have forborne to write others, because the cessation of yours led me to conclude that you had set out for N. Y. I am extremely sorry to find that this was not the case, but cheifly, on acct. of the cause of your delay. I can not suppose that under your circumstances any criticism...
172From James Madison to the Governor of Virginia, 11 May 1790 (Madison Papers)
On the recipt of your letter on the subject of the Inspection law of Virginia, I communicated the matter to the Secretary of the Treasury. He sees no impropriety in his giving the requisite instruction to the Custom-House officers and having promised to do so, I shall decline an application to Congress. Since the late separation of the State debts from the national, the House of Reps. has been...
173Notes on Navigation and Trade, [ca. 13 May] 1790 (Madison Papers)
Molasses Massts. has 60 distilleries. (Sheffd. p. 108) In 1769.—3,580,144. galls. of French & Surinam,—and only 299,678 of British Molasses were imported into N. America—(Id. 109) The Quantity of foreign Molasses imported into America, prior to the war, appears by the Custom house books to be greater than the quantity of rum imported there, altho’ the latter free from duty and molasses subject...
174Notes for Speech in Congress, [ca. 13 May] 1790 (Madison Papers)
Genl Observations— The progress of modern maxims tends to make Govt. & commerce free among all nations, which will reduce all nations to their natural advantages only. This, ours make desireable to us. If however monopolizing struggles shd. continue with a view to naval strength—No Nation can be so well off as U. S. because they possess bulky produce capable of employing mo⟨re⟩ tonnage and...
175Navigation and Trade, [13 May] 1790 (Madison Papers)
On 10 May the Committee of the Whole took up the report of a select committee on a petition from the merchants and traders of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This report recommended (1) that the tonnage on foreign vessels be raised from fifty cents to one dollar per ton, and (2) that foreigners be prohibited from carrying United States commodities to any port or place to which United States...
176Navigation and Trade, [14 May] 1790 (Madison Papers)
JM moved to add to the resolution agreed to on 13 May the following words: “That from and after the day of next, the tonnage of all such vessels be raised to , and from and after the day of next, no such vessels be permitted to export from the United States any unmanufactured article, being the growth or produce thereof.” This motion was opposed by FitzSimons, Laurance, Sedgwick, and Smith of...
177Bill concerning Navigation and Trade, [17 May] 1790 (Madison Papers)
A BILL concerning the Navigation and Trade of the United States . Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the duty to be collected on all vessels, not built within the United States, and belonging wholly, or in part, to a citizen, subject or inhabitant of any foreign state, with which the United States shall not have...
178Pay Arrearages to Virginia and North Carolina Veterans, [17 May] 1790 (Madison Papers)
On 7 May Theodorick Bland informed the House “that in consequence of obtaining (as is supposed) a surreptitious copy from a public office” of the names of Virginia and North Carolina veterans to whom arrears of pay were due (see Wallace to JM, 25 Mar. and nn. 1–3 and 20 Apr. ), speculators had “fraudulently procured assignments of pay” far below their value. He accordingly presented a motion...
179From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 19 May 1790 (Madison Papers)
The President has been critically ill for some days past, but is now we hope out of danger. His complaint is a peripneumony, united probably with the Influenza. Since my last I have found that I did not go too far in intimating that the cause of your delay would forbid the smallest criticism on it. I earnestly pray that you may no longer have occasion to plead that apology. In consequence of a...
180Queries concerning Jefferson’s Report on Weights and Measures, [ca. 20 May] 1790 (Madison Papers)
Quer. if a fixed temperature might not be got by referring to a thermometer—the freezing point—being the natural standard Quer. as to the inaccuracy of English calculations of London Pendulum. Quer. if mode of distributing actual standards thro’ the States sd. not be suggested at the close of the report. Quer. would not uniform cylinders be as eas[i]ly measured & judged of, as squares. Quer....