From George Washington to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 11 November 1791
To the United States Senate and House of Representatives
[Philadelphia, 11 November 1791]
Gentlemen of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives.
I have received from the Governor of Virginia a Resolution of the General Assembly of that Commonwealth, ratifying the first Article of the amendments proposed by Congress to the Constitution of the United States. A Copy of which, and of the letter accompanying it, I now lay before you.1
Sundry papers relating to the purchase by Judge Symmes of the lands on the Great Miami, having been communicated to me, I have thought it proper to lay the same before you, for your information on that subject.2
Go: Washington
DS, DNA: RG 46, Second Congress, 1791–1793, Records of Legislative Proceedings, President’s Messages; LB, DLC:GW; copy, DNA: RG 233, Second Congress, 1791–1793, Records of Legislative Proceedings, Journals.
1. On 4 Nov. Gov. Beverley Randolph of Virginia transmitted to GW the resolution of 25 Oct. of the house of delegates “that the first article of the amendments proposed by Congress to the Constitution of the United States, be ratified by this Commonwealth,” which was agreed to by the state senate on 3 Nov. (DNA: RG 46, Second Congress, 1791–1793, Records of Legislative Proceedings, President’s Messages). Tobias Lear forwarded Randolph’s letter and enclosure to Thomas Jefferson this day for deposit in the files of the Department of State (DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters). For GW’s correspondence concerning Virginia’s delayed ratification of the Bill of Rights, see Circular to the Governors of the States, 2 Oct. 1789, n.1, James Madison to GW, 20 Nov. 1789, n.5, 5 Dec. 1789, 4 Jan. 1790, Edmund Randolph to GW, 26 Nov., 6, 11, 15 Dec. 1789, and GW to John Jay, 19 Nov. 1790, n.4. See also GW to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, 30 Dec. 1791.
2. For these papers, see GW to Alexander Hamilton, 2 Oct., and Jefferson to GW, 10 Nov. (second letter).