121To James Madison from Charles Pinckney, 30 September 1799 (Madison Papers)
I Will Be obliged to you to favour me with an answer to my last, (if recieved) on the subject of the absolute necessity of your State Legislature passing at their next session an act to declare that the Electors of a President & Vice President shall be elected by joint Ballott by your State Legislature in the manner it is done in this State—this act must Be passed at your next session or it...
122To James Madison from John Chew, 20 October 1799 (Madison Papers)
I wrote to You about this time last Year, informing You of my fathers death, and requesting You to give me every information in your power respecting some lands to which he had a Claim to, in Virginia. Such a length of time has now elapsed without my hearing from You that I am Sometimes in doubt, whether the letter has ever gone to hand, it was Sent from this by a Son of Mr Watts, and directed...
123To James Madison from John Francis Mercer, 14 November 1799 (Madison Papers)
It is unnecessary for me to suggest the pain I feel that a renewal of a correspondence which always afforded me the highest satisfaction shoud now arise from so great a delinquency on my part. I did hope that you woud not have had occasion to remind me of the claim your friendship gave rise to, but my own imprudencies & those of a very near Relative, have in spite of all my exertions kept me...
124To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 22 November 1799 (Madison Papers)
I have never answered your letter by mr. Polk, because I intended to have paid you a visit. This has been postponed by various circumstances till yesterday, being the day fixed for the departure of my daur. Eppes, my horses were ready for me to have set out to see you. An accident postponed her departure to this day & my visit also. But Colo. Monroe dined with us yesterday, and on my asking...
125To James Madison from James Monroe, 22 November 1799 (Madison Papers)
I was yesterday at Monticello when Mr. Jefferson informed me he proposed sitting out on the next (this) morning on a visit to you, to remain a day & return. Considering yr. present publick engagment, the business before the legislature & the part you will necessarily take in it, with his publick station, I was immediately impressed with an idea the trip had better be declined & so observed. He...
126To James Madison from Alexander Pope Price, 25 November 1799 (Madison Papers)
With much diffidence I take the liberty of making you acquainted with my wish to serve the ensuing house of Delegates in the capacity of Clerk. My total unacquaintance with you would have prevented this direct communication, but the absence of Mr Geo. C Taylor who promised to mention this subject to you, and the near approach of the session of the assembly makes it necessary. I shall be glad...
127To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 26 November 1799 (Madison Papers)
I omitted in my letter of the 23d. to say any thing on the subject of mr. Wirt; which however was necessary only for form’s sake, because I had promised it. You know he is a candidate for the clerkship of your house, you know his talents, his worth, & his republicanism; & therefore need not my testimony, which could otherwise be given for him in the strongest form on every point. The desirable...
128To James Madison from John Dawson, 28 November 1799 (Madison Papers)
I came to this place on Tuesday & shall go on to Philadelphia on tomorrow, from whence I shall write to you fully. The choice of the President seems to engage the attention of every person already—it is difficult to say how the vote of this state & of New York will be—the republicans are sanguine in both, & I think not without reason—district elections woud secure a majority, & a general...
129To James Madison from Samuel Stanhope Smith, 28 November 1799 (Madison Papers)
In answer to your letter of the 25th. Aug: I immediately wrote to you; but I have reason to apprehend, from the fate of one or two other letters written about the same time, that it was lost by a robbery of the mail between Baltimore & Fredericksburg. I have just been informed of the loss of the others to which I refer; & lest that addressed to you should have been among them, permit me to...
130Memorandum from Edmund Randolph, [ca. December] 1799 (Madison Papers)
These “hasty notes” were most probably replies to queries (not found) that JM had posed to Edmund Randolph sometime during the early days of the Virginia General Assembly session in 1799. In his research for that part of the Report of 1800 that dealt with the common law, JM no doubt surveyed the handful of important court decisions that supported the doctrine that the English common law was...
131To James Madison from James Monroe, 7 December 1799 (Madison Papers)
I did not receive yr. favor of teusday last, till late yesterday, owing to my having moved to my lower plantation; and my important papers resting still behind, did not get them till late today, on acct. of the badness of the weather. I comply however in the best manner I can with your request and that of my other friends. I send you a copy of my letter to Dr. Edwards and his answer, also a...
132To James Madison from Stephen Moylan, 11 December 1799 (Madison Papers)
The lease I have of your house terminates the 2nd of May next, Mr Sansom & others have built I believe 23 houses on the back of the lot where Mr Morris had built his large house, the rent of them is 200 dollars a year, they are in the modern taste. If you will accept that rent for the house I live in, I will not quit it. I give you this early notice, that your agent here, may be on the look...
133To James Madison from John Dawson, 12 December 1799 (Madison Papers)
I am favourd with your letter of the 4th. for which I thank you. On yesterday we finishd the business of ceremony with the president & appear at a loss what to take up next —the Senate in their answer take no notice of the mission to France, altho it was modifid according to their wishes, & I am assurd that thirty odd eastern members in our house woud have voted for expunging the clause which...
134To James Madison from John Francis Mercer, 20 December 1799 (Madison Papers)
It gives me the greatest uneasiness to say that I have not as yet recd. 200$ Cash from my sales of $5000.—which was what I sold of about 12000$ offered. I shall wait only two days longer, when if matters are no better I will go on to Balto. on which place I have drafts & try to get them discounted & forward you the Money before the Assembly rises. Yrs. with great truth RC ( DLC ). Docketed by JM.
135To James Madison from Thomas Mann Randolph, 28 December 1799 (Madison Papers)
I have just learned here that several letters have been written from this County to the Chief members of the house of Delegates giving information that Wm. Woods the person lately returned Delegate in the place of Wilson Nicolas has never ceased to perform all the functions of a Minister of the Gospel in the Baptist church except that of marrying, the licence for which he resigned immediately...
136To James Madison from John Stokely, 29 December 1799 (Madison Papers)
Tho probabelly you know nothing of me or of the disorders of the County of Wood in which I reside, From the Lamentable situation of that County I use the Liberty of writing to you on that Subject. Notwithstanding your Situation puts you out of reach of any Intrinsic reward that that County can bestow, and that at this Crisis you must be engaged in matters of Importance to the Public, Still...
137Memorandum from an Unidentified Correspondent, [ca. 2 January] 1800 (Madison Papers)
I admit that the word states is used in the constitution, in all the senses which have been ascribed to it, by the paper which I have seen; that the state-governments neither created nor can abrogate the fœderal compact, and that the people of the states did create, and may abrogate it. But none of these considerations settle the question. The true enquiry is, in what sense the resolution of...
138To James Madison from John Francis Mercer, 6 January 1800 (Madison Papers)
I was taken on the road & have been confind by a Cold & inflammatory fever ever since which prevented my going to Balto. I have writen on yesterday to get Notes discounted, (even by shaving if necessary) & shall certainly I expect forward you 400$ before the Assembly rises. I shall lose no time after I get it—altho’ I have been dissapointed in the rect. of Money for Articles sold for Cash at...
139To James Madison from the Right Reverend James Madison, 9 January 1800 (Madison Papers)
I had almost resolved to pay you a short Visit, during your Stay in Richmond; but my Engagements in College will not permit me to indulge my Inclination. Perhaps Mrs. Madison & yourself could spare the Time to spend a few Days with us, before your Return to Orange; if so, be assured, it would afford the greatest Gratification to me, as well as to my Wife, who remembers you with the warmest...
140To James Madison from Stevens Thomson Mason, 16 January 1800 (Madison Papers)
If any information it may be in my power to furnish you or any services I can render you here, should be deemed by you a sufficient equivalent, I shall be happy in future in being numbered among your correspondents. The present moment however affords nothing interesting. The fate of Mr Nicholas’s motion for disbanding the additional army, you will have seen in the newspapers. As also the...
141Circular Letter from the Chairman of the General Committee of Correspondence, 30 January 1800 (Madison Papers)
The Legislature of this State, at their last Session, deemed it expedient to prescribe a mode of choosing Electors, to vote for a President, and Vice-President, of the United States, calculated to give to Virginia, the weight to which she is entitled in the Union, and at the same time to afford, the greatest possible support to those Republican principles, which form the basis of our...
142To James Madison from John Dawson, 1 February 1800 (Madison Papers)
This will find you on your farm & I hope with restord health. According to practice we have had a bankrupt law before us for many days. The final question on it is pospond untill tuesday week, & the fate of it uncertain —tho I much fear that it will pass—you well know what they can do by time—there was a majority of 20 agt it when introducd. You observe by the papers that there is a small...
143To James Madison from Stephen Moylan, 18 February 1800 (Madison Papers)
I received your letter of the 18th Janu. and paid your bill on me for 226 Dol.—67 Cents when presented to me, Mr. Barnes called on me, I mentioned the terms I woud occupy your house at the end of my lease, he thought it low, but I told him if he Could let it for more than 200 dollars, I woud give it up on the 2nd of May next, the first of April is the time when we both, must determine....
144To James Madison from John Dawson, 23 February 1800 (Madison Papers)
We have passd another law prohibiting the intercourse with France & her dependencies, & fear we shall have a bankrupt system—the bill has gone up to the Senate by the vote of our speaker, where it woud have been rejected on the first reading had not Mr. Pinckney been absent, & Mr. Cocke, who is opposed to it, voted in favour of it—on its third reading in our house an equall division took...
145To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 4 March 1800 (Madison Papers)
I have never written to you since my arrival here for reasons which were explained. Your’s of Dec. 29. Jan. 4. 9. 12. 18. & Feb. 14. have therefore remained unacknoleged. I have at different times inclosed to you such papers as seemed interesting. To-day I forward Bingham’s amendment to the election bill formerly inclosed you, mr. Pinkney’s proposed amendmt. to the constn., & the report of the...
146To James Madison from Stevens Thomson Mason, 7 March 1800 (Madison Papers)
Your letter like mine was a long time reaching its destination, owing I presume to the state of the roads. The newspapers will have announced to you from time to time the progress of business here. The Bankrupt Bill after every out of doors effort past the H of Reps by the casting vote of the Speaker only. On the question for its second reading in the Senate it would have been rejected, but...
147To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 25 March 1800 (Madison Papers)
Your’s of the 15th. is safely recieved. I percieve by that that I had by mistake sent you Ramsay’s Eulogy instead of Cooper’s smaller pamphlet, which therefore I now inclose, merely for the last paper in it, as the two first were in the copy I first sent you. I inclose also mr. Nicholas’s amendment this day proposed to the bill concerning President & V. P. formerly sent you. We expect it will...
148Circular Letter from the Governor of Virginia, 28 March 1800 (Madison Papers)
You will receive herewith pamphlets, the proportion allotted to the County of containing the report of a select Committee of the House of Delegates, made at the last Session of the General Assembly, on the answers of Several States, with copies of those Answers, to certain resolutions of the General Assembly of the 21st. December, 1798. on the Alien and sedition laws of the United States,...
149To James Madison from John Dawson, 30 March 1800 (Madison Papers)
I am favourd with your letter without date, & will attend to your observations relative to the post office—as some new arrangements are to be made, & Wyatt I learn is about to quit it is to be hopd that the evils of which you complain may be cur’d. I hear with much pain that you will not again go into the legislature—accounts from the different parts of the Union are favourable to the crisis...
150To James Madison from Stevens Thomson Mason, 2 April 1800 (Madison Papers)
I inclose you the Bill concerning the Presendential [ sic ] elections, as it has finally passed the Senate. Some of its early friends protested against it, after the 7th Section was stricken out, enough to have rejected it. Yet they either evaded the vote or voted for it declaring their abhorrence of it but expressing a hope that the House of Reps would make it better. Livermore was the only...