17341H. G. Letter XII, 8 March 1789 (Hamilton Papers)
The seventh of the circumstances enumerated in proof of his Excellency’s enmity to the Union is, That he has continued his opposition to the new constitution even since its adoption by this state. There are two kinds of opposition, direct and indirect. The Governor must have been an idiot to have rendered himself chargeable with the first kind. It would have brought the resentment of the whole...
17342[Diary entry: 6 April 1785] (Washington Papers)
Wednesday 6th. Mercury at 47 in the Morning— at Noon and at Night. Clear, calm & pleasant in the Morning. Wind afterward springing up from the Eastward, it began to lower and before Night had much the appearance of rain. Sowed the semicircle North of the front gate with Holly berries sent me by my Brother John—three drills of them—the middle one of Berries which had been got about Christmas...
1734311th. (Adams Papers)
From the office this afternoon I went with Townsend to his lodgings, and there past a couple of hours; after which I went in to Mr. Tufts’s, spend the remainder of the evening, and supp’d there. I found Mr. I. Smith there, and conversed with him upon the subject of the late disturbances at college. He hinted to me, that one of my brothers, had been much irritated, and that he was suspected of...
17344[Diary entry: 3 December 1785] (Washington Papers)
Saturday 3d. Thermometer at 50 in the Morning—56 at Noon and 61 at Night. The day very pleasant until the afternoon, when it began to lower. The Wind in the morning was Westerly, & in the Evening Easterly but not much of it. Employed all day at my writing Table on business of the Potomack Company. Brot. 2 Hounds fm. Colo. McCarty. George Washington & wife went up to Abingdon after Breakfast....
17345[Diary entry: 14 July 1787] (Washington Papers)
Saturday 14th. Dined at the Cold Spring Club and went to the Play in the Afternoon.
1734629th. (Adams Papers)
I attended at meeting and heard Mr. Wibird. The weather was rather dull and somewhat sultry. I am still undetermined whether to return this week to Newbury-Port, or wait till after Commencement: I believe however I shall determine upon the latter.
1734714. (Adams Papers)
Fete de S: Cloud. Diné entre là et Auteuil. M: T——r parti. An annual festival held on the grounds of the royal palace of St. Cloud ( Journal de Paris , 4 Sept. 1785). John Thaxter left for Philadelphia, carrying with him the Definitive Treaty with Great Britain, and the original Treaty of Amity and Commerce with the Netherlands, the latter signed at The Hague on 8 Oct. 1782 ( JA to Benjamin...
17348[Diary entry: 20 March 1785] (Washington Papers)
Sunday 20th. Mercury at 39 in the Morning—42 at Noon and 40 at Night. Morning lowering. About Noon the Sun came out and the Weather looked promising but in the afternoon it clouded & threatned, and sometime after dark began a mixture of Snow and rain. Wind was at East, and So. East all day—sometimes pretty fresh but for the most part of it moderate. Major Jenefir came here to dinner and my...
17349February [1787] (Washington Papers)
[Thursday 1st.] Mercury at 32 in the Morning—46 at Noon and 46 at Night. Wind (tho’ not much of it) variable and weather lowering but with changeable appearances. Mr. Fendall, Colo. Lee & his Lady, & Miss Lee went away after breakfast. I rid to the Ferry & French’s Plantations. At the first the women were cleaning up field No. 1 below the Hill. Friday 2d. Mercury at 30 in the Morning—36 at...
17350Constitutional Convention. Motion that Representation in the National Legislature Ought to be Proportioned to the Number … (Hamilton Papers)
Philadelphia, May 30, 1787. The Convention having before it a proposition by Edmund Randolph that “the rights of suffrage in the National Legislature ought to be proportioned to the quotas of contribution, or to the number of free inhabitants, as the one or the other rule may seem best in different cases,” Hamilton “moved to alter the resolution so as to read ‘that the rights of suffrage in...
17351Friday February 1st. 1788. (Adams Papers)
Pass’d a great part of the fore noon at Mr. Thaxter’s. He is now quite in the family way: he dined with us at Mr. Shaw’s; as did Leonard White and Sam Walker. In the afternoon we rode in a couple of sleighs about 6 miles down upon the river, and return’d just after dark. The party was agreeable; but Walker was an object of great pity. He has ruined his reputation irrevocably; the fairest Life...
17352Import Duties, [24 April] 1789 (Madison Papers)
Formal consideration of the Committee of the Whole report was now before the House. Several representatives argued that the proposed fifteen-cent duty on Jamaica rum was too high. Mr. Madison . The question is not whether the whole scale of duties agreed to in the committee shall be reduced, but whether the particular duty on the article of spirit; I will not differ with the gentlemen...
17353[Diary entry: 4 August 1787] (Washington Papers)
Saturday—4th. In the Morning, and betwn. breakfast and dinner fished. Dined at General Dickensons, and returned in the evening to Colo. Ogdens.
1735419th. (Adams Papers)
I was considerably fatigued by my jaunt of yesterday, but made out however to read something, in the course of the day; and in the slow progress which I have made since I came to Braintree, I have at length got through the volume of Doctor Priestley upon history and general policy, which I take to be an excellent work; I shall take as early an opportunity as possible to peruse it again.
17355[Diary entry: 10 April 1785] (Washington Papers)
Sunday 10th. Mercury at 46 in the Morning—52 at Noon and 60 at Night. Clear all day—Morning calm; about 8 Oclock the Wind sprung up pretty fresh from the South West; which before ten got to No. West, & continued to blow hard. Just as we had dined the two Doctr. Jenifers and Mr. Willm. Craik came in. The eldest of the Jenifers after getting his Dinner went away, to visit Mr. Wagener. eldest of...
17356[Diary entry: 29 September 1785] (Washington Papers)
Thursday 29th. Thermometer at 60 in the Morning—65 at Noon and 66 at Night. Day clear, and not much wind, especially in the Afternoon. Mr. Sanders, an Undertaker in Alexandria, came down between breakfast & Dinner to advise a proper mode of Shingling—putting Copper in the Gutters between the Pediments & Dormants, and the Roof and to conduct the Water along the Eves to Spouts & promised to be...
17357[Diary entry: 7 October 1787] (Washington Papers)
Sunday 7th. Thermometer at 58 in the Morning—70 at Noon and 63 at Night. Clear in the forenoon & cloudy afterwards with variable Winds. After breakfast Mr. Donald went away and whilst we were at dinnr. Mr. Bushrod Washington & his wife came in.
17358Congressional Resolution Changing John Jay’s Instructions for Negotiating a Treaty with Spain, 25 August [1785] (Jay Papers)
On a Report of a Committee to whom was referred a letter of the 15 th . from the Secretary for foreign Affairs— Resolved That the last paragraph in the instructions to the Secretary to the United States for the department of foreign Affairs passed July 20 th 1785 for entering into a treaty compact or Convention with the Encargado de Negocios of his Catholic Majesty in the words following “That...
17359Enclosure II: An Act for Opening and Extending the Navigation of Potowmack River, 18 October 1784 (Washington Papers)
Richmond, 18 October 1784. I. W hereas the extension of the navigation of Potowmack river, from tide water to the highest place practicable on the North branch, will be of great public utility, and many persons are willing to subscribe large sums of money to effect so laudable and beneficial a work; and it is just and proper that they, their heirs, and assigns, should be empowered to receive...
1736024. (Adams Papers)
Mme. Ridley accouchée. Ann Richardson, whom Matthew Ridley married in England in 1775, gave birth to a son, Lucius, on this day. They were also living in the house of the Comte de Rouault at Auteuil to which they had moved for the sake of Mrs. Ridley’s health (Herbert E. Klingelhofer, “Matthew Ridley’s Diary during the Peace Negotiations of 1782,” WMQ William and Mary Quarterly. , 3d ser.,...
17361[Diary entry: 17 September 1784] (Washington Papers)
17th. Detained here by a settled Rain the whole day—which gave me time to close my accts. with Gilbert Simpson, & put a final end to my Partnership with him. Agreed this day with a Major Thomas Freeman to superintend my business over the Mountains, upon terms to be inserted in his Instructions. “I do not expect,” GW had written Simpson 10 July 1784 , “to be compensated for my losses, nor mean...
173629th. (Adams Papers)
Thompson went to see Miss Roberts at Newtown. I cannot read with so much satisfaction for some days past, as I usually do, as my eyes are very troublesome. Walk’d in the evening, but quite alone: I finished a day or two since, my performance for the 5th. of next month; and am now very closely engaged in a matter which has been accumulating upon me these two months. According to JQA ’s draft...
17363[Diary entry: 24 January 1787] (Washington Papers)
Wednesday 24th. Mercury at 46 in the Morning—49 at Noon and 48 at Night. Raining more or less all day. In the Morning there were some appearances of the weather clearing, but it soon thickened and set in to raining, slowly till towards sundown, when the clouds again broke to the Westward. In the Night the wind blew fresh from the So. West & Continued to come from that quarter all day but very...
1736423d. (Adams Papers)
I had almost promised Mr. Thaxter to wait till the afternoon; but as there was an appearance of a probability that the weather would be disagreeable, I thought it would be safest to come home before dinner. My Brother Tom, rode with me about four miles to the ferry. I got to my lodgings between twelve and one. I called at Dr. Kilham’s shop: and there received an invitation from Mr. Marquand to...
17365Tuesday. 21st. (Adams Papers)
Set away from St. Just at about 7 ½ o’clock; dined at Amiens; the Capital of the Province of Picardy: stopp’d at Abbeville; after having rode 11. posts.
17366Enclosure II: Instructions for Negotiating Treaties of Amity and Commerce By The United States in Congress Assembled, 29 … (Jefferson Papers)
To the Ministers Plenipotentiary of the United States of America at the Court of Versailles empowered to negotiate a Peace, or to any one or more of them First . You are instructed and authorised to announce to his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Germany or to his Ministers the high sense which the United States in Congress Assembled entertain of his exalted Character and eminent Virtues and...
17367[Diary entry: 14 February 1787] (Washington Papers)
Wednesday 14th. Mercury at 36 in the Morng.—36 at Noon and 36 at Night. Thick and heavy clouds in the Morning and wind at No. Et. About 8 Oclock A. M. it began to rain and kept steadily at it all day—at times raining very fast. Rid immediately, after breakfast to French’s Plantation to see a sick man and intended to have gone to others but was driven back by the rain.
17368New York Ratifying Convention. Second Speech of July 17, [17 July 1788] (Hamilton Papers)
Ham[ilton]—gave reasons why we would be out of the Union— Amend[ment]s have been proposed—with a desire to conciliate and assuage—therefore not adopted on expedience—but the amend[ment]s proposed for expedience—in Massachusetts—now a fed[era]l representation this not fav[orabl]e to amend[ment]s Connecticut—an election—Antis—left out— N. Ham. adopted—after an ad[journmen]t Pennsylvania—2/3ds...
17369[Diary entry: 11 October 1787] (Washington Papers)
Thursday 11th. Thermometer at 54 in the morning—64 at Noon and 62 at Night. Foggy Morning & clear afterwards—wd. at N. Wt. & Wt. all day. Rid to all the Plantations. Began to sow Wheat and Sainfoin in the orchard in the Neck—the ground being first plowed—then crossed—on which the Wheat was sown and harrowed in with a heavy harrow the way it was last plowed—then followed the Sainfoin and...
1737029th. (Adams Papers)
Attended meeting all day. Mr. Hilliard preach’d in the forenoon, and Mr. Willard, brother to my Classmate, after dinner. Quite a young man; and his sermon was a proof of it. It was upon justice, temperance fortitude, godliness brotherly kindness, and charity: and not contemptible: his pronunciation however was not perfectly accurate, and there were some little improprieties in his language....