To James Madison from Daniel Carroll, 21 December 1791
From Daniel Carroll
George Town Decr. 21st. 1791
My dear Sir,
I wrote to you by last Post from Bladensburgh. A Letter from Mr Lee, & the News papers shew me the shamefull State of the Representation Bill on the 13th Inst. Such a receeding in yr. House and on such a subject is astonishing.1 I fear disagreable effects—the evill is to continue 10 years; during which time matters will often occur to revive reflections on this event. It appears to me not quite right that the 2 Senators from Vermont shoud decide on the Repn of Kentucky. Mr Carroll2 has been usefull in our Assembly, but I do not think that a sufft. excuse. Mr. Rd. Hy. Lee has been a considerable time on his way, I have heard. My anxiety about what I wrote you respecting Mr Carroll of Carrollton indued me to write to him again which I hope may have effect. Docr. Stuart presents his comps. & requests Mr. Frenau will send his papers to Messrs Willson & Potts3 in Alexa. & to Mr Lund Washington4 near Alexa., & I suppose the papers from the beginning. I must request that my papers from Mr Frenau may be inclosd & seald & not left open at the sides. I do not get one out of 10, of this However I woud not have him take notice yet to our Post-Master. Unless difft. regulations prevail there will be an end to Subscriptions. Dr Sr. yrs. affy
Danl Carroll
RC (DLC). Docketed by JM.
1. On 13 Dec. 1791 the Committee of the Whole rejected a Senate amendment to the apportionment bill which would have lowered the ratio of representation from 1:30,000 to 1:33,000 (, 2d Cong., 1st sess., 250). Carroll was apparently mistaken in thinking that the House was “receeding.”
2. Charles Carroll of Carrollton.
3. Probably the merchants James Wilson (1767–1805) and John Potts, Jr. (1760–1809) (Jackson and Twohig, Diaries of George Washington, IV, 122, 192).
4. Lund Washington (1737–1796), cousin of George Washington, was a plantation manager (Rutland, Papers of George Mason, I, cvi).