91To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, [ca. 30 March] 1790 (Madison Papers)
I forgot to take your final opinion last night as to the mode of conveying official communications from the states through the channel of the President to the two federal houses . Whether it will be best to do it 1. by message from the presidt. through mr. Lear? 2. by do. through Th: J. appearing personally? 3 by do. through do. by way of letter? Be so good as to say what you think. I must be...
92To James Madison from Tench Coxe, 31 March 1790 (Madison Papers)
I recd. your favor of the 28th. instant by yesterdays post. I find the idea of a landed fund for the encouragement of manufactures is an old one in my mind. On looking over the little address to the frds of Manufactures in 1787 I observe I have hinted it there. You will excuse me therefore, if I wish not to part with it sooner than can be avoided. An infringement of the constitution is a...
93To James Madison from Richard Peters, 31 March 1790 (Madison Papers)
I know your Time is so much occupied that unless on some very important Occasion it ought not to be interrupted. I send you a Pamphlet given to me by a Member of our House Mr Herman Husbands. As he reprobates the System of Finance it will not be the less pleasing to you on that Account. Having drawn the Principles of the federal Government from higher Sources than we ever thought of he must be...
94To James Madison from Ambrose Madison, April 1790 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. April 1790. Mentioned in JM to James Madison, Sr., 2 May 1790 . Reports improving health of Nelly Conway Madison.
95To James Madison from Edward Carrington, 1 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
I will thank you to inform me whether it is likely that any thing will be done this session of Congress for establishing the emoluments of the Marshals office. This becomes an interesting question to those who must from duty be in Situations to incur expense, or hazard a neglect of duty by remaining where it will not be expensive. There was a temporary provision made at the last session by a...
96From 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.
97To James Madison from the Comte de La Forest, 2 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 2 April 1790. La Forest was the French vice-consul in New York. Calendared on the list probably kept by Peter Force (DLC: Madison Miscellany).
98To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 2 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 2 April 1790. Acknowledged in JM to Pendleton, 13 Apr. 1790 . The list probably kept by Peter Force (DLC: Madison Miscellany) notes that the letter consisted of one page and calendars it as follows: “Further objections to Hamilton’s plan. The progress of liberty in Europe.”
99To James Madison from Henry Lee, 3 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
I am induced to address you on a subject which violates the rule I had lately prescribed to myself with respect to our public affairs. A youth the son of Mr. Thomas L. Lee to whom I beleive you was intimately known met me this morning on the road. Bred to the mercantile line in one of the most respectable houses in our country & cut off from his expectations there, by the death of his...
100From 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...
101From 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...
102To James Madison from Tench Coxe, 6 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
I have the pleasure to enclose you a further consideration of the affairs of R. Island —and two of the papers of which I sent the origls. to Col. H. You will see they will be objects of treaty & consequently must require to be reserved. That which relates to our Navigation is comprized in sixty pages & I have not any person to copy it at this time. In haste yr. respectful & obedt. Servt. RC...
103To James Madison from Edward Carrington, 7 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
I have seen the decision of the House of R. upon the Quaker Memorial, nearly I suppose as the Committee reported. From the lengthy debates however and the Matter of these debates, I had been led to suppose it possible at least that the report was a different one asserting something like a power in Congress to meddle with emancipation. The very circumstance of such a subject being taken up in...
104To James Madison from George Lee Turberville, 7 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
Yr. Favor of february tenth did not reach me untill yesterday having been from home six weeks during which I have suffered extremely with a pleurisy—& afterwards the Gout—or rather a flying Gout. I am thank heaven now almost recover’d. Small breaches in Laws are precedents which will be drawn in point in favor of larger & more important ones—and a Government subject to the will only of those...
105To James Madison from Benjamin Rush, 10 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
I congratulate you upon the prospect of the funding System being delayed ’till the next session of Congress. I hope an election will intervene, before you meet again. Should this be the case, I think it probable that no One of our members who has voted against your motion, & in favor of the leading principles of Mr Hamilton’s report will be reelected. I have long deplored the temporary...
106From 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...
107From 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...
108To James Madison from John Dawson, 13 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
Accept my thanks for your letter of the 20th. uto. which I have recievd. By the death of our very worthy friend Colo Grayson it became the duty of the Executive to appoint some person to fill the vacancy in the Senate. Application was made to Mr. Henry and on his refusal to serve Colo Mason was unanimously appointed—he also declind and then Mr. John Walker was chosen—who I presume will be in...
109From 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...
110To James Madison from John Trumbull, 17 April 1790 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
Abstract. 17 April 1790. Acknowledges JM’s payment of “Three Guineas being One Half of the Subscription” for prints depicting the Battle of Bunker Hill and the death of General Montgomery. Printed receipt ( DLC : Broadsides and miscellaneous nonbroadsides). Signed by Trumbull. On this same day, Jefferson gave Trumbull six guineas for two sets of the prints published in London on 10 Nov. 1788 (...
111To James Madison from Gustavus B. Wallace, 20 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
Yours of the 10th. I receiv’d. Mr. Reynolds is now on his way to Newyork from what he inform’d me his partner got the Lists from a Clerk of the Treasury. Since I wrote you he receve’d some other Lists amounting to 3000 dollars due to the offi[c]ers of this state. The person that he corresponds with from this place and remits the Soldiers powers of Attorney to is William J. Vriedenburg No. 40...
112Assumption 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,...
113From 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.
114To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 21 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
I am further Obliged by your Favr. of the 4th. & two Packets of papers accompanying it. I congratulate you on having that ill-judged & improper measure of Assuming the State debts, ’ere this determined; & tho’ a large Majority on so important a Subject, was desirable, yet I shall be glad to hear it is finally negatived even by a decis[i]on from the Chair. It has fix’d a Suspicion of a...
115To James Madison from Henry Lee, 22 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
I got here last night from a trip to the great falls, & met your letr. of the 4th. It is really lamentable publicly & privately that a gift of Nature so useful should be locked up for the want of 3000 £ this currency. Was I in possession I verily beleive that the money would be returned in the course of one year. Col. Bull formerly of Pensylvania now of Berkeley, who was with me yesterday, &...
116Notes 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.
117Assumption 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...
118Motion 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...
119To James Madison from Benjamin Rush, 24 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
… [Encloses a pamphlet with the request] that you would not suffer it to go out of your hands without guarding against the possibility of its finding its way into a newspaper.… I shall next week send four or five copies of it to Mr. Jefferson. [Also encloses] Dr. Price’s Sermon preached before the Revolution Society in London.… It suggested to me an idea of your house addressing the national...
120To James Madison from Adam Stephen, 25 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
I reced the pleasure of your letter, and am greatly Obliged for your Sentiments on the Assumption of the State Debts. If it could be justly done, it would greatly contribute to the establishment of the Fœderal Government. The N E & S W parts of our Empire are not like to Assimalate, and Should the Devil bring about a dissolution—The N Englanders have such a Coasting Trade that Their imposts...