John Jay Papers

Extracts from Gilbert Livingston’s Notes of Debates, 22 July 1788

Extracts from Gilbert Livingston’s Notes of Debates

[Poughkeepsie,] Tuesday— July 22d 1788.]

[JJ seconds Melancton Smith’s motion for an amendment for an eight-year presidential term not subject to reelection.1]

Jay— this amend[men]t. does not leave him sufficiently independent—…

Jay— will not press— hardly knows how to chuse difficulties on every hand— A Gov[ernmen]t. as it was called operated in this state 20 Years ago— The Legislature & Govr. playd into each others hands— it may be so again— as it stands—the president is under eternal temptation to do wrong— senate a check what kind of a check?— to do wrong—& to do right—as it serves their interest—

AD, NN: Gilbert Livingston’s notes (EJ: 13430); DHRC description begins John P. Kaminski, Gaspare J. Saladino, Richard Leffler, Charles H. Schoenleber, and Margaret A. Hogan, eds. Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution (28 vols. to date; Madison, Wis., 1976–) description ends , 23: 2266.

1. The amendment under consideration that Smith and JJ wished to revise provided “that no person shall be eligible to the office of president of the United States a third Time.” AD, NHi: McKesson. That amendment carried, rather than Smith’s proposed limitation to a single eight-year term. For the full debates on 22 July, see DHRC description begins John P. Kaminski, Gaspare J. Saladino, Richard Leffler, Charles H. Schoenleber, and Margaret A. Hogan, eds. Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution (28 vols. to date; Madison, Wis., 1976–) description ends , 23: 2264–76.

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    Jay Papers
    Title
    Extracts from Gilbert Livingston’s Notes of Debates, 22 July 1788
    Author
    Jay, John
    Date
    22 July 1788

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    “Extracts from Gilbert Livingston’s Notes of Debates, 22 July 1788,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jay/01-05-02-0035. [Original source: The Selected Papers of John Jay, vol. 5, 1788–1794, ed. Elizabeth M. Nuxoll. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2017, p. 51.]