To James Madison from Stevens Thomson Mason, 2 April 1800
From Stevens Thomson Mason
Phila April 2d. 1800
Dear Sir
I inclose you the Bill concerning the Presendential [sic] elections, as it has finally passed the Senate.1 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 exception, who voted and finally spoke agt it with great acrimony.
You will have seen the high handed proceedings of the Senate agt Duane. He is not yet taken & I believe those who ordered him to be arrested wish he may not. We have yet nothing from our Commissioners. I am Dear Sir Yours
Stes. Thon. Mason
RC (DLC). Docketed by JM.
1. The bill entitled “An act prescribing the mode of deciding disputed elections of President and Vice President of the United States” passed the Senate on 28 Mar. 1800 by a vote of 16 to 12 ( , 6th Cong., 1st sess., 146). A short history of the bill, with a copy of it as engrossed for its third reading, was published in the Philadelphia Aurora General Advertiser, 29 Mar. 1800.