or merchandise, imported by land or by water from any other State, but may altogether prohibit the importation from any State of any particular species or description of goods, wares, or merchandise, of which the importation is at the same time prohibited from all other places whatso

ever.

3d. That no act of Congress that may be authorized, as hereby proposed, shall be entered into by less than two-thirds of the confederated States, nor be in force longer than thirteen years.

A motion was made, and, the question being put to amend the resolution, by adding to the end thereof the following words, to wit: "unless continued by a like proportion of votes within one year immediately preceding the expiration of the said period, or be revived in like manner after the expiration thereof," it passed in the negative: ayes, 28; noes, 79.

On a motion made by Mr. Turberville, and seconded by Mr. Watkins,

Ordered, That the names of the ayes and noes, on the question to agree to the said amendment, be inserted in the journal.

And then the said resolution, being again read, was, on the question put thereupon, agreed to by the House.

Ordered, That Mr. Alexander White do carry the resolution to the Senate, and desire their concurrence.

THURSDAY, 1ST DECEMBER, 1785.

On a motion made to the following effect: that the resolutions reported from a committee of the whole house, and agreed to by the House on yesterday, containing instructions to the delegates of this Commonwealth in Congress, respecting commerce, does not, from a mistake, contain the sense of the majority of this House that voted for the said resolutions;

Ordered, therefore, That the direction to send the said resolution to the Senate for their concurrence be rescinded, and that this House do immediately resolve itself into a committee of the whole house, to reconsider the said resolution.

It was resolved in the affirmative: ayes, 60; noes, 33.

The House then accordingly resolved itself into a committee of the whole house on the said resolution; and, after some time spent therein, - Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Matthews reported that the said committee had, according to order, had the said resolution under their consideration, and had made several amendments thereto, which they

had directed him to report when the House should think proper to receive the same.

Ordered, That the said report do lie on the table.

[With the same object in view, the General Assembly of Virginia eventually ursued a different course to attain it, as will be seen by the subjoined resolution.]

2. IN THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES OF THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.

21ST JANUARY, 1786.

Resolved, That Edmund Randolph, James Madison, junior, Walter Jones, Saint George Tucker, Meriwether Smith, David Ross, William Ronald, and George Mason, esquires, be appointed commissioners, who, or any five of whom, shall meet such commissioners as may be appointed by the other States in the Union, at a time and place to be agreed on, to take into consideration the trade of the United States; to examine the relative situations and trade of the said States; to consider how far an uniform system in their commercial regulations may be necessary to their common interest and their permanent harmony; and to report to the several States such an act relative to this great object, as, when unanimously ratified by them, will enable the United States in Congress assembled effectually to provide for the same: that the said commissioners shall immediately transmit to the several States copies of the preceding resolution, with a circular letter requesting their concurrence therein, and proposing a time and place for the meeting aforesaid.

Test:

1786, January 21st.

JOHN BECKLEY, C. H. D.

Agreed to by the Senate.

H. BROOKE, C. S.

By his excellency, Patrick Henry, esquire, Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, it is hereby certified that John Beckley, the person subscribing the above resolve, is clerk of the House of J.. S.] Delegates, and that due faith and credit is, and ought to be, paid to all things done by him by virtue of his office. Given under my hand as Governor, and under the seal of the Commonwealth, at Richmond, the 6th day of July, 1786.

P. HENRY.

[Certain other of the States came readily into the measure proposed, and a meeting of commissioners took place at Annapolis, whose proceedings are stated in the following report.]

13. ANNAPOLIS, IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND.

SEPTEMBER 11, 1786.

At a meeting of commissioners from the States of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia:

Mr. Dickinson was unanimously elected chairman.

The commissioners produced their credentials from their respective States, which were read.

After a full communication of sentiments, and deliberate consideration of what would be proper to be done by the commissioners now assembled, it was unanimously agreed that a committee be appointed to prepare a draught of a report to be made to the States having commissioners attending at this meeting.

Adjourned till Wednesday morning.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1786.

Met agreeable to adjournment.

The committee appointed for that purpose reported the draught of the report; which being read, the meeting proceeded to the consideration thereof, and, after some time spent therein, adjourned till to-morrow morning.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1786.

Met agreeable to adjournment.

The meeting resumed the consideration of the draught of the report, and, after some time spent therein, and amendments made, the samo was unanimously agreed to, and is as follows, to wit:

To the honorable the Legislatures of Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, the commissioners from the said States, respectively, assembled at Annapolis, humbly beg leave to report: That, pursuant to their several appointments, they met at Annapolis, in the State of Maryland, on the 11th day of September instant, and

having proceeded to a communication of their powers, they found that the States of New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, had, in substance, and nearly in the same terms, authorized their respective commissioners "to meet such commissioners as were or might be appointed by the other States in the Union, at such time and place as should be agreed upon by the said commissioners, to take into consideration the trade and commerce of the United States, to consider how far an uniform system in their commercial intercourse and regulations might be necessary to their common interest and permanent harmony, and to report to the several States such an act relative to this great object, as, when unanimously ratified by them, would enable the United States in Congress assembled effectually to provide for the same."

That the State of Delaware had given similar powers to their commissioners, with this difference only, that the act to be framed in virtue of these powers is required to be reported "to the United States in Congress assembled, to be agreed to by them, and confirmed by the legislatures of every State."

That the State of New Jersey had enlarged the object of their appointment, empowering their commissioners "to consider how far an uniform system in their commercial regulations and other important matters might be necessary to the common interest and permanent harmony of the several States;" and to report such an act on the subject as, when ratified by them, "would enable the United States in Congress assembled effectually to provide for the exigencies of the Union."

That appointments of commissioners have also been made by the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and North Carolina, none of whom, however, have attended; but that no information has been received by your commissioners of any appointment having been made by the States of Connecticut, Maryland, South Carolina, or Georgia.

That, the express terms of the powers to your commissioners supposing a deputation from all the States, and having for object the trade and commerce of the United States, your commissioners did not conceive it advisable to proceed on the business of their mission under the circumstance of so partial and defective a representation.

Deeply impressed, however, with the magnitude and importance of the object confided to them on this occasion, your commissioners cannot for. Dear to indulge an expression of their earnest and unanimous wish that speedy measures may be taken to effect a general meeting of the States, in a future convention for the same and such other purposes as the situa non of public affairs may be found to require.

If, in expressing this wish, or in intimating any other sentiment, your commissioners should seem to exceed the strict bounds of their appointment, they entertain a full confidence that a conduct dictated by an anxiety for the welfare of the United States will not fail to receive an indulgent construction.

In this persuasion, your commissioners submit an opinion, that the idea of extending the powers of their deputies to other objects than ose of commerce, which has been adopted by the State of New Jersey, was an improvement on the original plan, and will deserve to be incorporated into that of a future convention. They are the more naturally led to this conclusion, as, in the course of their reflections on the subject, they have been induced to think that the power of regulating trade is of such comprehensive extent, and will enter so far into the general system of the Federal Government, that to give it efficacy, and to obviate questions and doubts concerning its precise nature and limits, may require a correspondent adjustment of other parts of the federal system. That there are important defects in the system of the Federal Government, is acknowledged by the acts of all those States which have concurred in the present meeting; that the defects, upon a closer examination, may be found greater and more numerous than even these acts imply, is at least so far probable, from the embarrassments which charac*erize the present state of our national affairs, foreign and domestic, as may reasonably be supposed to merit a deliberate and candid discussion, in some mode which will unite the sentiments and councils of all the States. In the choice of the mode, your commissioners are of opinion that a convention of deputies from the different States, for the special and sole purpose of entering into this investigation, and digesting a plan for supplying such defects as may be discovered to exist, will be entitled to a preference, from considerations which will occur without being particularized.

Your commissioners decline an enumeration of those national circumstances on which their opinion respecting the propriety of a future con vention, with more enlarged powers, is founded, as it would be an useless intrusion of facts and observations, most of which have been frequently the subject of public discussion, and none of which can have escaped the penetration of those to whom they would in this instance be addressed. They are, however, of a nature so serious, as, in the view of your commissioners, to render the situation of the United States delicate and critical, calling for an exertion of the united virtue and wisdom of all the members of the Confederacy.

Under this impression, your commissioners, with the most respectful