Amendments to the Constitution, [8 June] 1789 — reading text

reprejented there; Ihe, as well as the adopting dates, fubinitied that iultrument t» 412 DEBATES i'coiivention of the people, but not having adopted it, Hie A. 1789, has again called a corivention, and is proceedino- to recon- fider It as fait as convenient ; fo I'uch a rcqueft as is nov/ propoleci, would be unneceflary with refptft to them. Ag ilhode Ifland did not iend ujtiniberG to the firft convention, there was a delicacy in tranrniitting the proceedings to thenij and congrcfs could not perhaps apply to them with the ia'ne propriety as to another. But all we are now to con- iider, I believe, is, that we invite the Itate oiRliode-lfland to join our confederacy, what will be the efFcd: of fuch a tn^albrev.'e cannot tell til! w'e try it. Mr. Page though he had great deference for the mover, yet Said, he conceited the motion oUsht not to come before Con- grefs. lie feared they would make themfelves a party in the bu fine fs if they interfered, and he wifhed to avoid having any. thing to do with clieir bickerings and difjiutes ; it was enougii for them to do the bufuiefs they were fent upon, and not to'attempt works of fupererogation. From the rei'pett he had for the gf nten-.an, and from the deli- caie !i nation in which the honfe was involved, he hbped ViVi mocion would be withdrawn. ''- Mr.'-' Ames. If tiie firuation of the houfe was delicate, it was alfo denp^erous in feme degree ; but he did not think it would relieve them by withdrawing the motion. If the gentle- man felt ferious on tlie fubjtd, if there was danger in the Jneafiire,' it oiight: to be well examined. But this was an• arguai€nr for going inid a committee of the whole, Sure- jy geinlen^e'n are 'not afraid of knowing our fuuation .'' Then vvhy'oppofe the means of coming at that knov/ledge ? It is not poflible to conceive this queflion can be long evaded. Then what advantage is propofed from procrafti- ' nation ? For his part he could difcover none ; and there- fore Was in favour of refolving' into a committee of \ht tvhole. Mr. Page Had heard the word dai'ger,' but did not hear didin^lly the genllenran's arguments. He thought the houfe rui; the riik of involving themfelves as partic, and incur all the Jaiioievs to which fuch a fituation would expofe them. fie thought ihe befi way to avoid the danger was to ftay ^'h^re tlie'y were. *;''";' "' ' Tvlr. Madison. 1 believe, Mr. fpeaker. there are cafes in which it ^ A. 1789. Of ,.C O N Ct R E S S. 415 prudent to avoid coming to a dccifion at all, and cafes where it is defirable to evade debate ; if there were not cafes of this kind, it would be unnecefl'ary to guard our difcuffions with the previous queltion. My idea on the fubjedl now before the houfe is, that it would be improper in this body to expofe theuiieives to have fuch a propofition re- jedted by the legiflature of the itate of Rhode-Ifland : It would hkewife be improper to exprtTs a defire on an occa- fion where a free agency ought to be emj.loyed, which would carry with it all the force of a command. How far this is contemplated on the prefect occafion I cannot tell, but I heartily' wiih that as little may be laid about it as pofiible. I conceive this to be one of the cafes to which the previous queftion is applicable ; and if the gentleman means to call the houfe to a dire»l; decilion on this motion, I fhall flep between and interpofe the previous queftion. Mr. Ames I am againft- the previous queltion being taken, becauie 1 wilh the houfe to conlider the motion made by the gen- tleman from New-York it ih admitted to be a quehion of ; confiderable importance, if it is, it ought to be confidered ; otherwife we are Ihu'ting the door on information, and puting it out of our power to ascertain the propriety or impropriety of the motion. I Ihould be glad to know if any gentleman contemplates the (fate oi Rhode-Ifland, dificvered from the union; a maritime iiate, lituated in the moil convenient manner for the purpofe of fmuggling and defrauding our revenue. Surely a moment's refled;ion will induce the houfe to take meafures to fecure this objed;. Do gentlemen imagine that Itate will join the union ? if they do, what is the injury ariling from the adoption of the refolution intended to be fubmitted to the committee ? is there any impropriety in deliring them to confider a queftion which they have not yet decided ? It has beenfuggeded, by an honorable gen- tleman, that this defire will operate as a demand. If a wifh of congrefs will bring them' into the union, why ihall we decline to exprefs fuch a wilh ? It has been faid, that Rhode-Ifland has never called a convention, the other States have ; then why ihould >e decline to requeft them to do what every otlicr State has been called upon to perform. The gentleman fromi Virginia feems afraid we fhall facrifice our dignity by ma- Icing this requeft. Let it be remembered, Great-Britain 4T4 DEBATES A. 17S9. Joit h-r colonies bv facrific'n her inierefl to her dignity ; >; we outNi cheref'H'e to be ciirffal h iw we a5t upon jdeas of rhi-; IvKiJ. There fee-ns Co w- (.iiTjoacioa ih that Hate to johi ciieir filler llates in aJiipclii^ ihi Conl'tucion. 'I'hen why Ih-ill we deciuie encouragin t that good ipirit by ap- proving the ai-afare? Mr. White Thou ^ht It bed: to put the previous quedlon, becaufe it was iiir)rOj>er for this legillature to interfere in their de- liberarion. If the/ were cld'pnfed to adopt the conftitu- tioD, it w juld be belt to let thein exarcife their jadg.nent, independent of any influence which a recommendation from this C jrjj-refs mip;hc hive. The previous qaeilion being inufted upon, was put— '' fha'd th^ main quellion be now put ;" and it was deter- raiaed in ths negative. Adjourned, June B. Another member, viz. M diael Jenifer Stone, from Maryland, appeared and took liis feat the oath to fupport ; the confliitution of the United States hiving been Hrll ad- miniftered to him by the fpeaker, purfuant to a late ad of congrefs. Apetition of Nicholas Pike, of Newburyport, in the ftate of Maffachufetis, was prefented to the houfe and read, praying that an exclulive privilege any be granted him for a limited time, in the publication of a work which he ha§ lately written, entitled, *' A new and co;nplete Syftem of Arithmetic." Ordered, t'nat the Hiid petition be referred to Mr. Hunt- ington,Mr. Cadwa'aJer, and Mr. Contee that they do ; examine the matter thereof, and report the fame with their opinion thereupon, to the houfe. A aiellage from the fenate, by Mr. Oils, their fecretary. — Mr. fpeaker The fenate concur in the refulution of this houle, of the 2o;h ultimo, fov furnifliing each ineuiber of the prefent congrefs with a com;)!ete fet of the journals of the late conin\l's. And he then v^ithdrew. Mr. ^vIadisox This day Mr. Speaker, is the d ly alligned for taking into confideration the fubjed of ameiidments to the conltitution. As I conlidere myfelf bound in honor and in duty to do I what I have done on this fubject, 1 Ihall proceed to bring the amendments before you as foon as polTible, and advo- cate ihsm until they ihall be finally 3do])ted or rejeded by a conftitutional majority of this houfe. With a view of A.r/Sp- O-F G a N G R E S S. ^r^ drawing your attention to this important objecl, I fljall move, that this houfe do now refolve itlelf into a commit- tee of the whole, on the Hate of the union, by which an op- portunity will be given, to bring forward fome propofitions which I have ilrong hopes, will meet the unanimous appro- bation of this houfe, atter the fulleil diicuilion and molt fe- rious regard. 1 therefore uioveyou, that the houfe now go into a committee on this bufinefs. IMr. Smith Was not inclined to interrupt the mcafures which the public were fo anxioufly expccliling, by going into a com- mittee of the whole at this time. He obferve<l there were two modes of introducing this bufmefs to the houfe One : by appointing a feledl committee to take into conllderatioa the I'everal a neudments projiofed by the (late conventions ; this he thought the molt 1-kely way to fhorten the bufinefs. The other was, that the gentleman fhouid lay his propoli- tions on the table, for the confideraiion of the members ; that they fhouid be printed, and taken up for difcuflion at a future day. Either of thelc modes would enable tlitj houfe to enter upon the bufinefs better prepared thau could be the cafe by a fudden tranfition from other im- portant concerns to which their minds werellrongly bent. He therefore hoped ihe honorable gentleman w ould confent to bring the lubjfcl forward in one of thofe ways, in pie- ference to going into a committee of the whole. For, faid he, it n^uft appear extremely impolitic to go into the con- fideration of amending the government, before it js orga- nized, before it has begun to operate ; certainly upon re- fleclion itmuff appear to be premature. 1 wi(h, therefore, gentlemen will confen: to the delay : for the bufinefs — which lies in an unfinifhed ftate I mean .particularly the colledtion bill —is neccfl'ary to be pad'ed ; elfe all we have hitherto done is of no effect. If we go into the difcufTion of this fubjec^, it will take us three weeks or a month ; and during all this tiine every other bufinefs muft be fuf- pended, becaufe we cannot proceed w ith either accuracy or difpatch when the mind is perpetually fhifted from one fubjedl to another. Mr. Jackson. I am of opinion vie ought not to be in a hurry with re- fpeft to altering the coi.ltitution. For njy part I have no idea of fpeculaiing in this ferious manner on theory if I ; iigree to alterations in the njode of adininiiiering this go- vcrn;nent; I iliall like to ftand on the fure ground of ex- 4.t6 debates perience, and not be treading air. a. 1789. What experience have we had of the good or bad qualifies of this conftitution ? Can any gentleman afHriii to me one propofition that is a certain and abfolute amendment ? I deny that he can. Our coniiitution, iir, is hke a velFel jult launched, and ly- ing at the wharf, Ihe is untried, you can hardly (Hfcover any one. of her properties ; it is not known how Ihe will anfwer her helm, or lay her courfe ; whether ihe will bear in fafety the precious freight to be depofited in her hold. But, in this ftate, will the prudent merchant attempt alter- ations ? Will he employ two thoufaud workmen to tear off the planking and take afunder the frame ? He certainly will nor. Let us gentlemen, fit out our veflel, fee up her maft?j, and expand her fjils, and be guided by the experimenc in our alterations. If (he foils upon an uneven keel, let us right her by