The writings of James Madison, comprising his public papers and his private correspondence, including numerous letters and documents now for the first time printed. |
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FRIDAY JUNE 20. |
 | The writings of James Madison, |  |
FRIDAY JUNE 20.
The Soldiers from Lancaster came into the City under the
guidance of sergeants. They professed to have no other object
than to obtain a settlement of Accounts, which they supposed
they had a better chance for at Philadelphia than at Lancaster.
(See the Report of the Committee on this subject.)
The Report of the Committee (see the Journal) on the territorial
Cession of Virga. being taken up, & the amendment on the
Journal proposed by Mr. McHenry & Mr. Clarke, being lost,[113]
Mr.
Bedford proposed that the second condition of the Cession be so
altered as to read, “that in order to comply with the said Condition,
so far as the same is comprised within the Resolution of
Oct. the 10, 1780, on that subject, Commissioners as proposed by
the Committee, be appointed &c and that instead of “for the
purposes mentioned in the said Condition,” be substituted “agreeably
to that Resolution.” In support of this alteration, it was
urged by Mr. McHenry, Mr. Bedford, & Mr. Clarke that the
terms used by Virginia were too comprehensive & indefinite. In
favor of the Report of the Committee, it was contended by Mr.
Ellsworth that the alteration was unreasonable inasmuch as Civil
expenses were on the same footing of Equity as Military and
that a compromise was the object of the Committee. Sundry
members were of opinion that Civil expences were comprised in
the Resolution of October the 10. 1780. Mr. Bland & Mr. Mercer
acceded to the alteration proposed. Mr. Madison alone dissented,
and therefore did not insist on a call for the votes of the States.
Mr. McHenry moved but without being seconded “that the Commissioners
instead of deciding finally should be authorized to
report to Congress only.”
In the course of the debate Mr. Clarke laid before Congress
the Remonstrance of New Jersey as entered on the Journal.[114]
As the Report had been postponed at the instance of the President
& other Delegates of N. Jersey, in order to obtain this
answer from their Constituents, and as the Remonstrance was
dated on the 14th. of June, and was confessed privately by Mr.
—, to have been in possession of the Delegates on Monday
last, an unfairness was complained of. They supposed that
if it had been laid before Congress sooner the copy which would
have been sent by the Virga. Delegates might hasten the opening
of the Land Office of that State. Mr. Clarke said there were still
good prospects, and he did not doubt that the time would yet
come when Congress would draw a line limiting the States to the
westward & say thus far shall ye go & no further.
Mr. Bedford moved that with respect to the 4th. & 5th. Conditions
of the Cessions, “it be declared, that Clark & his men, & the
Virginia Line, be allowed the same bounty beyond the Ohio as
was allowed by the U. S. to the same Ranks.” This motion was
seconded by—; Congress adjourned without debating
it; there being seven States only present and the spirit of
compromise decreasing.
From several circumstances there was reason to believe that R.
Island, N. Jersey, Pennsylvania & Delaware, if not Maryland also
retained latent views of confining Virginia to the Alleghany
Mountains.
Notice was taken by Mr. Madison of the error in the Remonstrance,
which recites “that Congress had declared the Cession
of Virginia to be a partial one.”
The motion was “that all reasonable and necessary expenses, incurred in
subduing the British posts at the Kaskaskies and St. Vincents, and the expense
of maintaining garrisons there, or to the northwest of the river Ohio, since the
reduction of the said posts, ought to be allowed, being agreeable to the aforesaid
act.” New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware voted aye.—Journals of
Congress, iv., 230.
The remonstrance expressed surprise at the matter coming up for consideration
and called attention to the previously expressed claim of New Jersey to its
full proportion of all vacant territory. “We cannot be silent,” it said, “while
viewing one state aggrandizing hereself by the unjust detention of that property,
which has been procured by the common blood and treasure of the whole,
and which on every principle of reason and justice, is vested in Congress
for the use and general benefit of the union they represent.” It was
urged that the cession be not accepted, but that Congress press upon Virginia
“to make a more liberal surrender of that territory of which they claim so
boundless a proportion.”—Journals of Congress, iv., 231.
| The writings of James Madison, | |