| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 1783
Congress resumed the consideration of the report of the committee on the means of restoring and supporting public credit, and of obtaining from the states substantial funds for funding the whole debt of the United States; and the last clause being amended to read as follows:
That as a more convenient and certain rule of ascertaining the proportions to be supplied by the states respectively, to the common treasury, the following alteration in the Articles of Confederation and perpetual union between the states be, and the same is hereby agreed to in Congress, and the several states are advised to authorise their respective delegates to subscribe and ratify the same, as part of the said instrument of union, in the words following, to wit:
"So much of the eighth of the Articles of Confederation and perpetual union, as is contained in the words following, to wit: All charges of war and all other expences that shall be incurred for the common defence or general welfare, and allowed by the United States in Congress assembled, shall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the several states in proportion to the value of all land within each State, granted to or surveyed for any person, as such land and the buildings and improvements thereon shall be estimated according to such mode as the United States in Congress assembled shall, from time to time, direct and appoint, is hereby revoked and made void; and in place thereof it is declared and concluded, the same having been agreed to in a Congress of the United States, [that all charges of war and all other expences that have been or shall be incurred for the common defence or general welfare, and allowed by the United States in Congress assembled, except so far as shall be otherwise provided for, shall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the several states in proportion to the whole
Page 215 | Page image
number of free white inhabitants, and one half three-fifths of the number of all other inhabitants of every sex and condition, except Indians not paying taxes in each State; which number shall be triennially taken and transmitted to the United States in Congress assembled, in such mode as they shall direct and appoint "].1
[Note 1: 1 The part in brackets, in the writing of James Madison, is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 26, folio 433. A variation, indorsed upon the report by Madison, is as follows:
In proportion to the number of white Inhabitants of every age sex and condition, and of the ½ of the number of all other inhabitants, which numbers shall be triennially taken and transmitted to the U. S. in Congress assembled in such mode as they shall direct and appoint.
The indorsement states:
"The latter clause of the report of the Comee Being recommitted the Committee reported the enclosed in lieu thereof, and motion being made to fill the blank before the words 'the number of all other inhabitants' with the words 'two thirds of' Question taken, 5 ayes 4 noes 2 divided N. H.a. Mass. div. Rh. div. Con. ay. N.J. ay. Pens. ay. Del. ay. Maryland, Virge N. Co. & S. Co. no. So the question was lost, and this part relative to an alteration of the art: of Confederation was postponed."]
A motion was made by Mr. [Theodorick] Bland, seconded by Mr. A[rthur] Lee, that the same be struck out of the report:
And on the question, shall the paragraph, as amended, stand as part of the report? the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Theodorick] Bland,
{table}
Page 216 | Page image
So the question was lost, and the paragraph struck out.
PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR
| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |