[INDORSEMENT.

N° 2.

State of the Resolutions submitted by M' Randolph to the

altered, amended &

Consideration of the House, as agreed to in a Committee of the whole House.

Received from the President of the U. States, march 19. 1796.

by

TIMOTHY PICKERING

Secy of State

We

We have now the Honor to submit to the Consideration of the United States in Congress assembled that Constitution which has appeared to us the most advisable. ["The f" stricken out.]

effectually

The Friends of our Country have long seen and desired that the Power of making war Peace and Treaties, that of levying Money & regulating Commerce and the correspondent executive and judicial Authorities should be fully and ["exclusively" stricken out] vested in the general Government of the Union. But the Impropriety of delegating such extensive Trust to one Body of Men is ["self" stricken out] evident. Hence results the Necessity of a different Organization.

["evidently impracticable" stricken out]

["It is desirable, but we fear not practicable" stricken out.] It is obviously impracticable in the fœderal Government of these States to secure [“able" stricken out] all Rights of independent Sovereignty to each and yet provide for the Interest and Safety of all. Individuals entering into Society must give up a Share of Liberty to preserve the Rest. The Magnitude of the Sacrifice must depend as well on Situation and Circumstances as on the Object to be obtained. It is at all Times difficult to draw with Precision the Line between those Rights which must be surrendered and those which may be reserved And on the present Occasion this Difficulty was encreased by a Difference among the several States as to their Situation Extent Habits and particular Interests.

Gentlemen

Providence May 11. 1787.

Since the Legislature of this State have finally declined sending Delegates to Meet you in Convention for the purposes mentioned in the Resolve of Congress of the 21st February 1787. the Merchants Tradesmen and others of this place, deeply affected with the evils of the present unhappy times, have thought proper to Communicate in writing their approbation of your Meeting, And their regret that it will fall short of a Compleat Representation of the Federal Union.

The failure of this State was Owing to the Nonconcurrence of the Upper House of Assembly with a Vote passed in the Lower House, for appointing Delegates to attend the said Convention, at thier Session holden at Newport on the first Wednesday of the present Month.

It is the general Opinion here and we believe of the well informed throughout this State, that full power for the Regulation of the Commerce of the United States, both Foreign & Domestick ought to be vested in the National Council.

And that Effectual Arrangements should also be made for giving Operation to the present powers of Congress in thier Requisitions upon the States for National purposes.

As the Object of this Letter is chiefly to prevent any impressions unfavorable to the Commercial Interest of this State, from taking place in our Sister States from the Circumstance of our being unrepresented in the present National Convention, we shall not presume to enter into any detail of

the objects we hope your deliberations will embrace and provide for being convinced they will be such as have a tendency to strengthen the Union, promote Commerce, increase the power & Establish the Credit of the United States.

The result of your deliberations tending to these desireable purposes we still hope may finally be Approved and Adopted by this State, for which we pledge our Influence and best exertions.

In behalf of the Merchants, Tradesmen &c

We have the Honour to be with perfect Consideration & Respect

Letter from several Gentlemen of Rhode Island addressed to the honorable the Chairman of the General Convention signed in behalf of the Merchants, Tradesmen & ca

dated Providence May 11. 1787.

read on Monday May 28. 1787.--Ordered to lye on the table

for farther consideration