of the united Virtue and Wisdom of all the Members of the

Confederacy.

Under this Impression Your Commissioners, with the most respectful deference, beg leave to suggest their unanimous. conviction that it may essentially tend to advance the interests of the Union, if the States by whom they have been respectively delegated would themselves concur, and use their endeavours to procure the concurrence of the other States, in the Appointment of Commissioners to meet at Philadelphia on the second Monday in May next, to take into Consideration the situation of the United States, to devise such further Provisions as shall appear to them necessary to render the Constitution of the Foederal Government adequate to the exigencies of the Union; and to report such an Act for that purpose to the United States in Congress Assembled, as when "agreed to by them and afterwards confirmed by the "Legislatures of every State" will effectually provide for the same.

Though your Commissioners could not with propriety address these Observations and Sentiments to any but the States they have the honor to Represent, they have nevertheless concluded,. from motives of respect, to transmit Copies of this Report, to the United States in Congress Assembled, and⚫ to the Executives of the other States.

By Order of the Commissioners

Dated at Annapolis

September 14th 1786.

JOHN DICKINSON, Chairman

The foregoing Letter having been referred to a Grand Committee, and the Report of the Comtee thereon being called up on 21st Febr3 1787, and read in the words following

"Congress having had under Consideration the Letter of John Dickinson Esq. Chairman of the Commissioners, who assembled at Annapolis, during the last Year; also the proceedings of the said Commissioners, and entirely coinciding with them, as to the inefficiency of the federal Government, and the necessity of devising such farther provisions as shall render the same adequate to the exigencies of the Union, do strongly recommend to the different Legislatures to send forward Delegates, to meet the proposed Convention, on the second Monday in May next, at the City of Philadelphia"

The Delegates for New York, thereupon laid before Congress Instructions which they had received from their Constituents, and in pursuance of the said Instructions, moved to postpone the farther Consideration of the Report, in order to take up the following Proposition, viz.

on

for

"That it be recommended to the States composing the Union, that a Convention of Representatives from the said States respectively, be held at the purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation and per'petual Union between the United States of America, and reporting to the United States in Congress Assembled, and to the States respectively, such alterations and amendments of the said Articles of Confederation, as the Representatives met in such Convention, shall judge proper and necessary to render them adequate to the preservation and support of the Union."

The Motion for postponing was lost

A Motion was then made by the Delegates for Massachu

setts, to postpone the farther Consideration of the Report, in order to take into Consideration, a Motion which they read in their Place; this being agreed to, the Motion of the Delegates for Massachusetts was taken up, and being amended, was agreed to as follows.

By

The United States in Congress Assembled

February 21st 1787.

Whereas there is provision in the Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union, for making alterations therein, by the assent of a Congress of the United States, and of the legislatures of the several States; and whereas experience hath evinced, that there are defects in the present confederation, as a mean to remedy which, several of the States, and particularly the State of New-York, by express instructions to their Delegates in Congress, have suggested a Convention for the purposes expressed in the following Resolution; and such Convention appearing to be the most probable mean of establishing in these States a firm national Government.

pose

Resolved, That in the opinion of Congress, it is expedient, that on the second Monday in May next, a Convention of Delegates, who shall have been appointed by the several States, be held at Philadelphia, for the sole and express purof revising the Articles of Confederation, and reporting to Congress and the several Legislatures, such alterations and provisions therein, as shall, when agreed to in Congress, and confirmed by the States, render the federal Constitution adequate to the exigencies of Government, and the preservation of the Union.

Pursuant to the above Act of Congress which was transmitted to the several States the following Appointments were made.

8

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and

Eighty seven.

An Act for appointing Deputies from this State to the Convention, proposed to be holden in the City of Philadelphia in May 1787 for the purpose of revising the federal Consti

tution

Whereas in the formation of the federal Compact, which frames the bond of Union of the American States, it was not possible in the infant state of our Republic to devise a system which in the course of time and experience, would not manifest imperfections that it would be necessary to reform.

And Whereas the limited powers, which by the Articles of Confederation, are vested in the Congress of the United States, have been found far inadequate, to the enlarged purposes which they were intended to produce. And Whereas Congress hath, by repeated and most urgent representations, endeavoured to awaken this, and other States of the Union, to a sense of the truly critical and alarming situation in which they may inevitably be involved, unless timely measures be taken to enlarge the powers of Congress, that they may be thereby enabled to avert the dangers which threaten our existence as a free and independent People. And Whereas this State hath been ever desirous to act upon the liberal system of the general good of the United States, without circumscribing its views, to the narrow and selfish objects of partial convenience; and has been at all times ready to make every concession to the safety and happiness of the whole, which justice and sound policy could vindicate.

BE IT THEREFORE ENACTED, by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened that JOHN LANG