241To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 20 September 1785 (Madison Papers)
By mr Fitzhugh you will receive my letter of the 1’st inst. He is still here, & gives me an opportunity of again addressing you much sooner than I should have done but for the discovery of a great peice of inattention. In that letter I send you a detail of the cost of your books, and desire you to keep the amount in your hands, as if I had forgot, that a part of it was in fact your own, as...
242To James Madison from Caleb Wallace, 25 September 1785 (Madison Papers)
Two Days ago I received your favour of the 23. of August. Having only an Evening’s leisure after attending a very Strong Session of our Court for three Weeks to answer several of my Eastern Correspondents I only intend a short Line at present. In my Letter by Mr. Elijah Craig I believe I omitted particularly to inform you that last December a Deputy from the Several Militia Companies in this...
243To James Madison from John Hatley Norton, 1 October 1785 (Madison Papers)
You cannot be a Stranger to the several Acts passed in our Assembly during the late War relative to Citizens of this State & british Subjects who had commercial Interests in this Country, as well as those who were Partners with them in this State; & that one was enacted preventing the latter from recovering their Debts, which at this Time is unrepealed, & another leaving them exposed to the...
244To James Madison from John Hatley Norton, 2 October 1785 (Madison Papers)
With this you will receive a Letter from me dated Yesterday which contains such Sentiments as wou’d naturally arise from the peculiarity of my Situation & my Brothers, in which I shou’d hope you will find nothing dictatorial or offensive. I have wrote to many of my friends on the Assembly in the same Style, who will no doubt concur in such Measures as may be conducive to the Interest of...
245From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 3 October 1785 (Madison Papers)
In pursuance of the plan intimated in my last I came to this City about three weeks ago, from which I continued my trip to New York. I returned last night and in a day or two shall start for Virginia. Col: Monroe had left Philada. a few days before I reached it, on his way to a treaty to be held with the Indians about the end of this month on the Wabash. If a visit to the Eastern States had...
246To James Madison from Caleb Wallace, 8 October 1785 (Madison Papers)
By Colo. Muter I troubled you with a short Line; and now have only Leisure to thank you for the Strictures on Government you were so kind as to favour me with. I have yet some other Qu[e]r[i]es on the Subject which I shall reserve for another Opportunity. At present I only beg leave to observe that the Constitution of Virginia provides for the Seperation we have in View in a Way that is...
247To James Madison from William Grayson, 14 October 1785 (Madison Papers)
I have recieved your letter dated at Philada. & shall forward the in-closure to France in the manner you direct. Since your departure, we have been under great anxiety for the fate of Mr. Hardy. On a party to Haerlem heights about ten days ago, he unfortunately bursted a blood vessel, and from frequent hemorrhages, has been in extreme danger till about three days ago, when matters have taken...
248From James Madison to George Washington, 20 October 1785 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 20 October 1785. In a letter of 29 October from Washington to JM he refers to JM’s “favor of the 20th.” with an enclosure, which contained suggestions of a suitable form for Washington’s letter to the General Assembly requesting the donation to some public institution of the Assembly’s gift of canal shares to Washington.
249To James Madison from George Washington, 22 October 1785 (Madison Papers)
I thank you for the perusal of the enclosed reports—Mr Jay seems to have laboured the point respecting the Convention. If any thing should occur that is interesting, & your leizure will permit it, I should be glad to hear from you on the subject. Printed copy (Stan. V. Henkels Catalogue No. 686, 1892). Letter and enclosures not found. Listed in DLC : Madison Miscellany. JM appears either to...
250To James Madison from Gerard Banks, 28 October 1785 (Madison Papers)
Prompted by the good of my Country, I hope will sufficiently apologize for my addressing you on some matters of very great importance to our Country. Government at present is certainly in a very confused and unhinged situation, and no doubt calls for the deliberate efforts of a wise Legislature, which I hope is the case at this day. Yet Sir Your knowledge of mankind and things in general must...
251To James Madison from Arthur Campbell, 28 October 1785 (Madison Papers)
An early acquaintance, a similarity of sentiment, and the deserved estimation you have attained to, in America, encourage me to address you on a subject, that is believed to be highly interesting to the Western Inhabitants, and perhaps not less so, to the eastern parts of the State. After various essays of the People for a separation, and the subject being agitated, both in Congress, and...
252To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 28 October 1785 (Madison Papers)
Seven o’clock, and retired to my fireside, I have determined to enter into conversation with you; this is a village of about 5000 inhabitants, when the court is not here and 20,000 when they are, occupying a valley thro’ which runs a brook, and on each side of it a ridge of small mountains most of which are naked rock. The king comes here, in the fall always, to hunt. His court attend him, as...
253To James Madison from George Washington, 29 October 1785 (Madison Papers)
Receive my thanks for your obliging favor of the 20th. —with its enclosure—of the latter I now avail myself in a letter to the Governor, for the General Assembly. Your delicate sensibility deserves my particular acknowledgements: both your requests are complied with—the first, by congeniality of sentiment; the second because I would fulfil your desire. Conceiving it would be better to suggest...
254Bills for a Revised State Code of Laws, [31 October] 1785 (Madison Papers)
A revision of the Virginia code of laws was already overdue when the colony forsook its royal allegiance in 1776. Changing circumstances made it necessary to enact new laws in the transition from colony to commonwealth while retaining the bedrock of English common law. JM was barely on the legislative scene and no lawyer, but he was more than an interested spectator as Jefferson attempted to...
255Act for Establishing Religious Freedom, [31 October] 1785 (Madison Papers)
I. Whereas Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the Holy author of our religion, who being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as was in his Almighty power...
256To James Madison from William Grayson, 8 November 1785 (Madison Papers)
The President being this moment about to set out for Virginia obliges me to be very short at present. We have no authentic advices from Europe respecting the Algerine War, although the Papers speak of several captures of american vessels. Nothing new from Mr. Adams respecting the debts. I will again look at his letters, & give you the necessary information in confidence. You will then judge...
257From James Madison to George Washington, 11 November 1785 (Madison Papers)
I recd. your favor of the 29th. ulto. on thursday. That by Col. Lee had been previously delivered. Your letter for the Assembly was laid before them yesterday. I have reason to believe that it was received with every sentiment which could correspond with yours. Nothing passed from which any conjecture could be formed as to the objects which would be most pleasing for the appropriation of the...
258To James Madison from James Madison, Sr., ca. 12–14 November 1785 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. ca. 12–14 November 1785. Mentioned by JM in his 18 November answer to his father , and carried from Orange by Captain Barbour. The elder Madison had inquired about “Turpin in the land office,” and requested copies of some journals. Tobacco prices also were discussed.
259Debates and Resolutions Related to the Regulation of Commerce by Congress, Including a Call for a Convention at … (Madison Papers)
History is replete with ironies and surely one occurring fairly early in JM’s development as a public man concerns the Annapolis convention of 1786. Often cited as a seedling for the full-grown Federal Convention of 1787 where JM was thrust into the national prominence he maintained for the next three decades, the documents and letters emanating from the October 1785 session of the Virginia...
260Draft of Resolutions on Foreign Trade, [ca. 12 November] 1785 (Madison Papers)
1. Resd. that to vest Congs. with authority to regulate the foreign trade of the U. S. wd. add energy & dignity to the federal Govt. 2. Resd. that the unrestrained exercise of the powers possessed by each State over its own commerce may be productive of discord among the parties to the Union; and that Congs. ought to be vested with authority to regulate the same in certain cases. 3. Resd. that...
261To James Madison from William Grayson, 14 November 1785 (Madison Papers)
On inquiring at the Office for F. A. I find it is uncustomary to give copies unless by special direction of Congress, a circumstance I did not advert to, when I was writing to you last. I shall therefore give you the best information in my power from memory. Mr. A. says that a Commee. of merchts. from Glasgow waited on him in London & told him their business was to lay the affair of the debts...
262Resolution Calling for the Regulation of Commerce by Congress, 14 November 1785 (Madison Papers)
Whereas, the relative situation of the United States has been found on trial, to require uniformity in their commercial regulations, as the only effectual policy for obtaining in the ports of foreign nations, a stipulation of privileges, reciprocal to those enjoyed by the subjects of such nations in the ports of the United States; for preventing animosities, which cannot fail to arise among...
263From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 15 November 1785 (Madison Papers)
I acknowledged from Philada. your favor of the 11 of May. On my return to Orange I found the copy of your Notes brought along with it by Mr. Doradour. I have looked them over carefully myself & consulted several judicious friends in confidence. We are all sensible that the fre [e] dom of your strictures on some particular measures and opinions will displease their respective abettors . But we...
264To James Madison from the Reverend James Madison, 15 November 1785 (Madison Papers)
As several Matters will probably be agitated this Session in wh. the Interests of our University may be deeply concerned, I have wish’d to give you some Information respecting them, & then as a Friend to Science I am sure we shall have a powerful Advocate in our Favour. The 1st. is involved in the Dismemberment of the State. The Seperation of Kentucky may take Place, without an express Reserve...
265Act Securing the Copyright for Authors, 16 November 1785 (Madison Papers)
I. BE it enacted by the General Assembly , That the author of any book or pamphlet already printed, being a citizen of any one of the United States, who has not transferred to any other person or persons the copy or copies of such book, or pamphlet, share, or shares thereof, his heirs and assigns, or the person or persons who have purchased or acquired such copy or copies, share or shares, in...
266Amendments to the Act Conveying Canal Shares to George Washington, [16 November] 1785 (Madison Papers)
I. Whereas by an act, intituled “An act for vesting in George Washington, esq. a certain interest in the companies established for opening and extending the navigation of James and Potowmack rivers,” and reciting, “that whereas it is the desire of the representatives of this commonwealth to embrace every suitable occasion of testifying their sense of the unexampled merits of George Washington,...
267From James Madison to James Madison, Sr., 18 November 1785 (Madison Papers)
I rcd. yrs. by Capt. Barbour who I hope will enquire as to Turpin in the land office. I wish you rather to confide such business to friends coming here who can be relied on than to refer it to me. I am so little Master of my time, and the Office is removed so far out of the way that I cannot be relied on. I will endeavor to get the Journals for you soon. The price of Tobo. forbids the sale of...
268To James Madison from William Grayson, 22 November 1785 (Madison Papers)
I wrote you by the last Post, since which other letters have arrived from the gentleman therein mentioned. They came by the last packett; and one is dated as late as the 15th. of September last. In it however there is no mention of the Algerine War. Mr. Jefferson has also wrote by the french packett, but his letter is of an old date. There has been a conference with Mr. Pitt. That gentleman...
269To James Madison from William Grayson, 28 November 1785 (Madison Papers)
I am very busy preparing to decamp for Virginia. Of course I shall not lay you under the trouble of reading a long letter from me this Post. There is one thing very singular in Adam’s correspondence. He is always pressing the necessity of commercial restrictions; says no treaty can be had without them, and yet he decidedly acknowledges, that in the prosecution of this commercial war there is...
270To James Madison from Benjamin Waller, 28 November 1785 (Madison Papers)
Colo. Richard Cary, on his return from Richmond delivered me a friendly Hint from Mr. Matthews; but whether from the Councillor or Delegate, of that name, he did not say, nor indeed did I ask; so that I am at a Loss which of them to thank. The Purport was, that Umbrage was taken at my not attending the Court of Appeals at Richmond. Presuming on a former half-Year’s acquaintance, I venture to...