1771Removal Power of the President, [17 June] 1789 (Madison Papers)
Debate continued on the clause in the bill establishing a foreign affairs department that declared the secretary could be removed from office by the president. Mr. Madison. However various the opinions which exist upon the point now before us, it seems agreed on all sides, that it demands a careful investigation and full discussion. I feel the importance of the question, and know that our...
1772Proportional Representation, [24 January] 1792 (Madison Papers)
The Committee of the Whole considered a resolution to break the impasse with the Senate over apportionment by providing for a second census and reapportioning the House in 1797. An amendment was proposed allowing no lower ratio of representation than 1:30,000. “Mr. Madison observed, that as the final decision of the question must be made by a majority of the house, it was immaterial, whether...
1773For the National Gazette, 19 November 1791 (Madison Papers)
Population and Emigration. Both in the vegetable and animal kingdoms, every species derives from nature, a reproductive faculty beyond the demand for merely keeping up its stock: the seed of a single plant is sufficient to multiply it one hundred or a thousand fold. The animal offspring is never limited to the number of its parents. The multiplying power in some instances, animal as well as...
1774Naturalization, [1 January] 1795 (Madison Papers)
The House took up the naturalization bill. As to the granting of privileges to aliens, Mr. Madison remarked, that there was no class of emigrants from whom so much was to be apprehended as those who should obtain property in shipping. Much greater mischief was to be feared from them than from any influence in votes, at an election. If he were disposed to make any distinction of one class of...
1775Treasury Department, [20 May] 1789 (Madison Papers)
Gerry proposed to place the treasury in the hands of three commissioners. Baldwin preferred a single secretary, with subordinates serving as a check upon his authority. Mr. Madison Had intended to have given his sentiments on this subject; but he was anticipated in some things by the gentleman last up. He wished, in all cases of an executive nature, that the committee should consider the...
1776Postal Road Survey, [11 February] 1796 (Madison Papers)
Mr. Madison moved that the resolution laid upon the table, some days ago, be taken up, relative to the survey of the post roads between the province of Maine and Georgia, which being read, he observed that two good effects would arise from carrying this resolution into effect; the shortest rout from one place to another would be determined upon, and persons, having a certainty of the stability...
1777Petition of Joseph-Léonard Poirey, [9 January] 1797 (Madison Papers)
On 5 January JM had called up the report of the secretary of war on Poirey’s petition and moved that a bill be brought in. The House considered the matter in a Committee of the Whole on 9 January, with JM proposing that “provision ought to be made by law for settling the claim of M. Poirey” ( Annals of Congress Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States … (42 vols.;...
1778Creation of the National Capital, 6 April 1791 (Editorial Note) (Madison Papers)
In the 1790 legislative skirmish over the national capital, JM led the fight for the Potomac site, but once that battle was won the executive branch took charge. Thereafter, JM was not officially involved in planning the new federal district. His interest, however, never flagged, and he was frequently consulted from the summer of 1790 onward (Memorandum on the Residence Bill, ca. 29 Aug. 1790,...
1779Petition of Joseph-Léonard Poirey, [11 January] 1797 (Madison Papers)
JM called up the bill on the claim of Poirey. The House went into a Committee of the Whole, rose, and reported the bill without amendment ( Annals of Congress Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States … (42 vols.; Washington, 1834–56). , 4th Cong., 2d sess., 1839). Mr. Madison observed, that if he saw any danger from the precedent of making this provision, he should not be...
1780Notes for the National Gazette Essays, [ca. 19 December 1791–3 March 1792] (Madison Papers)
Influence of the size of a nation on Government page. 1. ________ of external danger on Government 10 ________ of the stage of Society on Government 16 ________ of Public opinion on Government 22 ________ of Education on Government 30 ________ of Religion on Government 35 ________ of Domestic slavery on Government 40 ________ of Dependent dominions on Government 46 Checks devised in...
1781Assumption of the State Debts, [2 March] 1790 (Madison Papers)
Before the Committee of the Whole resumed consideration of JM’s amendment to the assumption resolution, White moved “that the secretary of the treasury be directed to ascertain the resources that may be applied to the payment of the state debts, provided they should be assumed by the United States.” Gerry objected to the motion as reflecting unfavorably on the secretary—”the house ought to...
1782Commercial Discrimination, [20 January] 1794 (Madison Papers)
Smith (South Carolina) observed that supporters of JM’s resolutions had argued that Britain had demonstrated no desire for a commercial treaty with the United States. Smith alleged that in the correspondence between the president and the British minister “as printed by order of the house, it appears, that there is a chasm occasioned by the omission of a letter from the secretary of state, to...
1783Amendments to the Constitution, [13 August] 1789 (Madison Papers)
On 21 July, JM moved that the House take up amendments in the Committee of the Whole, as provided in his resolution of 8 June. After some debate, the House referred the 8 June resolution and all the amendments proposed by the state ratifying conventions to a select committee of one member from each state. This committee reported on 28 July ( JM to W. C. Nicholas, 2 Aug. 1789 and n. 1). On 13...
1784Naturalization, [3 February] 1790 (Madison Papers)
The first clause of the naturalization bill, requiring one year’s residence by aliens for citizenship and an additional residence of two years to be capable of holding either a state or federal office, was under consideration. Tucker moved to strike out the one-year residence requirement in order to permit aliens to purchase and hold lands immediately upon taking an oath of allegiance. Mr....
1785Constitutionality of the Residence Bill, [ca. 14 July] 1790 (Madison Papers)
The brief memorandum printed below is the only surviving record of JM’s opinion regarding the constitutionality of the bill which fixed the permanent national capital on the Potomac and the temporary capital at Philadelphia. The constitutional question had arisen during the latter stages of the House debate on the bill and continued during the interval between the passage of the bill on 9 July...
1786“Helvidius” Number 1, [24 August] 1793 (Madison Papers)
Several pieces with the signature of Pacificus were lately published, which have been read with singular pleasure and applause, by the foreigners and degenerate citizens among us, who hate our republican government, and the French revolution; whilst the publication seems to have been too little regarded, or too much despised by the steady friends to both. Had the doctrines inculcated by the...
1787Tonnage Duties, [4 May] 1789 (Madison Papers)
Before this day’s debate began, JM gave notice that on 25 May he would introduce the subject of amendments. “He thought it necessary thus early to mention the business, as it was weighty and important” ( Gazette of the U.S. , 6 May 1789). The postponed tonnage clauses were then taken up. Laurance moved to strike out the discrimination between countries having a commercial treaty with the...
1788Proportional Representation, [19 December] 1791 (Madison Papers)
On 9 December 1791 the Senate approved the apportionment bill but amended the ratio of representation from 1:30,000 to 1:33,000. When the House considered the Senate amendments on 12 December, “Mr. Madison observed, that the idea of diminishing the fractional parts appears to be the only reason for the alteration proposed by the Senate. The aggregate of these fractions only has been taken into...
1789Petition of Peter Gree, ca. 13 December 1796 (Madison Papers)
Document not found. Ca. 13 December 1796. Presented by JM to the House of Representatives, 13 Dec. 1796, and referred to the Committee of Claims. Reported in Claypoole’s Am. Daily Advertiser , 14 Dec. 1796.
1790Assumption of the State Debts, [3 March] 1790 (Madison Papers)
Carroll moved to discharge the Committee of the Whole from consideration of assumption. His purpose was to suspend the larger question until Secretary Hamilton reported (in consequence of White’s motion of 2 March) on the ways and means of paying the state creditors. Laurance suspected that the motion was intended to shunt the matter aside indefinitely. JM denied “that the motion was intended...
1791Militia, [17 December] 1790 (Madison Papers)
The second section of the militia bill was still under consideration. Mr. Madison enquired if the committee had come yesterday to any resolution respecting the exemption of the members of the state legislatures: if they had not, he wished to pass them over, as it was better, in his opinion, to leave the legislatures of the states to make the whole of the exceptions themselves, especially as...