Mr. Hamilton could see no reason why this petition should not be treated as well as others; it was customary to commit, but it did not follow that the prayer must be agreed with, no, if the committee think it improper they will say so; for his own part he did not feel himself alarmed at such an application. The legislative power of granting he should not now give an opinion on, he observed...
2New York Assembly. Remarks on the Answer to Governor George Clinton’s Message to the Legislature, [17 January 1787] (Hamilton Papers)
Several propositions were now canvassed in a desultory manner, for getting over the motion for amendment; and it was agreed, that the committee should rise and report; they had made some progress, which was agreed to; but first Mr. Hamilton said he would reserve himself on this subject until it came again properly before the house; when he hoped to be enabled to use such argument as would...
3New York Assembly. Motion for Leave to Bring in a Bill for Dividing the Manor of Livingston, [18 January 1787] (Hamilton Papers)
Mr. Hamilton moved for leave to bring in a bill, for dividing the District of the Manor of Livingston. Ordered , That leave be given accordingly. Mr. Hamilton according to leave brought in the said bill entitled, An act for dividing the district of the Manor of Livingston , which was read the first time, and ordered a second reading. New York Assembly Journal Journal of the Assembly of the...
4New York Assembly. First Speech on the Address of the Legislature to Governor George Clinton’s Message, [19 January … (Hamilton Papers)
Col. Hamilton’s Speech in the House of Assembly, delivered on the 19th instant, and which appeared in our paper of the 20th, being represented as not doing sufficient justice to his Arguments; we have obtained of him a revision of the same, and with the highest pleasure present it to the Public. Mr. Hamilton —This now leads us to examine the important question presented to us by the proposed...
5New York Assembly. Second Speech on the Address of the Legislature to Governor George Clinton’s Message, [19 January … (Hamilton Papers)
Mr. Hamilton, I am sorry sir that I have to address you a second time, when I have already taken up so much of your attention, but as it is universally allowed to be a question of great importance, I trust I shall be excused for entering into a further discussion. I said in setting out in my former arguments, that the question was improperly stated, that it was put upon a wrong ground, that it...
6New York Assembly. Address of the New York Legislature to Governor George Clinton, [20 January 1787] (Hamilton Papers)
We the Representatives of the People of the State of New-York in Assembly, beg leave to assure your Excellency, that the several important matters mentioned in your Excellency’s Speech, and communicated in the papers that accompany it, shall, in the course of the Session engage our most serious attention. With dispositions truly fœderal, we shall take into consideration the different acts of...
The house then resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the election bill, on the paragraph enabling the inspectors to take aside any ignorant person, and to examine him privately touching his ballot. A small debate arose. Mr. Hamilton, thought it was very apparent, if the clause prevailed in the house, that it would tend to increase rather than prevent an improper influence. For...
8New York Assembly. Motion that a Committee be Appointed to Consider a Letter from the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, [23 … (Hamilton Papers)
Resolved , That it is the opinion of this Committee, that a Committee be appointed to consider and report on the letter from the Secretary of Foreign Affairs to his Excellency the Governor, and the papers accompanying it, together with the act of the Legislature entitled “An act relative to debts due to persons within the enemies lines;” passed the twelfth of July, one thousand seven hundred...
A debate arose upon the clause, authorising the inspector or any other person to require the person offering himself to poll, to take an oath of abjuration of ecclesiastical as well as civil obedience. Mr. Hamilton declared the constitution to be their creed and standard, and ought never to be departed from; but in the present instance it was proper first to examine and inquire how far it...
10New York Assembly. Motion on an Act for Regulating Elections, [24 January 1787] (Hamilton Papers)
A clause in the bill, ordering the judges of election for governor and lieutenant governor, to destroy the whole ballots of every district where there was an excess of even one vote. This was shewn by Mr. Hamilton to be a very great injustice to the district, as it was in the power of the clerk or any officer, by putting in an additional ballot, to set aside the votes of 500 persons; he...