61New York Assembly. Remarks on an Act for Regulating Elections, [24 January 1787] (Hamilton Papers)
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...
62New York Assembly. Remarks on an Act for Regulating Elections, [30 January 1787] (Hamilton Papers)
Mr. Hamilton, the more he thought upon this subject, the more clearly he discovered its mischievous tendency, for nothing was more evident to him than that it put every unlettered person greatly in the power of the inspector—and when we consider the great number of which this class of men consist in some places of one half or one third of the whole district, it is easily perceivable that...
63Campaign Broadside, 12 April 1788 (Hamilton Papers)
From a sincere Attachment to yourselves, and a Regard to our mutual Interest, we are induced to apprize you of our Opinions on a Subject, which we view as of the most essential Consequence to both. YOUR Countrymen in New-York, in Union of Sentiment with the true Friends of America, have long lamented the want of a FIRM, NATIONAL GOVERNMENT; without which they consider Property as insecure, and...
64Draft of an Act to Incorporate the Freeholders and Inhabitants of Marbletown, [January–February 1788] (Hamilton Papers)
[ New York, January–February, 1788. ] In 1788, Hamilton drafted an “Act to incorporate the Freeholders and Inhabitants of Marble-town.” ADf , Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress. The draft was presumably submitted to the New York legislature. If so, the legislature refused to act on it, for the town of Marbletown was incorporated by a general act of incorporation dated March 7, 1788 (see “An...
65Constitutional Convention. Motion on Citizenship Requirement for Membership in the House of Representatives, [13 August … (Hamilton Papers)
Col. Hamilton was in general agst. embarrassing the Govt. with minute restrictions. There was on one side the possible danger that had been suggested On the other side, the advantage of encouraging foreigners was obvious & admitted. Persons in Europe of moderate fortunes will be fond of coming here where they will be on a level with the first Citizens. He moved that the section be so altered...
66Second Draft of an Act for Raising Certain Yearly Taxes Within This State, [9 February 1787] (Hamilton Papers)
Plan of Specific Taxation to be substituted to the Present mode by assessment: Together with the supposed product and the appropriation of each tax. I Land tax of 3 pence per acre upon all meadow land. 2 d. per acre upon all arable land. Suppose in the whole state about 40.000 farmers each farm containing upon an average 10 acres of meadow and 40 acres of arable land; The prod⟨uct⟩ of this tax...
67From Alexander Hamilton to Rufus King, [28 August 1787] (Hamilton Papers)
I wrote to you some days since, that to request you to inform me when there was a prospect of your finishing as I intended to be with you, for certain reasons, before the conclusion. It is whispered here that some late changes in your scheme have taken place which give it a higher tone. Is this the case? I leave town today, to attend a circuit in a neighbouring County, from which I shall...
68New York Assembly. Remarks on an Act Concerning Wrecks at Sea, [3 February 1787] (Hamilton Papers)
Mr. Hamilton was not satisfied with the punishment of fines and imprisonment to be inflicted on those persons who despoil’d the distressed of their property; persons cast away, were objects of commiseration, and every person who was so callous as to add to their misfortune, deserved more severe punishment. In England it was made death without benefit of clergy, this he thought too severe, and...
69New York Assembly. Motion for Leave to Bring in a Bill on the Independence of Vermont, [14 March 1787] (Hamilton Papers)
Mr. Hamilton moved for leave to bring in a bill, to authorise the delegates of this State in Congress, to accede to, ratify and confirm, the independence and Sovereignty of the people inhabiting the district of country, commonly called Vermont. Ordered , That leave be given accordingly. Mr. Hamilton according to leave, brought in the said bill entitled, An act to authorise the Delegates of [ t...
70Constitutional Convention. Nomination of William Jackson as Secretary of the Constitutional Convention, 25 May 1787 (Hamilton Papers)
Philadelphia, May 25, 1787. On this date Hamilton nominated Major William Jackson as secretary of the Constitutional Convention. Gaillard Hunt and James Brown Scott, eds., The Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787 Which Framed the Constitution of the United States of America. Reported by James Madison (New York, 1920), 18. Of the many editions of Madison’s notes of debates in the...