To James Madison from Francis Corbin, 15 December 1791
From Francis Corbin
Richmond Virga. Decr. 15th: 1791
Dear Sir
I sieze the earliest moment to inform you that all the Amendments to the federal Constitution have at length pass’d the Senate.1
The Bill for the arrangement of Districts lies upon our Table to be Engross’d: but your Information this Evening will render it necessary for us to new model the whole System. The Assembly have determined to rise on Saturday—but unless they make an unjustifiable Sacrifice of Duty to Inclination, I think, that determination must be rescinded.
There is nothing worth communicating to you of a Legislative nature, Except indeed it be the unanimous adoption of a Resolution which I proposed to congratulate the National Assembly of France on the Establishment of their New Constitution.2 I have drawn the Address or Letter and sincerely wish I had consulted with you upon the propriety of it a few Weeks ago. Such as it is however you shall have it by the next Post. I am Dr. Sir with Sincere Regard Yr. Mo: Ob. Set.
Francis Corbin
RC (DLC). Docketed by JM.
1. By its action the Senate made Virginia the ninth state ratifying articles three through twelve of JM’s proposed constitutional amendments. Thus 15 Dec. 1791 became the day on which the Bill of Rights became an official part of the Constitution (Dumbauld, Bill of Rights, pp. 49–50).
2. On the day Corbin was writing, the House of Delegates appointed him chairman of a committee to draw up an address to the National Assembly. On the following day, the House approved his address, which with amendments passed in both houses on 19 Dec. (, Oct. 1791, pp. 130, 133, 140).