121To James Madison from William Madison, 3 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
The arguments on the subjects of the British debts are at length concluded and it is expected the Court will decide tomorrow. Judge Blair docs not set in the Cause. The Bill for reforming the inferior Courts is still before the House it has undergone several alteration & I apprehend will finally be rejected for the regulation will effect a great number of those who are to determine its fate. A...
122For the National Gazette, 3 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
Much has been said, and not without reason, against a consolidation of the States into one government. Omitting lesser objections, two consequences would probably flow from such a change in our political system, which justify the cautions used against it. First , it would be impossible to avoid the dilemma, of either relinquishing the present energy and responsibility of a single executive...
123To James Madison from Alexander Spotswood, 4 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
Being Convinced in my own mind, that America, would, one day, or another; have a navy—and being Willing to do all in my power to assist in Maning of it—I did at an early period, enter my Second Son, John Augustine Spotswood, on Board of a Merchant ship—and next april, Compleats his regular Servitude, From a Cabbin boy up to Mate, in which Capacity he is now Acting—he is now in London; and will...
124From James Madison to Charles Carter, 4 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 4 December 1791. Acknowledged in Carter to JM, 16 Dec. 1791 . Reports that Carter’s son is well situated as an apprentice.
125To James Madison from Francis Corbin, 7 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
I embrace the first oppy. to inform you that your Conjectures with respect to the motives of the Virga. assemy. for sending forward to Congress only One of the 12 Amendts. to the Consn. were well founded. So that your object—whether it was to save our federal Credit, or to promote our adoption of those Amendments—has been fully Accomplish’d. The multiplicity of Local business before the House...
126Post Office and Post Roads, [7 December] 1791 (Madison Papers)
In Committee of the Whole on 6 December Sedgwick had moved to delete from the post office bill specification of the post roads and instead to grant the president authority to designate them. Debate resumed on 7 December, when White and Livermore spoke against the motion. Mr. Madison said that the arguments which are offered by the gentlemen who are in favor of the amendment, appear to be drawn...
127To James Madison from Henry Lee, [8 December] 1791 (Madison Papers)
The enclosed please to give to our friend Frenau. It contains a list of some subscribers to his gazette. We are all miserable here; the late defeat of our army engrosses every mind; please to tell me of any saving circumstances in this unhappy affair should the act. to the gen govt. possess such wished for differences from the one circulating among us. At the same time let me beg you to recede...
128To James Madison from Reuben Lindsay, 9 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 10th. Novemr. I recd. some days ago—on my giving the two Mr. Dickensons notice of the contents, they came here & have disposed of their interest in the certificates to Mr. Robert Pollard of this place—And have granted Powers of Attorney to Mr. John Vaughan of Phila. his agent to Negotiate the business—To whom You will please deliver the Certificates. The Mr. Dickensons...
129To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 9 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
… Having spent 6 days in Richmond in hearing two Gent’n on each side argue the great Question respecting the recovery of British debts, I have for y’r amusement thrown together what I recollect of the General head of the Argument, which may not comprehend the whole of those since I took no notes, & give it from a faulty memory. They spake well on both sides, but Mr Henry was truly Great, & for...
130From James Madison to James Madison, Sr., 10 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 26 Ult: has just come to hand. I am glad you have put the commission for slitted Iron into the hands of Mr. Dunbar. He will probably be able to get it when to be had on better terms. I find there is some now advertised but there is no more conveyance by water for this season. I am sorry that this circumstance will put it out of my power to forward the article desired by Miss...
131Memorandum from George Turner, 10 December 1791 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
Abstract. 10 December 1791. “Distances on the Wabash; with observations on its navigation.” The distances are “computed French Leagues.” Tr ( DLC ). A three-page document, in JM’s hand, dated and headed: “Copy of a paper communicated by Judge Turner.” Turner was a territorial judge ( PJM William T. Hutchinson et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (vols. 1–10, Chicago, 1962–77; vols. 11—,...
132From James Madison to Francis Corbin, ca. 10 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. Ca. 10 December 1791. Alluded to in Corbin to JM, 15 Dec. 1791 . Informs Corbin that the Senate has amended the apportionment bill, lowering the ratio of representation from 1:30,000 to 1:33,000.
133To James Madison from Daniel Carroll, 12 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
I send by this post the act of our Assembly past last Saturday entiteld [ sic ] an Act Concerning the Territory of Columbia—and the City of Washington. I refer you to it. The very great advantages of this Law will be strikeing. It gives some relief to my mind which has indeed been much oppressd by the disagreable business we have lately had on hand. I am sorry for the Chagrin which it must...
134To James Madison from David Owings and David Woods, 12 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
Permit us (th’o Stranger[s]) to beg leave to trouble you, with a matter that there is no one but you Can do for us. We were Soldierers in the late Continen⟨tal⟩ army—and never have had our Claims Settled and have laid the matter before the Assembly of this State—and they have Judged it reasonable. And sent the papers on to Congress—in order to have them paid but we are inform’d Congress...
135From James Madison to William Madison, 13 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
Phila . Dec. 13. 91. “I have recd. yours of the 3d. instant, mentioning the conversation held with you by an intimate acquaintance of Col: Henry. Having never, in the midst of political contests indulged any personal ill-will to that gentleman, & at all times admired his eminent talents, I cannot be supposed insensible to any friendly sentiments he may have expressed towards me, or indisposed...
136From James Madison to Baron von Steuben, 13 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
I have not been neglectful of your commission, though I am so late in making report of my proceedings. Whilst I was in Virginia I laid a train for remitting to Col: Anderson the money lodged with me, and since my arrival here I have learned that it is gone to him by a safe hand. I also wrote to a friend in Richmond, desiring the proper steps to be taken there for obtaining patents. An answer...
137To James Madison from Daniel Carroll, 13 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
I wrote a few lines lately confidentially. The following are under the same circumstances. You have heard I doubt not by our official letter that Major L’Enfant immediately on his return proceeded to finish the demolition of Mr. Carrolls House, our directions to the contrary notwithstanding. On our meeting he sent us a letter of which we have not yet taken any notice, excepting what has passd...
138To James Madison from Francis Corbin, 15 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
I sieze the earliest moment to inform you that all the Amendments to the federal Constitution have at length pass’d the Senate. 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...
139To James Madison from Daniel Carroll, 15 or 16 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 15 or 16 December 1791. Mentioned in Carroll to JM, 20 Dec. 1791 . Refers JM to Charles Carroll of Carrollton for information on the passage of the Maryland law concerning the territory of Columbia.
140To James Madison from Charles Carter, 16 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
Yours of the 4th I duly recieved, and am much pleased, at the acct of my Dr Boys situation, & that he pleases his master. From my last letter from the Atty, I feard there woud have been, some dificulty as to the time, of his continuance with Mr Hunter, but hope all obstacles are removd. Shoud any thing be yet unsetled, I hope your aid will not be wanting, to accomodate, the business. I have...
141To James Madison from Hubbard Taylor, 17 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
Yours of the 23d. of November came this day to hand; and I thank you for the paper inclosed. The letter you wrote from Orange has not yet come to hand, and fear from the long delay that it will totally miscarry for which I shall be extreamly sorry. Nothing meterial has tra[n]spired here lately excerpt the late unluckey affair of Genl. St Clairs defeat, wherein it is said he lost between 900 &...
142From James Madison to Henry Lee, 18 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
I have received your favor of the 8th & handed to Freneau the subscriptions inclosed for him. His paper in the opinion here justifies the expectations of his freinds and Merits the diffusive circulation they have endeavoured to procure it. I regret that I can administer no balm to the wound given by the first report of our western disaster. You will have seen the official account which has...
143From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 18 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of afforded me much pleasure by the information it gave of the return of such flourishing health, and has laid me under great obligation by the valuable state it inclosed, of the great question lately argued in the federal Court at Richmond. We are all anxious to learn the decision of the Judges, though there is a report, that they decline giving their opinions, & were that not so,...
144Notes 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...
145For the National Gazette, [ca. 19 December] 1791 (Madison Papers)
Public opinion sets bounds to every government, and is the real sovereign in every free one. As there are cases where the public opinion must be obeyed by the government; so there are cases, where not being fixed, it may be influenced by the government. This distinction, if kept in view, would prevent or decide many debates on the respect due from the government to the sentiments of the...
146Proportional 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...
147To James Madison from Daniel Carroll, 20 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
I mentiond in my last of the 15th or 16th Instant of which please to acknowledge the receipt, that You woud hear from C. Carroll of Cn. when he reachd Pha some particulars on the passage of the Law “Concerning the Territory of Columbia &ca.[”] Since then I have seen Govr Lee, & it gave me great concern to hear from him that Mr Carroll had doubts of joining Congress this session. I immediately...
148Memorandum from George Turner, 20 December 1791 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
Abstract. 20 December 1791. “Account of Indians inhabiting the North-Eastern parts of the Territory N. W. of the Ohio—Collected from good information.” Lists the locations, nations, tribes, and numbers of families of Indians. Ms ( DLC ). Two pages, in Turner’s hand, with three dockets by JM; one docket dates this document 10 Dec, another reads: “Indians, accounts of them from Judge Geo: Turner...
149From James Madison to Daniel Carroll, 20 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 20 December 1791. Acknowledged in Carroll to JM, 26 and 30 Dec. 1791 . Reports on the failure of the apportionment bill and the likelihood of the residence act coming under attack.
150To James Madison from Daniel Carroll, 21 December 1791 (Madison Papers)
You may hear something on the Subject of a memorial from some of the proprietors respecting D. Carroll of Duddington’s House, & otherwise in favor of Majr L’Enfant; I feel for the Chagrin this must give the president, particularly at this time. Astonishing that persons under their circumstances wou’d not avoid wounding his feelings. I must mention a Circumstance to you & leave it to yr....