Proceedings of the
Commissioners to Remedy Defects of the Federal Government, Annapolis
in the State of Maryland. September 14, 1786.
To the
Honorable, The Legislatures of Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, and New York—assembled at Annapolis, humbly beg leave to
report.
That, pursuant
to their several appointments, they met, at Annapolis in the State
of Maryland on the eleventh day of September Instant, and having
proceeded to a Communication of their Powers; they found that the
States of New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, had, in substance,
and nearly in the same terms, authorized their respective
Commissions "to meet such other Commissioners as were, or might be,
appointed by the other States in the Union, at such time and place
as should be agreed upon by the said Commissions to take into
consideration the trade and commerce of the United States, to
consider how far a uniform system in their commercial intercourse
and regulations might be necessary to their common interest and
permanent harmony, and to report to the several States such an Act,
relative to this great object, as when unanimously by them would
enable the United States in Congress assembled effectually to proved
for the same."
That the State
of New Jersey had enlarged the object of their appointment,
empowering their Commissioners, "to consider how far a uniform
system in their commercial regulations and other important matters,
mighty be necessary to the common interest and permanent harmony of
the several States," and to report such an Act on the subject, as
when ratified by them, "would enable the United States in Congress
assembled, effectually to provide for the exigencies of the Union."
That
appointments of Commissioners have also been made by the States of
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and North Carolina, none
of whom, however, have attended; but that no information has been
received by your Commissioners, of any appointment having been made
by the States of Connecticut, Maryland, South Carolina or Georgia.
That the
express terms of the powers of your Commissioners supposing a
deputation from all the States, and having for object the Trade and
Commerce of the United States, Your Commissioners did not conceive
it advisable to proceed on the business of their mission, under the
Circumstances of so partial and defective a representation.
Deeply
impressed, however, with the magnitude and importance of the object
confided to them on this occasion, your Commissioners cannot forbear
to indulge an expression of their earnest and unanimous wish, that
speedy measures be taken, to effect a general meeting, of the
States, in a future Convention, for the same, and such other
purposes, as the situation of public affairs may be found to
require.
If in
expressing this wish, or in intimating any other sentiment, your
Commissioners should seem to exceed the strict bounds of their
appointment, they entertain a full confidence, that a conduct,
dictated by an anxiety for the welfare of the United States, will
not fail to receive an indulgent construction.
In this
persuasion, your Commissioners submit an opinion, that the Idea of
extending the powers of their Deputies, to other objects, than those
of Commerce, which has been adopted by the State of New Jersey, was
an improvement on the original plan, and will deserve to be
incorporated into that of a future Convention; they are the more
naturally led to this conclusion, as in the course of their
reflections on the subject, they have been induced to think, that
the power of regulating trade is of such comprehensive extent, and
will enter so far into the general System of the federal government,
that to give it efficacy, and to obviate questions and doubts
concerning its precise nature and limits, may require a
correspondent adjustment of other parts of the Federal System.
That there are
important defects in the system of the Federal Government is
acknowledged by the Acts of all those States, which have concurred
in the present Meeting; That the defects, upon a closer examination,
may be found greater and more numerous, than even these acts imply,
is at least so far probably, from the embarrassments which
characterize the present State of our national affairs, foreign and
domestic, as may reasonably be supposed to merit a deliberate and
candid discussion, in some mode, which will unite the Sentiments and
Councils of all the States. In the choice of the mode, your
Commissioners are of opinion, that a Convention of Deputies from the
different States, for the special and sole purpose of entering into
this investigation, and digesting a plan for supplying such defects
as may be discovered to exist, will be entitled to a preference from
considerations, which will occur without being particularized.
Your
Commissioners decline an enumeration of those national circumstances
on which their opinion respecting the propriety of a future
Convention, with more enlarged powers, is founded; as it would be a
useless intrusion of facts and observations, most of which have been
frequently the subject of public discussion, and none of which can
have escaped the penetration of those to whom they would in this
instance be addressed. They are, however, of a nature so serious,
as, in the view of your Commissioners, to render the situation of
the United States delicate and critical, calling for an exertion of
the untied virtue and wisdom of all the members of the Confederacy.
Under this
impression, Your Commissioners, with the most respectful deference, beg leave to suggest their unanimous conviction that it may
essentially tend to advance the interests of the union if the
States, by whom they have been respectively delegated, would
themselves concur, and use their endeavors to procure the
concurrence of the other States, in the appointment of
Commissioners, to meet at Philadelphia on the second Monday in May
next, to take into consideration the situation of the United States,
to devise such further provisions as shall appear to them necessary
to render the constitution of the Federal Government adequate to the
exigencies of the Union; and to report such an Act for that purpose
to the United States in Congress assembled, as when agreed to, by
them, and afterwards confirmed by the Legislatures of every State,
will effectually provide for the same.
Though your
Commissioners could not with propriety address these observations
and sentiments to any but the States they have the honor to
represent, they have nevertheless concluded from motives of respect,
to transmit copies of the Report to the United States in Congress
assembled, and to the executives of the other States.
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