Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

meet; to publish and disperse authentick accounts of military operations; to summon an assembly of the states at an earlier day than that appointed for their next meeting, if any great and unexpected emergency should render it necessary for the safety or welfare of the United States or any of them; to prepare matters for the consideration of the United States, and to lay before them at their next meeting all letters and advices received by the council, with a report of their proceedings; to appoint a proper person for their clerk, who shall take an oath of secrecy and fidelity before he enters on the exercise of his office. Seven members shall have power to act. In case of the death of any member, the council shall immediately apply to his surviving colleagues to appoint some one of themselves to be a member thereof, till the meeting of the states; and if only one survives, they shall give immediate notice, that he may take his seat as a counsellor till such meeting.

ARTICLE XVI.

Canada acceding to this confederation, and entirely joining in the measures of the United States, shall be admitted into, and entitled to all the advantages of this union. But no other colony shall be admitted into the same, unless such admission be agreed to by nine

states.

These articles shall be proposed to the legislatures of all the United States, to be by them considered; and if approved by them, they are advised to authorize their delegates to ratify the same in the assembly

of the United States; which being done, the articles of this confederation shall inviolably be observed by every state; and the union is to be perpetual. Nor shall any alteration, at any time hereafter, be made in these articles, or any of them, unless such alteration be agreed to in an assembly of the United States, and be afterwards confirmed by the legislatures of every

state.

TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 1777.

Ordered, That the report of the committee of the whole house on the articles of confederation, be taken into consideration on Monday next; and that two days in each week be employed on that subject until it shall be wholly discussed in Congress.

MONDAY, APRIL 21, 1777.

According to the order of the day, Congress proceeded to the consideration of the articles of confederation, as reported from the committee of the whole house; and after debate thereon,

Resolved, That the farther consideration thereof be postponed to Friday next.

FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 1777.

According to the order of the day, Congress resum ed the consideration of the articles of confederation as reported by a committee of the whole; and after de bate,

Resolved, That the farther consideration thereof be

postponed to Monday next.

MONDAY, MAY 5, 1777.

Congress resumed the consideration of the articles of confederation, as reported by the committee of the whole; and after debate thereon,

Resolved, That the farther consideration thereof be postponed.

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 1777.

According to the order of the day, Congress took into consideration the articles of confederation; and after debate,

Resolved, That the farther consideration thereof be postponed till to-morrow.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 1777.

Resolved, That to-morrow be assigned for taking into consideration the articles of confederation.

THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 1777.

According to the order of the day, Congress took into consideration the articles of confederation; and after debate thereon,

Resolved, That the farther consideration thereof be postponed.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1777.

Resolved, That the articles of confederation be taken into consideration to-morrow morning, at eleven o'clock.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1777.

FOUR O'CLOCK, p. m.

Ordered, That to-morrow morning, at eleven o'clock, Congress take into consideration that part of the article of confederation which relates to the mode of voting in Congress.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1777.

FOUR O'CLOCK, P. M.

Congress resumed the consideration of the articles of confederation relative to the mode of voting in Congress Whereupon, it was moved,

That in determining questions, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Georgia, shall have one vote, and every other state shall have one vote for every fifty thousand white inhabitants therein, taken and transmitted according to the directions of the ninth article; and when the white inhabitants of Rhode Island, Delaware and Georgia shall exceed fifty thousand, the number of votes to be given by such state shall be increased in the proportion of one vote for every fifty thousand such inhabitants, that an equality in this national assembly may be preserved as nearly as possible; and

that those who are bound by measures, and are to pay taxes demanded by an assembly, the members of which are elected, not by all the people, but by those of a particular district, may have the same proportionable number of votes as they would have if they were personally present. If in process of time the people shall so multiply as that the Congress, consisting of one delegate for every fifty thousand white inhabitants, would be too numerous, the proportions shall be again adjusted, wherein the same rule of equality in the representation shall be observed.

New Hampshire, Mr. Folsom,

Massachusetts Bay, Mr. S. Adams,

Mr. J. Adams,
Mr. Gerry,

No. >No.

No.

No. No.

No.

[blocks in formation]
« ZurückWeiter »