Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/484

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

478 KECOKD$ OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION Friday MADISON .4 ugust 3z Art. XXII taken up, to wit, "This Constitution shall be lald before the U-- S. in Congs. assembled for their appro- bation; and it is the opinion of this Convention that it should be afterwards submitted to a Convention chosen, ?in each State) under the recommendation of its Legislature, in order to receive the ratification of such Convention" Mr. Govr. Morris & Mr. Pinkney moved to strike out the words "for their approbation "to On this question N.H. ay. Mas. no. Ct. ay. N--J. ay.* Pa. ay. Del. ay'. Md. no Va. ay. N. C-- ay. S. Cq ay. Geo. no. [Ayes- 8; noes w 3-] Mr Govr. Morris & Mr. Pinkhey then moved to amend the art: so as to read "This Constitution shall be laid before the U.S. in Con- gress assembled; and it is the opinion of this Convention that it should afterwards be submitted to a Convention chosen in each State, in order to receive the ratification of such Con- vention: to which end the several Legislatures ought to pro- vide for the calling Conventions within their respective States as speedily as circumstances will permlt".--Mr. Govr. Morris said his object was to impress in stronger terms the necessity of calling Conventions in order to prevent enemies to the plan, from giving it the go by. When it first appears, with the sanction of this Convention, the people will be favor- able to it. By degrees the State officers, & those interested in the State Govts will intrigue & turn the popular current against it. n Mr. L--- Martin believed Mr. Morris to be right, that after a while the people would be agst. it. but for a different reason from that alledged. He believed they would not ratify it unless hurried into it by surprize. Mr. Gerry enlarged on the idea of Mr. L. Martin in which he concurred, represented the system as full of vices, and dwelt on the impropriety of destroying the existing Confed- eration, without the unanimous Consent of the parties to it:

  • (In the printed Journal N-- Jersey-- no.>

See Appendix A, CLVIII (lO3). n See Appendix A, CXClL