Documentary History of the Constitution

of the United States of America.

1786-1870.

Sundry of the States having in Consequence of a Resolution & Circular Letter from the State of Virginia appointed Commissioners to meet at such time and Place as should be agreed upon by them the said Commissioners, to take into Consideration the Trade & Commerce of the United States &c:the Commissioners of Virginia, Delaware, Pensylvania, New Jersey & New York, met at the City of Annapolis on the 11th of September 1786, but did not think it adviseable to proceed on the Business of their Mission. They therefore broke up after making a Report to the States by which they had been appointed and transmitting to Congress a Copy thereof which is as follows.

To the Honorable the Legislatures of Virginia, Delaware, Pensylvania, New Jersey and New York.

The Commissioners from the said States respectively Assembled at the City of 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

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York, Pensylvania and Virginia had, in substance, and nearly *in the same terms, authorized their respective Commissioners "to meet such 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 Commissioners, to take "into Consideration the trade and Commerce of the United "States, to consider how far an uniform System in their com"mercial 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 ratified by them, would enable "the United States in Congress Assembled effectually to pro"vide for the same."

That the State of Delaware had given similar Powers to their Commissioners, with this difference only, that the Act to be framed in virtue of those Powers, is required to be reported "to the United States in Congress Assembled to "be agreed to by them and Confirmed by the Legislatures "of every State."

That the State of New Jersey, has enlarged the Object of their Appointment, empowering their Commissioners, "to "consider how far an uniform System in their Commercial "Regulations, and other important matters might be necessary "to the common interest and permanent harmony of the sev"eral 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, RhodeIsland and North Carolina, none of whom have however at

tended, 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 to 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 adviseable to proceed on the business of their Mission, under the Circumstance 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 may 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,

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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 it's precise nature and limits, may re-
quire a correspondent adjustment of other Parts of the
Fœderal System.

That there are important defects in the System of the
Fœderal 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 probable from the embarrassments which charac-
terize 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 Conven-
tion 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 an 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

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