Page:Sketches of the life and character of Patrick Henry.djvu/326

 02 SKETCHES OF THE

��the United States^ as were by them deemed necessary to be recommended to the consideration of the con- gress^ which shall first assemble under the said consti- tution, to be acted upon according to the mode pre- scribed in the fifth article thereof; at the same time enjoining it upon their representatives in congress, to exert all their influence, and use all reasonable and legal methods, to obtain a ratification of the foregoing altera- tions and provisions, in the manner provided by the fifth article of the said constitution, and in all congressional laws to be passed in the mean time, to conform to the spirit of those amendments as far as the said constitu- tion would admit:

" Resolved, therefore. That it is the opinion of this committee, that an application ought to be made, in the )iame and on the behalf of the legislature of this com- monwealth, to the congress of the United States, so soon as they shall assemble under the said constitution, to pass an act, recommending to the legislatures of the several states, the ratification of a bill of rights, and of certain articles of amendment, proposed by the conven- tion of this state, for the adoption of the United States; and that, until the said act shall be ratified in pursuance of the fifth article of the said constitution of the govern- ment for the United States, congress do conform their ordinances to the true spirit of the said bill of rights and articles of amendment.

" Resolved, That it is the opinion of this committee, that the executive ought to be instructed to transmit a copy of the foregoing resolution to the congress of the United States, so soon as they shall assemble, and to the legislatures and executive authorities of each state in the union/^

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