Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/568

 RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION Monday MADISON September Mr. Hamilton then moved to postpone art XXI in order to take up the following, containing the ideas he had above expressed. viz Resolved that the foregoing plan of a Constitution be transmitted to the U.S. in Congress assembled, in order that if the same shall be agreed to by them, it may be communi- cated to the Legislatures of the several States, to the end that they may provide for its final ratification by referring the same to the Consideration of a Convention of Deputies in each State to be chosen by the people thereof, and that it be recom- mended to the said Legislatures in their respective acts for organizing such convention to declare, that if the said Con- vention shall approve of the said Constitution, such appro- bation shall be binding and conclusive upon the State, and further that if the said Convention should be of opinion that the same upon the assent of any nine States thereto, ought to take effect between the States so assenting, such opinion shall thereupon be also binding upon such State, and the said Constitution shall take effect between the States assenting thereto" Mr. Gerry 2ded. the motion. Mr. Wilson. This motion being seconded, it is necessary now to speak freely He expressed in strong terms his disappro- bation of the expedient proposed, particularly the suspending the plan of the Convention on the approbation of Congress. He declared it to be worse than folly to rely on the concur- rence of the Rhode Island members of Congs. in the plan. Maryland had voted on this floor; for requiring the unani- mous assent of the 13 States to the proposed change in the federal System. N--York has not been represented for a long time past in the Convention. Many individual deputies from other States have spoken much against the plan. Under these circumstances Can it be safe to make the assent of Con- gress necessary. After spending four or five months in the laborious & arduous task of forming a Government for our Country, we are ourselves at the close throwing insuperable obstacles in the way of its success. Mr. Clymer thought that the mode proposed by Mr.

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