Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/625

 RECOKDS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION 6I 9 Friday MADISON September x4 motion & insert "from time to time". which would enjoin the duty of frequent publications and leave enough to the discretion of the Legislature. Require too much and the diffi- culty will beget a habit of doing nothing. The articles of Confederation require half-yearly publications on this sub- ject- A punctual compliance being often impossible, the practice has ceased altogether-- Mr Wilson zded. & supported the motion-- Many opera- tions of finance cannot be properly published at certain times. Mr, Pinkney was in favor of the motion. Mr. Fitzimmons-- It is absolutely impossible to pub- lish expenditures in the full extent of the term. Mr. Sherman thought "from time to time" the best rule to be given. "Annual" was struck out--& those words--inserted nem: con: The motion of Col. Mason so amended was then agreed to nero: con: and added after -- " appropriations by law as follows m "And a regular statement 'and account of the re- cepits & expenditures of all public money shall be published from time to time. "? The first clause of Art I. sect IO- was altered so as to read-- "No State shall enter into any Treaty alliance or confederation; grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money; emit bills of credit; make any thing but gold & silver coin a tender in payment of debts; pass any bill of attainder, ex post law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, 8 or grant any title of nobility." x7 Mr Gerry entered into observations inculcating the impor- tance of public faith, and the propriety of the restraint put on the States from impairing the obligation of contracts -- Alledg- ing that Congress ought to be laid under the like prohibitions. he made a motion to that effect. He was not zded Adjourned. 7 This paragraph is possibly a later in.ertion. If 8o it was taken from Journal. See above note 2. xs "obligation of contracts", see above August 8 and Aplndlx A CCXXIX CCCXCVIII.

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