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Jensen, Merrill; Kaminski, John P.; Saladino, Gaspare J. (ed.) / Ratification of the Constitution by the states: Pennsylvania
2 (1976)
A. The assembly calls the state convention, pp. 58-111
Page 61
A. PROCEEDINGS/18 SEPT. dignity to the government of the United States. [Pennsylvania Gazette, 19 September]1 On motion of Mr. Findley, Colonel Piper and Dr. Moore were appointed to introduce the delegates to the Federal Convention, at the time appointed for receiving their report. Precisely at 11 o'clock, Colonel Piper and Dr. Moore introduced His Excellency Dr. Franklin, Robert Morris, George Clymer, James Wilson, Thomas Fitzsimons, Jared Ingersol, and Governeur Morris, esquires, the delegates to the Federal Convention, when His Excellency addressed himself to the Speaker to the following effect: "Sir, we have now the honor to present to this House the plan of government for the United States, which has been determined upon by the Federal Convention. We sincerely hope and believe that the result of the labors of that honorable body will tend to promote the happiness and pros- perity of this commonwealth in particular, and of the United States in general." Mr. Fitzsimons then stated the propriety of the report being read by a member of the delegation and proposed the Speaker for that purpose, who accordingly read it to the House. [The Constitution and the accompanying documents appear at this point.] As soon as the Speaker had concluded, Dr. Franklin rose and delivered a letter from the delegates to the House, which being read, consisted of a recommendation to the legislature, "that a law should be immediately passed vesting in the new Congress a tract of land of ten miles square, by which that body might be induced to fix the seat of federal government in this state-an event that must be highly advantageous to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania." The delegates having withdrawn, on motion of Mr. Findley, the House adjourned, till tomorrow morning at half past 9 o'clock. [Pennsylvania Herald, 20 September]2 1. Reprinted: Pennsylvania Mercury, 21 September. For other accounts, see Mfm:Pa. 52. By 16 October several accounts of this day's events were reprinted sixteen times from Maine to Maryland. 2. This account was reprinted with slight variations in the Pennsylvania Packet, 21 September. Only the portion concerning a cession of land was reprinted in the Pennsylvania Mercury, 21 September and Lancaster Zeitung, 26 September. By 22 October the House proceedings, particularly those concerning the cession of land, were reprinted twenty times from Maine to South Carolina. 61
Copyright 1976 Wisconsin Historical Society Press.| For information on re-use see: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/Copyright