does not therefore appear in the schedules of the proceedings of the General Assembly.

The result was transmitted to Congress by the following letter addressed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the President:

SIR:

EAST GREENWICH, Nov. 30th, 1782.

In obedience to the directions of the lower House of Assembly of this State, I have the honor to enclose to your Excellency their unanimous resolutions on the recommendation of Congress, respecting an impost on imported goods, &c., and to state some of the principal reasons which produced that resolution. The recommendation was rejected.

First, because it would be unequal in its operation, bearing hardest on the commercial states, and so would press peculiarly hard on this State, which draws its chief support from commerce.

Secondly, because it proposes to introduce into this and the other states, officers unknown and unaccountable to them, and so is against the constitution of this State.

Thirdly, because, by granting to Congress power to collect moneys from the commerce of these states, indefinitely as to time and quantity, for the expenditure of which they are not to be accountable to the states, they would become independent of their constituents, and so the proposed impost is repugnant to the liberty of the United States.

Many more reasons might be offered, and the subject drawn out to a great length, by descending to particulars, but these are sufficient to answer the main design of the House, which is to show a decent respect to the states which have differed from them, in opinion, on this subject.

This State may be justly ranked among the foremost in the common cause, having furnished in support of it as many men and as much money, in proportion to its abilities, as any state in the Union, and much more than most of them, and it is still disposed to continue its exertions; but it will raise and collect its quota of public taxes in such a way as shall be judged most proper. And it is hoped, that when its resolutions are founded on the great principles of liberty and a general interest, it will not be thought to suspect the public virtue of the present Congress, by withholding from them, or their servants, a power of which their successors might make a dangerous use.

With the highest sense of respect for your Excellency, and the Honorable Assembly over which you preside, I am

Your Excellency's most obedient servant,

WILLIAM BRADFORD, SPEAKER.

It is probable that news of this result reached Congress sometime before this letter did. It certainly was looked for with anxiety as well by Congress as by the other states. It was hoped that Rhode Island would make the grant, and that the other states which had made it conditionally, would be induced so to modify their action as to confer the power on Congress without any great delay. By many of the leading men, this was deemed a measure of vital importance to the Union. That it was so considered in Congress may be inferred from the following resolution of that body, which was moved by Mr. Hamilton and seconded by Mr. Rutledge, and passed December 6th:

RESOLVED, That the Superintendent of Finance be, and he is hereby directed to represent to the legislatures of the several states, the indispensable necessity for their complying with the requisitions of Congress, for raising one million two hundred thousand dollars for paying a year's interest of the domestic debt of the United States, and two millions dollars toward defraying the expenses of the estimate for the ensuing year, and the inconveniencies, embarrassments and injuries to the public service, which will arise from the states individually making appropriations of any part of the said two millions dollars, or of any other moneys required by the United States in Congress assembled, assuring them withal, that Congress is determined to make the fullest justice to the public creditors an invariable object of their councils and exertions; that a deputation be sent to the State of Rhode Island for the purpose of making a full and just representation of the public affairs of the United States, and of urging the absolute necessity of compliance with the resolution of Congress of the 3d of February, 1781, respecting the duty on imposts and prizes, as a measure essential to the safety and reputation of these states.

The first part of this resolution, down to "exertions," passed unanimously. On agreeing to the remainder, Mr. Arnold and Mr. Howell alone, voted in the negative. The members chosen on this deputation, were Mr. Osgood, of Massachusetts, Mr. Mifflin, of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Nash, of North Carolina.

This resolution was communicated to Gov Greene by the following letter from the delegates :

MESSRS. ARNOLD AND HOWELL TO Gov. GREENE.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 7th, 1782.

SIR:- By a resolve of Congress yesterday, a Committee of Congress, consisting of the Hon. Mr. Osgood, the Hon. Mr. Mifflin, and the Hon. Mr. Nash, was appointed to wait on our Legislature, to urge them into a compliance with the impost. These gentlemen, being respectable in their private as well as public characters, are well entitled to attention and respect. This, we cannot doubt, they will receive, though we cannot wish them success in the business of their appointment. We earnestly urged Congress to suspend this measure until they should have received the State's reply to the demand of Congress, for an immediate and definitive answer, which was daily expected, but urged in vain, it seeming to be the sense. of Congress, that no reasons would divert them from the measure.

The affairs of Vermont are drawing to such a serious crisis, that it is our request to be therein specially instructed. The state of New Jersey has lately instructed their delegates; that they consider the people of Vermont justly entitled to independence, by the resolves of Congress, and to oppose every measure contrary thereto. Herewith enclosed are certified extracts from the journals of Congress, of proceedings in regard to that people, upon which no comment on our part will be necessary; we shall only observe that we cannot but consider the resolve of the 5th instant, truly alarming. We have heard of instructions to be sent forward from the October session of the Assembly, but none have yet come to hand.

With sentiments of esteem and respect, we have the honor to be,
Your Excellency's very humble servants,

JONATHAN ARNOLD,
DAVID HOWELL.

On the 11th of December, the following letter, prepared by Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Madison and Mr. Fitzsimmons, was directed by Congress to be sent to the Governor of this State:

SIR: Congress are equally affected and alarmed by the information they have received, that the Legislature of your State, at their last meeting, refused their concurrence in the establishment of duty on imposts. They consider this measure as so indispensable to the prosecution of the war, that

a sense of duty and a regard to the common safety compel them to renew their efforts to engage a compliance with it; and, in this view, they have determined to send a deputation of three of their members to your State, as expressed in the enclosed resolution. The gentlemen they have appointed will be able to lay before you a full and just representation of the public affairs, from which they flatter themselves, will result a conviction of the propriety of their solicitude upon the present occasion. Convinced by past experience of the zeal and patriotism of the State of Rhode Island, they cannot doubt, that it will yield to those urgent considerations which flow from a knowledge of our true situation. They will only briefly observe, that the increasing discontents of the army, the loud clamors of the public creditors and the extreme disproportion between the current supplies and the demands of the public service, are so many invincible arguments for the fund recommended by Congress. They feel themselves unable to devise any other more efficacious, less exceptionable and more generally agreeable, and if this is rejected, they anticipate calamities of a most menacing nature, with this consolation, however, that they have faithfully discharged their trust, and that the mischief which may follow cannot be attributed to them.

A principal object of the proposed fund, is to procure loans abroad. If no security can be held out to lenders, the success of these must necessarily be very limited. The last accounts on the subject were not flattering, and when intelligence shall arrive in Europe that the State of Rhode Island has disagreed to the only fund, which has as yet been devised, there is every reason to apprehend, it will have a fatal influence on their future progress. Deprived of this resource,. our affairs must, in all probability, rapidly hasten to a dangerous crisis, and these states be involved in greater embarrassments than they have yet experienced and from which it may be difficult to emerge. Congress will only add a request to your Excellency, that if the Legislature should not be sitting, it may be called together as speedily as possible, to enable the gentlemen whom they have deputed, to perform the purpose of their mission.

The letter of Mr. Speaker Bradford reached Congress December 11th. On that day Mr. Howell made the following motion :

Whereas, a letter to his Excellency, the President of Congress, from the lower House of Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, hath this day been received in Congress in the words and figures following, to wit: (Here follows a full copy of the letter.)

Wherefore, resolved, that the resolution of the 6th of December, for

appointing a deputation to be sent to the State of Rhode Island for the purpose of making a full and just representation of the public affairs of the United States, and urging the absolute necessity of a compliance with the resolution of the 3d of February, 1781, respecting the duties on imposts and prizes, as a measure essential to the safety and reputation of these states," be, and the same is, hereby repealed.

On this motion the previous question was moved by the state of New York, and seconded by the state of New Hampshire, that the question be now put, and on the question to agree to the previous question, no delegates voted in the negative, except the three then present from this State, Mr. Collins, Mr. Arnold and Mr. Howell. "So it was resolved in the affirmative, and the main question set aside."

The letter of Mr. Speaker Bradford was referred by Congress to a committee, consisting of Messrs. Hamilton, Madison and Fitzsimmons, who subsequently submitted the following report:

The committee, consisting of Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Madison, and Mr. Fitzsimmons, to whom was referred the letter of the 30th of November, from the Hon. William Bradford, Speaker of the lower House of Assembly of Rhode Island, containing, under three heads, the reasons of that State for refusing their compliance with the recommendation of Congress for a duty on imposts and prize goods, report,

That they flatter themselves the State, on a reconsideration of the objections they have offered, with a candid attention to the arguments which stand in opposition to them, will be induced to detract their dissent, convinced that the measure is supported on the most solid grounds of equal justice, policy and general utility. The following observations contrasted with each head of the objections, successively, will furnish a satisfactory answer to the whole.

First objection-"That the proposed duty would be unequal in its operation, bearing hardest upon the most commercial states, and so would press particularly hard upon that State, which draws its chief support from commerce." The most common experience, joined to the concurrent opinions of the ablest commercial and political observers, have established, beyond controversy, this general principle "that every duty on imposts is incorporated with the price of the commodity, and ultimately paid by the con