June 25, 1788

Humphrey Marshall,

Martin Pickett,

Humphrey Brooke,

J. Sherman Woodcock,

Alexander White,

Warner Lewis,

Thomas Smith,

George Clendinen,

John Stewart,

William Mason,

Daniel Fisher,

Andrew Woodrow,

Ralph Humphreys,

George Jackson,

John Prunty,

Isaac Vanmeter,

Abel Seymour,

Governor Randolph,

John Marshall,

Nathaniel Burwell,

Robert Andrews,

James Johnson,

Robert Breckenridge,

Rice Bullock,

William Fleet,

Burdet Ashton,

William Thornton,

J. Gordon, of Lancaster,

Henry Towles,

Levin Powell,

Wm. Overton Callis,

Ralph Wormley, Jr.,

Francis Corbin,

William M'Clerry,

Willis Riddick,

Solomon Shepherd,

William Clayton,

Burwell Bassett,

James Webb,

James Taylor, of Norfolk,

John Stringer,

Littleton Eyre,

Walter Jones,

Thomas Gaskins,

Archibald Woods,

Ebenezer Zone,

James Madison,

J. Gordon, of Orange,

William Ronald,

Anthony Walke,

Thomas Walke,

Benjamin Wilson,

J. Wilson, of Randolph,

Walker Tomlin,

William Peachy,

William M'Kee,

Andrew Moore,

Thomas Lewis,

Gabriel Jones,

Jacob Rinker,

John Williams,

Benjamin Blunt,

Samuel Kello,

John Hartwell Cocke,

John Allen,

Cole Digges,

H. Lee, of Westmoreland,

Bushrod Washington,

John Blair,

George Wythe,

James Innes,

Thomas Matthews.

And then, the main question being put that the Convention do agree with the committee in the said 1st resolution, it was resolved in the affirmative—ayes, 89; noes, 79.

On the motion of Mr. George Mason, seconded by Mr. Patrick Henry, the ayes and noes, on the said main question, were taken, as follows:—

AYES.

E. Pendleton, President,

George Parker,

George Nicholas,

Wilson Nicholas,

Zachariah Johnson,

Archibald Stuart,

William Dark,

Adam Stephen,

Martin M'Ferran,

William Fleming,

James Taylor, of Caroline,

Paul Carrington,

David Patteson,

Miles King,

Worlich Westwood,

David Stuart,

Charles Simms,

Humphrey Marshall,

Martin Pickett,

Humphrey Brooke,

John S. Woodcock,

Alexander White,

Warner Lewis,

Thomas Smith,

George Clendinen,

John Stewart,

William Mason,

Daniel Fisher,

Andrew Woodrow,

Ralph Humphreys,

George Jackson,

John Prunty,

Isaac Vanmeter,

Abel Seymour,

Governor Randolph,

John Marshall,

Nathaniel Burwell,

Robert Andrews,

James Johnson,

Robert Breckenridge,

Rice Bullock,

William Fleet,

Burdet Ashton,

William Thornton,

J. Gordon,of Lancaster,

Henry Towles,

Levin Powell,

W. Overton Callis,

Ralph Wormley, Jun.,

Francis Corbin,

William M'Clerry,

Willis Riddick,

Solomon Shepherd,

William Clayton,

Burwell Bassett,

James Webb,

J. Taylor, of Norfolk,

John Stringer,

Littleton Eyre,

Walter Jones,

Thomas Gaskins,

Archibald Woods,

Ebenezer Zane,

James Madison,

James Gordon, of Orange,

William Ronald,

Anthony Walke,

Thomas Walke,

Benjamin Wilson,

J. Wilson, of Randolph,

Walker Tomlin,

William Peachy,

William M'Kee,

Andrew Moore,

Thomas Lewis,

Gabriel Jones,

Jacob Rinker,

John Williams,

Benjamin Blunt,

Samuel Kello,

John Hartwell Cocke,

John Allen,

Cole Digges,

H. Lee, of Westmoreland,

Bushrod Washington,

John Blair,

George Wythe,

James Innes,

Thomas Matthews.

NOES.

Edmund Custis,

John Pride,

Edmund Brooker,

William Cabell,

Samuel Jordan Cabell,

John Trigg,

Charles Clay,

Henry Lee, of Bourbon,

John Jones,

Binns Jones,

Charles Patteson,

David Bell,

Robert Alexander,

Edmund Winston,

Thomas Read,

John Tyler,

Stephen Pankey,

Joshua Michaux,

Thomas H. Drew,

French Strother,

Joel Early,

Joseph Jones,

William Walkins,

Meriwether Smith,

James Upshaw,

John Fowler,

Samuel Richardson,

Joseph Haden,

John Early,

Thomas Arthurs,

John Guerrant,

William Sampson,

Isaac Coles,

George Carrington,

Parker Goodall,

John Carter Littlepage,

Thomas Cooper,

John Marr,

Thomas Roane,

Holt Richeson,

Benjamin Temple,

Stephens T. Mason,

William White,

Jonathan Patteson,

Christopher Robertson,

John Logan,

Henry Pawling,

John Miller,

Green Clay,

Samuel Hopkins,

Richard Kennon,

Thomas Alien,

Alexander Robertson,

John Evans,

Walter Crocket,

Abraham Trigg,

Matthew Walton,

John Steele,

Robert Williams,

J. Wilson, of Pittsylvania,

Thomas Turpin,

Patrick Henry,

Robert Lawson,

Edmund Ruffin,

Theodorick Bland,

William Grayson,

Cuthbert Bullitt,

Thomas Carter,

Henry Dickenson,

James Monroe,

John Dawson,

George Mason,

Andrew Buchanan,

John Howell Briggs,

Thomas Edmunds,

Richard Cary,

Samuel Edminson,

James Montgomery.

The 2d resolution being then read a second time, a motion was made, and, the question being put to amend the same by striking out the preamble thereto, it was resolved in the affirmative.

And then, the main question being put, that the Convention do agree with the committee in the 2d resolution so amended, it was resolved in the affirmative.

On motion, Ordered, That a committee be appointed to prepare and report a form of ratification pursuant to the first resolution; and that Governor Randolph, Mr. Nicholas, Mr. Madison, Mr. Marshall, and Mr. Corbin, compose the said committee.

On motion, Ordered, That a committee be appointed to prepare and report such amendments as by them shall be deemed necessary, to be recommended, pursuant to the second resolution; and that the Hon. George Wythe, Mr. Harrison, Mr. Matthews, Mr. Henry, Governor Randolph, Mr. George Mason, Mr. Nicholas, Mr. Grayson, Mr. Madison, Mr. Tyler, Mr. John Marshall, Mr. Monroe, Mr. Ronald, Mr. Bland, Mr. Meriwether Smith, Mr. Paul Carrington, Mr. Innes, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. John Blair, and Mr. Simms, compose the said committee.

His excellency, Governor RANDOLPH, reported, from the committee appointed, according to order, a form of ratification, which was read and agreed to by the Convention, in the words following: VIRGINIA, TO WIT:

“We, the delegates of the people of Virginia, duly elected in pursuance of a recommendation from the General Assembly, and now met in Convention, having fully and freely investigated and discussed the proceeding of the federal Convention, and being prepared, as well as the most mature deliberation hath enabled us, to decide thereon, Do, in the name and in behalf of the people of Virginia, declare and make known, that the powers granted under the Constitution, being derived from the people of the United States, be resumed by them whensoever the same shah be perverted to their injury or oppression, and that every power, not granted thereby, remains with them, and at their will; that, therefore, no right, of any denomination, can be cancelled, abridged, restrained, or modified, by the Congress, by the Senate or House of Representatives, acting in any capacity, by the President, or any department or officer of the United States, except in those instances in which power is given by the Constitution for those purposes; and that, among other essential rights, the liberty of conscience and of the press cannot be cancelled, abridged, restrained, or modified, by any authority of the United States.

“With these impressions, with a solemn appeal to the Searcher of hearts for the purity of our intentions, and under the conviction that whatsoever imperfections may exist in the Constitution ought rather to be examined m the mode prescribed therein, than to bring the Union into danger by delay, with a hope of obtaining amendments previous to the ratifications,—

“We, the said delegates, in the name and behalf of the people of Virginia,m do by these presents, assent to and ratify the Constitution, recommended on the seventeenth day of September, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, by the federal Convention, for the government of the United States; hereby announcing to all those whom it may concern, that the said Constitution is binding upon the said people, according to an authentic copy hereto annexed, in the words following.”

[For the Constitution, see the commencement of Vol. I.]