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14 september 1786
Proceedings of the Commissioners
to Remedy Defects of the Federal Government, Annapolis in the State of Maryland.
September 14, 1786.
To the Honorable, The Legislatures
of Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York - assembled at
Annapolis, humbly beg leave to report.
That, pursuant to their several
appointments, they met, at Annapolis in the State of Maryland on the eleventh
day of September Instant, and having proceeded to a Communication of their
Powers; they found that the States of New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, had,
in substance, and nearly in the same terms, authorized their respective
Commissions "to meet such other Commissioners as were, or might be, appointed by
the other States in the Union, at such time and place as should be agreed upon
by the said Commissions to take into consideration the trade and commerce of the
United States, to consider how far a uniform system in their commercial
intercourse and regulations might be necessary to their common interest and
permanent harmony, and to report to the several States such an Act, relative to
this great object, as when unanimously by them would enable the United States in
Congress assembled effectually to proved for the same."...
That the State of New Jersey had
enlarged the object of their appointment, empowering their Commissioners, "to
consider how far a uniform system in their commercial regulations and other
important matters, mighty be necessary to the common interest and permanent
harmony of the several States," and to report such an Act on the subject, as
when ratified by them, "would enable the United States in Congress assembled,
effectually to provide for the exigencies of the Union."
That appointments of Commissioners
have also been made by the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
and North Carolina, none of whom, however, have attended; but that no
information has been received by your Commissioners, of any appointment having
been made by the States of Connecticut, Maryland, South Carolina or Georgia.
That the express terms of the
powers of your Commissioners supposing a deputation from all the States, and
having for object the Trade and Commerce of the United States, Your
Commissioners did not conceive it advisable to proceed on the business of their
mission, under the Circumstances of so partial and defective a representation.
Deeply impressed, however, with
the magnitude and importance of the object confided to them on this occasion,
your Commissioners cannot forbear to indulge an expression of their earnest and
unanimous wish, that speedy measures be taken, to effect a general meeting, of
the States, in a future Convention, for the same, and such other purposes, as
the situation of public affairs may be found to require.
If in expressing this wish, or in
intimating any other sentiment, your Commissioners should seem to exceed the
strict bounds of their appointment, they entertain a full confidence, that a
conduct, dictated by an anxiety for the welfare of the United States, will not
fail to receive an indulgent construction.
In this persuasion, your
Commissioners submit an opinion, that the Idea of extending the powers of their
Deputies, to other objects, than those of Commerce, which has been adopted by
the State of New Jersey, was an improvement on the original plan, and will
deserve to be incorporated into that of a future Convention; they are the more
naturally led to this conclusion, as in the course of their reflections on the
subject, they have been induced to think, that the power of regulating trade is
of such comprehensive extent, and will enter so far into the general System of
the federal government, that to give it efficacy, and to obviate questions and
doubts concerning its precise nature and limits, may require a correspondent
adjustment of other parts of the Federal System.
That there are important defects
in the system of the Federal Government is acknowledged by the Acts of all those
States, which have concurred in the present Meeting; That the defects, upon a
closer examination, may be found greater and more numerous, than even these acts
imply, is at least so far probably, from the embarrassments which characterize
the present State of our national affairs, foreign and domestic, as may
reasonably be supposed to merit a deliberate and candid discussion, in some
mode, which will unite the Sentiments and Councils of all the States. In the
choice of the mode, your Commissioners are of opinion, that a Convention of
Deputies from the different States, for the special and sole purpose of entering
into this investigation, and digesting a plan for supplying such defects as may
be discovered to exist, will be entitled to a preference from considerations,
which will occur without being particularized.
Your Commissioners decline an
enumeration of those national circumstances on which their opinion respecting
the propriety of a future Convention, with more enlarged powers, is founded; as
it would be a useless intrusion of facts and observations, most of which have
been frequently the subject of public discussion, and none of which can have
escaped the penetration of those to whom they would in this instance be
addressed. They are, however, of a nature so serious, as, in the view of your
Commissioners, to render the situation of the United States delicate and
critical, calling for an exertion of the untied virtue and wisdom of all the
members of the Confederacy.
Under this impression, Your
Commissioners, with the most respectful deference, beg leave to suggest their
unanimous conviction that it may essentially tend to advance the interests of
the union if the States, by whom they have been respectively delegated, would
themselves concur, and use their endeavors to procure the concurrence of the
other States, in the appointment of Commissioners, to meet at Philadelphia on
the second Monday in May next, to take into consideration the situation of the
United States, to devise such further provisions as shall appear to them
necessary to render the constitution of the Federal Government adequate to the
exigencies of the Union; and to report such an Act for that purpose to the
United States in Congress assembled, as when agreed to, by them, and afterwards
confirmed by the Legislatures of every State, will effectually provide for the
same.
Though your Commissioners could
not with propriety address these observations and sentiments to any but the
States they have the honor to represent, they have nevertheless concluded from
motives of respect, to transmit copies of the Report to the United States in
Congress assembled, and to the executives of the other States.
  
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