important document found among the Mason papers,[1] present clearly the work of the committee in preparing the draft of the constitution presented to the Convention on August 6.
In the present edition, all of these documents are brought together and placed in the Records between July 26 and August 6.
Printed Drafts
The draft of August 6 was printed for the use of the delegates and was the subject of their discussions for over a month. The proceedings were then referred to a committee of five, known as the Committee of Style and Revision, of which William Samuel Johnson was chairman and Gouverneur Morris the most important member. The Committee of Style made its report on September 12, which was also printed for the delegates’ use.
Several copies of the drafts of August 6 and September 12, belonging to various delegates, are extant, and most of them have emendations and marginal notes indicating the action taken upon particular clauses and sections, and sometimes revealing the writer’s attitude or preference.
These documents are hardly worthy of being reprinted, for the marginal notes are in general only confirmatory of other records, but where the comments give any additional information of proceedings in the Convention, they have been embodied in foot-notes.
It is possible, indeed probable, that other records of the Convention will be brought to light. Charles Pinckney stated explicitly that he had taken careful notes of the proceedings;[2] William Jackson, secretary of the Convention, kept minutes of the debates;[3] in a communication to the Massachusetts convention, Elbridge Gerry “subjoined a state of facts, founded on documents”;[4] Gouverneur Morris referred to “some gentlemen” writing up their notes between sessions;[5] and James Wilson in the Pennsylvania convention
- ↑ An early, perhaps the first, draft of the committee’s work in Randolph’s handwriting with extensive emendations in Rutledge’s hand.
- ↑ Appendix A, CCCXXVI. Hunt, Writings of Madison, III, 25, note (with correction in IV, p. vii), states that none of the notes are extant. Cf. Jameson, Studies, p. 131, note a.
- ↑ See above note 6.
- ↑ Appendix A, CLXXXI.
- ↑ Appendix A, CCCXIV.
