Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser
Portsmouth, Exeter, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
In June 1783, Virginia's House of Delegates initially rejected Congress's revenue recommendations by near-unanimous resolution due to concerns over officer accountability, delegation of penal powers, and credit for raised funds. After Gen. Washington's circular letter, they allowed a conforming bill but referred the matter to the next session.
Clipping
OCR Quality
Full Text
Extract of a letter from Princeton, dated June, 1783.
"The public papers have informed you, that Virginia had given leave to bring in a bill for adopting the late revenue recommendations of Congress: this is true. But not the whole truth. After the address, &c. of Congress had been read before this House of Delegates, by a solemn and almost unanimous resolution they were rejected:--Because, 1st. the revenue officers were to be amenable to that Congress. 2dly. Because the power of collecting a revenue by penal laws could not be delegated to Congress, without danger to the union, as well as to the commonwealth. And, 3dly, Because the commonwealth was not to have credit for the monies to be raised from its own citizens—or to that effect. And a bill was brought in for establishing funds to be collected under their own authority, and on constitutional grounds; but before this bill was completed, Gen. Washington's circular letter came to hand, and was read; whereupon the advocates for continental impost took courage, and obtained leave to bring in another bill, conformable to the recommendation of Congress; and without proceeding any further in the affair, the whole was referred over to the next session of their Assembly."
What sub-type of article is it?
What keywords are associated?
What entities or persons were involved?
Where did it happen?
Domestic News Details
Primary Location
Virginia
Event Date
June 1783
Key Persons
Outcome
revenue recommendations rejected initially; leave granted for conforming bill, but matter referred to next assembly session without further action.
Event Details
Virginia's House of Delegates read Congress's address and rejected it almost unanimously for reasons including revenue officers' amenability to Congress, dangers of delegating penal collection powers, and lack of credit for raised monies. A bill for independent funds was proposed but paused upon receipt of Gen. Washington's circular letter, leading advocates to secure leave for a Congress-conforming bill, with the entire issue deferred to the next session.