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        THE ANNAPOLIS CONVENTION

                           September 14, 1786    
 
To the Honorable, The Legislatures of Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, and New York;
 
The Commissioners from the said States, respectively 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, 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.
 
 
 
Proceedings of the Commissioners to Remedy Defects of the Federal Government.
Annapolis, Maryland.

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