Letters of Delegates to Congress: Volume 1
James Duane's Notes of Debates
Tuesday the 6t September [1774]
The Congress met And the first Question debated was whether the Congress shoud Vote by Colonies & what weight each Colony shoud have in the determination?
Mr Henry from Virginia insisted that by the oppression of Parliament all Government was dissolvd & that we were reduced to a State of Nature. That there were no longer any such distinctions as Colonies. That he conceiv'd himself not a Virginian but an American. That one of the greatest Mischiefs to Society was an Unequal Representation. That there might & probably woud be further Occasions for a Congress & that it was time to form such a System as woud give each Colony a Just weight in our deliberations in proportion to its opulence & number of Inhabitants its Exports & Imports.
He was answerd by Mr [ ](1) Of Rhode Island who insisted that every Colony shoud have an equal Vote. That we came if necessary to make a Sacrifice of our All & that the weakest Colony by such a Sacrifice woud suffer as much as the greatest.
Col. Harrison from Viriginia insisted Strongly on the Injustice that Virginia should have no greater Weight in the determination than one of the smallest Colonies. That he should be censurd by his Constituents & unable to excuse his want of attention to their Interest. And that he was very Apprehensive that if such a disrespect should be put upon his Countrymen we shoud never see them at another Convention.
The debate then took a different Turn. It was observd that if an equal Representation was ever so Just the Delegates from the several Colonies were unprepard with Materials to settle that Equality. That was an Objection that coud not be answered.
The Question was then put and
1. Resolved that the Sense of the Congress shall be taken by Voting in Colonies each to have one Vote.
2. Resolved that no person be permitted to speak twice on the same point unless with the Leave of the Congress.
3. Resolved that no Question be determined the same day it is debated if any one of the Colonies desires that the determination be deferred to another day.
4. Resolved that the doors of the Congress be kept shut during the debates And that every Member be obligd under the strongest obligation of Honor to keep secret the proceedings of the Congress until they shall be ordered to be publishd by the Congress.
5. Resolved that a Committee be appointed to state the Rights of the Colonies, the several Instances in which they have been violated & infringed and the means most proper to obtain Redress.
6. Resolved that a Committee be appoint'd to State & Report the several Statutes respecting the Trade & Manufactures of the Colonies.
7. A Question was put whether this Congress shoud be opend to morrow Morning with prayers.
Mr Samuel Adams proposd the revnd Mr Duchè (2) for this Service.
Debates arose on this Subject. Those who were for the motion insisting on the propriety of a Reverence & Submission to the Supreme Being & supplicating his Blessing on every Undertaking on the practice of the Romans the British Parliament & some of the Assemblies on the Continent.
The difference of the religious Tenets of the Members. That it woud be considerd as Enthusiasm & Cant, & the Efficacy of private devotion. The want of a Suitable form in the book of Common prayers: And the Hazard of submitting such a Task to the Judgement of my Clergy were the Topics urged by those who were of opinion against the Motion.
It was however
Resolved that the Congress shall be opend tomorrow morning with the Service of the Church of England & a suitable prayer & that Mr Duchè be requested by the president to perform this office.
The Congress then adjourned till 9 oClock tomorrow morning.
N B. During the meeting of the Congress an Express arriv'd to the Jersey Members giving Intelligence that the soldiers had seized the powder in one of the Towns near Boston. That a party was sent to take this; & that six of the Inhabitants had been killd in the Skirmish. That all the Country was in arms down to [ ](3) in Conneticut. That the Cannon fired upon the Town the whole Night.
N B. Mr Henry affirmed that at a former Congress one of the Members had dispatched Inteligence of an important matter to a great person in America while it was under Debate; which was one of his Reasons for Secrecy in our proceedings.
MS (NHi).
1 MS blank. Samuel Ward. See John Adams' Notes of Debates for this date.
2 Jacob Duchè (1738-98), Anglican clergyman, popular orator, and assistant rector of the united parishes of Christ's Church and St. Peters' in Philadelphia. Duchè defended American rights against British encroachments from 1774 through the summer of 1776 but opposed the severance of all ties between the colonies and the mother country. He incurred the hostility of the revolutionary party in 1777 by his blundering effort to induce Washington to persuade Congress to withdraw the declaration of Independence, and in the following year he went to England. D.113.
3 MS blank. Duane apparently planned to insert the name of the southernmost Connecticut town affected by the rumored British bombardment of Boston.
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