RHODE ISLAND CONVENTION (SECOND SESSION)

Voted & resolved that one Copy of the Proceedings of this Town
Meeting be delivered to Burrington Anthony Esqr. for the Use of our
Delegates & that Samuel Elam7 be appointed to deliver another Copy
to the President of the Convention in order that our Sentiments on
that Head may be more generally Known & the Town Clerk is ordered
to certify the same.
A true Copy of the Proceeding of the above Town Meeting
Witness Abram Anthony jr Town Clk.
1. MS, Town Meeting Records, 1786-1835, Vol. 2, Town Clerk's Office, Town Hall,
Portsmouth, R.I. The Town Meeting Records contain the original version of the instruc-
tions. Two additional copies were made. See note 2.
2. MS, Papers Relating to the Adoption of the Constitution, R-Ar. Two copies of these
instructions, each with different capitalization, punctuation, and placement of a couple
of phrases are in this collection. Presumably the two copies of the instructions were
delivered to Burrington Anthony and given to Samuel Elam to be delivered to the Con-
vention president. (See the last paragraph of the instructions.) See notes 5 and 6 (below)
for significant differences between these two copies and the version in the Town Meeting
Records.
3. Congress did not propose the new Constitution. On 28 September 1787 Congress
sent the Constitution to the states without approbation, proposing that the state legisla-
tures comply with the resolution of the Constitutional Convention in calling state con-
ventions to consider ratifying the Constitution (see CC:95).
4. For the instructions given to the Portsmouth Convention delegates on 27 February
and 26 April 1790, see RCS:R.I., 699-703n, 833-34.
5. In the Town Meeting Records version the following appears after the word say:
"should they vote for, or Occasion any longer Delay of an adoption by the part which
they may take therein."
6. This word is "ignorantly" in the Town Meetings Records version.
7. For Elam, see RCS:R.I., 703, note 6.
Convention Roll Call Votes on Adjournment, 26 May 1790,
and on Ratification, 29 May 17901
List of Delegates
The President
Newport              A      George Haszard Esqr.               A
A      Henry Marchant Esqr.               A
A      George Champlin Esqr.              A
A      Peleg Clarke                       A
A.     Mr. William Tripp                  A
A      George Sears Esqr.                 A
Providence           A.    Jabez Bowen Esqr.                   A.
A.     Benjamin Bourne Esqr.              A.
A      Col. William Barton                A
A.    John I. Clark Esqr.                 A.

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