Documentary History of the First Federal Congress
Calendar
May 15, 1789
- House: Notice by Boudinot of intention to propose resolution for the establishment of executive departments on May 19.1
- Senate:
May 19, 1789
- House: On a motion by Boudinot, executive departments debated in COWH; motion by Boudinot, "that a Secretary of Finance" be appointed; amendment by Benson to establish three departments, foreign affairs, treasury, and war; motion by Vining for a home or domestic department; motions withdrawn in favor of resolution by Madison, seconded by Vining; resolution debated in COWH; amendment agreed to; two other amendments disagreed to.2
- Senate:
May 20, 1798
- House: Madison resolution debated in COWH; amendments disagreed to; resolution agreed to by COWH.3
- Senate:
May 21 , 1789
- House: COWH resolution amended and agreed to by House; committee appointed to prepare a bill or bills pursuant to resolution (Baldwin, Vining, Livermore, Madison, Benson, Burke, Fitzsimons, Boudinot, Wadsworth, Gerry, and Cadwalader).4
- Senate:
June 2, 1789
- House: Baldwin presented a bill to establish an executive department, to be denominated the department of foreign affairs, which was read; 100 copies ordered printed.5
- Senate:
June 3, 1789
- House: Read and committed to COWH.
- Senate:
June 9, 1789
- House: Postponed as order of the day.
- Senate:
June 10, 1789
June 16-18, 1789
- House: Debated in COWH; White motion on president's power of removal debated.7
- Senate:
June 19, 1789
- House: Debated and amended in COWH.
- Senate:
June 22, 1789
- House: COWH amendments agreed to; further amendments agreed to.
- Senate:
June 23, 1789
- House: Considered in COWH; motion by White, seconded by Sherman, to recommit so "that other departments might be added, and one system formed," disagreed to; postponed on a motion by Sumter.8
- Senate:
June 24, 1789
- House: Read and agreed to, by a recorded vote of 29-22 9, as An act for establishing an executive department, to be denominated the department of foreign affairs.
- Senate: Received.
June 25, 1789
- House:
- Senate: Read.
July 6, 1789
- House:
- Senate: Postponed until July 9.
July 14, 1789
- House:
- Senate: Read; first clause agreed to; second clause debated.10
July 15, 1789
- House:
- Senate: Second clause debated.
July 16, 1789
- House:
- Senate: Debated; amendment to second clause disagreed to.11
July 17, 1789
- House:
- Senate: Debated and amended.
July 18, 1789
July 20, 1789
- House: Senate amendments agreed to.
- Senate:
July 22, 1789
- House: Signed by speaker.
- Senate: Signed by vice president.
July 27, 1789
- House: Signed by president.
- Senate:
2. The [New York] Daily Advertiser, The New York Daily Gazette, Gazette of the United States, May 20; The Congressional Register, May 19. Motions relating to the establishment of the home or domestic department are calendared with the Records Act [HR-19].
4. On June 2 this committee presented the War Department Bill [HR-7] and on June 4 the Treasury Bill [HR-9].
5. Gazette of the United States, June 3.
6. The [New York] Daily Advertiser, June 11.
9.An engrossed bill "for establishing an executive department, to be denominated the department of foreign affairs," was read the third time, and the question being put that the said bill do pass,
It was resolved in the affirmative,
Ayes 29
Noes 22
The ayes and noes being demanded by one fifth of the members present,
It was resolved in the affirmative,
Ayes 29
Noes 22
The ayes and noes being demanded by one fifth of the members present,
Those who voted in the affirmative, are,
- Fisher Ames
- Egbert Benson
- Elias Boudinot
- John Brown
- Aedanus Burke
- Lambert Cadwalader
- Daniel Carroll
- George Clymer
- Benjamin Contee
- Thomas Fitzsimons
- Nicholas Gilman
- Benjamin Goodhue
- Samuel Griffin
- Thomas Hartley
- Daniel Hiester
- Daniel Huger
- John Laurance
- Richard Bland Lee
- James Madison, junior
- Andrew Moore
- Peter Muhlenberg
- James Schureman
- Thomas Scott
- Theodore Sedgwick
- Joshua Seney
- Thomas Sinnickson
- Peter Silvester
- Johnathan Trumbull and
- John Vining
Those who voted in the negative, are,
- Isaac Coles
- Elbridge Gerry
- Jonathan Grout
- John Hathorn
- Benjamin Huntington
- James Jackson
- George Leonard
- Samuel Livermore
- George Mathews
- John Page
- Josiah Parker
- George Partridge
- Jeremiah Van Rensselaer
- Roger Sherman
- William Smith (of Maryland)
- William Smith (of South-Carolina)
- Michael Jenifer Stone
- Jonathan Sturges
- Thomas Sumter
- George Thatcher
- Thomas Tudor Tucker and
- Alexander White
12. Maclay Diary, July 18.
13.Upon the question, "To concur in this bill as amended?" and one fifth of the Senators present requiring the yeas and nays, the determination was as follows: â€"
So the bill was concurred with amendments.(DHFFC 1:87)
Yea
- Mr. Bassett
- Mr. Carroll
- Mr. Dalton
- Mr. Ellsworth
- Mr. Elmer
- Mr. Henry
- Mr. Morris
- Mr. Paterson
- Mr. Read
- Mr. Strong
Nay
- Mr. Few
- Mr. Grayson
- Mr. Gunn
- Mr. Johnson
- Mr. Izard
- Mr. Langdon
- Mr. Lee
- Mr. Maclay
- Mr. Wingate
So the bill was concurred with amendments.(DHFFC 1:87)
Recommended citation: Documentary History of the First Federal Congress of the United States of America, ed. Charlene Bickford, et al. (Columbia, S.C.: Model Editions Partnership, 2002). XML version based on the Documentary History of the First Federal Congress of the United States of America, ed. Charlene Bickford, et al. (Baltimore, Md.: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1994) Vol. 4, pp. 689-697. http://adh.sc.edu [Accessed (supply date here)]
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