Documentary History of the First Federal Congress

Calendar

June 2, 1789

House: Baldwin, from the committee appointed May 21 (Baldwin, Vining, Livermore, Madison, Benson, Burke, Fitzsimons, Boudinot, Wadsworth, Gerry, Cadwalader),1 presented a bill to establish an executive department, to be denominated the department of war, which was read; 100 copies ordered printed.2
Senate:

June 3, 1789

House: Read; ordered committed to COWH.
Senate:

June 9, 1789

House: Postponed as order of the day.
Senate:

June 10, 1789

House: On motion by Smith (S. C.),3 postponed until June 16.
Senate:

June 16-23, 1789

House: Postponed as order of the day.
Senate:

June 24, 1789

House: Debated and amended in COWH; on motion of Benson, COWH agreed by a vote of 24-22 to add the wording concerning the secretary's removability by the president, which had been added to the Foreign Affairs Bill [HR-8] on June 22;4 amendments reported to House.
Senate:

June 25, 1789

House: COWH amendments agreed to.
Senate:

June 27, 1789

House: Read; agreed to as An act to establish an executive department, to be denominated the department of war.
Senate:

July 6, 1789

House:
Senate: Read; second reading scheduled for July 10.

July 10-20, 1789

House:
Senate: Consideration postponed.

July 21, 1789

House:
Senate: Read; debate postponed.5

July 21-Aug. 2, 1789

House:
Senate: Consideration postponed.

Aug. 3, 1789

House:
Senate: Debated.

Aug. 4, 1789

House:
Senate: Read; two proposed amendments disagreed to; agreed to with amendments.

Aug. 5, 1789

House: Senate amendments agreed to.
Senate:

Aug. 6, 1789

House: Signed by speaker.
Senate: Signed by vice president.

Aug. 7, 1789

House: Signed by president.
Senate:

1. Debate on the question of establishing executive departments and the resolution appointing the committee to prepare the bills establishing the executive departments are calendared under the Foreign Affairs Act [HR 8].

2. Gazette of the United States, June 3.

3. The [New York] Daily Advertiser, June 11.

4. The Congressional Register, June 24

5. According to Thomas Greenleaf's account in the Records of the Secretary of the Senate: Concerning printing, SR, DNA, 50 copies of this bill were printed on July 21.

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, 1986) Vol. 6, pp. 1975-1991; 2028-2032. http://adh.sc.edu [Accessed (supply date here)]