The Life of George Mason, 1725-1792

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1892 Excerpt: ...AND CONSTITUTION. 1776. George Mason, detained by sickness from attending the Convention at an earlier day, arrived at Williamsburg on the 17th of May, as has been seen, and took his seat in the Convention on the following morning. The committee to prepare a Declaration of Rights and Constitution, as first named on the 15th of May, consisted of twenty-eight members, among whom were Meriwether Smith, James Mercer, Robert Carter Nicholas, Patrick Henry, Richard Bland, Thomas Ludwell Lee, Dudley Digges, John Blair, John Page, and Edmund Randolph. Madison was added to the committee on the 16th and George Mason on the 18th, each one on the day that he took his seat in the Convention. Colonel Mason was placed on four other committees on the 18th; that of Propositions and Grievances; that of Privileges and Elections; the committee appointed to prepare and bring in an ordinance to encourage woollen, linen, and other manufactories; and the one appointed to prepare and bring in an ordinance to encourage the making of salt, saltpetre, and gunpowder. A letter was received from the Virginia delegates in Congress calling the attention of the Convention to a difficulty which had arisen between some gentlemen who had taken up lands on the Ohio near Pittsburg and the Indians of the vicinity. Of the committee of eighteen appointed to examine into the affair, Patrick Henry, James Mercer, and George Mason were members. On Monday, the 27th of May, Colonel Cary, the chairman of the committee to prepare a constitution, reported that the committee had accordingly prepared a Declaration of Rights, which he read in his place. It was read a second time at the clerk's table, and ordered to be referred to a committee of the whole Convention. The following Wednesday was appo...