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Madison
Letter to Jefferson on the Bill Concerning Religious
Freedom,
January
22, 1786
Following
the aftermath of the Memorial and Remonstrance,
Madison carried Jefferson's "Bill concerning Religious
Freedom" through the House of Delegates to enactment.
This letter to Jefferson is a report of the bill's success
and of its ultimate form as enacted into law. Of most
significance in this otherwise unremarkable letter is
the last sentence, which displays Madison's unusual
optimism that the bill's enactment would permanently
rid the state of Virginia of any attempts to invade
the liberty of conscience.
RJ&L
Religious Institutions Group
TO
THOMAS JEFFERSON
Richmond,
Jan. 22d, 1786
My
last dated Nov 15th, from this place answered yours of May
11th, on the subject of your printed notes. . . .
Our Assembly last night closed a Session of 97 days, during
the whole of which except the first seven, I have shared
in the confinement. . . . The titles in the
enclosed list will point out to you such of the bills as
were adopted from the Revisal.
*
* * *
The
only one of these which was pursued into an Act is the Bill
concerning Religious freedom. The steps taken throughout
the Country to defeat the Genl Assessment had
produced all the effect that could have been wished. The
table was loaded with petitions and remonstrances from all
parts against the interposition of the Legislature in matters
of Religion. A general convention of the Presbyterian church
prayed expressly that the bill in the Revisal might be passed
into a law, as the best safeguard short of a Constitutional
one, for their religious rights. The bill was carred thro'
the H. of Delegates, without alteration. The Senate objected
to the preamble, and sent down a proposed substitution of
the 16th art: of the Declaration of Rights. The H. of D.
disagreed. The Senate insisted, and asked a Conference.
Their objections were frivolous indeed. In order to remove
them as they were understood by the Managers of the H. of
D. The preamble was sent up again from the H. of D. with
one or two verbal alterations. As an amendment to these
the Senate sent down a few others, which as they did not
affect the substance though they somewhat defaced the composition,
it was thought better to agree to than to run further risks,
especially as it was getting late in the Session and the
House growing thin. The enacting clauses past without a
single alteration, and I flatter myself have in this country
extinguished forever the ambitious hope of making laws for
the human mind.
Letter
from James Madison to Thomas Jefferson (Jan. 22, 1786),
in 2 The Writings of James Madison, 1783-1787, at 214 (Gaillard
Hunt ed., 1901).
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