It has been raining for the last few days and it is overcast this morning. The streets are muddy, but the State House is only a few short blocks from the Morris mansion, Mrs. House’s boardinghouse and other inns where convention delegates have found lodging.
When General Washington, James Madison and several other Virginia delegates entered the east room of the State House where the convention is to meet, they were disappointed to find only delegates from Pennsylvania in attendance. It is not uncommon that such meetings do not begin on time. Even scheduled meetings of the Confederation Congress in New York City are frequently delayed several days from lack of a quorum. Delegates from Georgia must travel eight hundred miles to reach Philadelphia along roads that are often little more than paths made of wagon wheel ruts and across bridges whose reliability might be questionable. Bad weather has hit many parts of the country, making delays inevitable.
The convention cannot begin until a quorum of seven States is present. There is no limit on the number of delegates a State may appoint, but a State will be considered “present” only when a majority of its appointed delegates is in attendance. Voting will be by States, each State having one vote, which requires each State delegation to determine how the vote from their State will be cast.
While disappointed that delegates from only Pennsylvania and Virginia met this morning, those who are here are not discouraged. They are confident a sufficient number of delegates will soon arrive. In the meantime, the Virginians have agreed to meet every morning at Mrs. House’s place “to form a proper corresponding of sentiments.” Mrs. House is providing a private room for their use. At 3:00 in the afternoon, they will assemble at the State House to meet newly arrived delegates
The Virginia delegation is impressive. As we know, James Madison has been a prime mover of the effort to revise the Articles of Confederation as well as the convention itself. Augmenting his formidable knowledge of weaknesses and strengths of different types of government he brings to the subject of the convention, are judge John Blair and Dr. James McClurg.
Blair is one of the best trained jurists in the country and whose roots in Williamsburg are deep. His father served in the colonial Virginia Council and for a short time was acting Royal Governor. His great uncle, also named James, was the founder and first president of the College of William and Mary. His namesake, now a delegate to the convention, graduated with honors from William and Mary before studying law at the Middle Temple in London. As a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, Blair believed Patrick Henry’s resolutions against the Stamp were too radical, but his views changed after Parliament dissolved the House of Burgesses.
During the Revolution, Blair was active in the internal affairs of Virginia, including service on the Privy Council, Governor Patrick Henry’s major advisory group. Elected to a judgeship of the General Court in 1778, he soon became chief justice. Two years later he was elevated to the Virginia High Court of Chancery, where he continues to serve with George Wythe. Wythe is also a convention delegate but has not yet arrived.
Dr. McClurg’s enigmatic selection as a delegate was made after Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee refused the appointment. His character and ability are well-known and respected, but as a medical doctor, not as one with political experience or extensive knowledge of government. A graduate of William and Mary, he studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and pursued postgraduate medical studies in Paris and London. He has published about his experiments on human bile and biliary secretions, which are well-respected in the medical community and have been translated into several languages. In addition to his medical practice, he teaches medicine at William and Mary.
Although McClurg is not an expert in political matters, he has an interest in the subject, is friends with Madison, and is known to support a stronger central government. It should also be noted that during the Revolutionary War he served as surgeon general and directors of hospitals for Virginia.
Virginia’s remaining delegates are preeminent leaders in law, political philosophy the science and practice of politics. George Mason, George Wythe, and Edmund Randolph are expected to arrive in Philadelphia any day. In the meantime, General Washington’s comings and goings are of interest to everyone in the city. Tonight, he dined “in a family way” with the Morrises.