PROCEEDINGS OF THE VIRGINIA ASSEMBLY; On The Answers Of Sundry States To Their Resolutions, Passed in December, 1798

Philadelphia: Printed by James Carey, 1800. 1st Edition. Leather. Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. 1st edition. A Very Good copy. 8vo., 59, (1) pp. Bound in new full morocco with title label on the spine. New end papers. The text is toned, with a few rare instances of very mild foxing. A Very Good copy, handsomely bound. Evans 38960. *** THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE VIRGINIA ASSEMBLY, passed on January 7, 1800, make up part of the REPORT OF 1800, Virginia's response to the other state's critique of The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798. These resolutions condemned the Alien and Sedition Acts to be unconstitutional, and suggested that States could use nullification and interposition to thwart them. 10 states either rejected the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions or expressed disapproval. Six states responded to the Resolutions by taking the position that the constitutionality of acts of Congress is a question for the federal courts, not the state legislatures. Virginia answered these "sundry states" through the PROCEEDINGS OF THE VIRGINIA ASSEMBLY; On The Answers Of Sundry States To Their Resolutions, Passed in December, 1798, the general purpose of which, was the affirmation and expansion of the principles expressed in the Virginia Resolutions. Madison, who wrote the report, showed that the Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional, and violated the 1st amendment in particular.The Report of 1800 was considered one of the important documents of democratic-republicanism in the early half of the 19th century. Henry Clay said on the floor of the House of Representatives that it was from the Report of 1800, above other documents, that he had developed his own theories on constitutional interpretation. The concepts of the Compact theory, State's Rights, nullification, interposition, judicial review, are all rooted and buttressed in the Report of 1800.**.