Mr Govr Morris urged that this wd be impossible in many cases.
Mr King remarked, that the term expenditures went to every minute shilling. This would be impracticable. Congs might indeed make a monthly publication, but it would be in such general statements as would afford no satisfactory information.
Mr Madison proposed to strike out "annually" from the motion & insert "from time to time," which would enjoin the duty of frequent publications and leave enough to the discretion of the Legislature. Require too much and the difficulty will beget a habit of doing nothing. The articles of Confederation require halfyearly publications on this subject. A punctual compliance being often impossible, the practice has ceased altogether.
Mr Wilson 2ded. & supported the motion. Many operations of finance cannot be properly published at certain times.
Mr Pinkney was in favor of the motion.
Mr Fitzimmons. It is absolutely impossible to publish expenditures in the full extent of the term.
Mr Sherman thought "from time to time" the best rule to be given.
"Annual" was struck out–& those words–inserted nem: con:
The motion of Col: Mason so amended was then agreed to nem: con: and added after–"appropriations by law" as follows–"And a regular statement and account of the receipts & expenditures of all public money shall be published from time to time."
The first clause of Art. 1 Sect. 10–was altered so as to read–"no State shall enter into any Treaty alliance or confederation; grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money; emit bills of credit; make any thing but gold & silver coin a tender in payment of debts; pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant any title of nobility."