Doc^r Johnson. The debts are debts of the U. S. of the great Body of America. Changing the Government cannot change the obligation of the U. S. which devolves of course on the new Government. Nothing was in his opinion necessary to be said. If any thing, it should be a mere declaration as moved by M^r Randolph. M^r Gov^r Morris, said he never had become a public Creditor that he might urge with more propriety the compliance with public faith. He had always done so and always would, and preferr'd the term "_shall_" as the most explicit. As to _buying up_ the debt, the term "_shall_" was not inconsistent with it, if provision be first made for paying the interest: if not, such an expedient was a mere evasion. He was content to say nothing as the New Government would be bound of course, but would prefer the clause with the term "_shall_," because it would create many friends to the plan. On M^r Randolph's Motion N. H. ay. Mas. ay. C^t ay. N. J. ay. P^a no. Del. ay. Mary^d ay. V^a ay. N. C. ay. S. C. ay. Geo. ay. M^r Sherman thought it necessary to connect with the clause for laying taxes duties &c. an express provision for the object of the old debts &c.--and moved to add to the 1^{st} clause of 1^{st} sect. art VII "for the payment of said debts and for the defraying the expences that shall be incurred for the common defence and general welfare." The proposition, as being unnecessary was disagreed to, Connecticut alone, being in the affirmative. The Report of the Committee of eleven (see friday the 24^{th} instant) being taken up, Gen^l Pinkney moved to strike out the words, "the year eighteen hundred" as the year limiting the importation of slaves, and to insert the words "the year eighteen hundred and eight." M^r Ghorum 2^{ded} the motion. M^r Madison. Twenty years will produce all the mischief that can be apprehended from the liberty to import slaves. So long a term will be more dishonourable to the National character than to say nothing about it in the Constitution. On the motion; which passed in the affirmative, N. H. ay. Mas. ay. C^t ay. N. J. no. P^a no. Del. no. M^d ay. V^a no. N. C. ay. S. C. ay. Geo. ay. M^r Gov^r Morris was for making the clause read at once, "the importation of slaves into N. Carolina, S. Carolina & Georgia shall not be prohibited &c." This he said would be most fair and would avoid the ambiguity by which, under the power with regard to naturalization, the liberty reserved to the States might be defeated. He wished it to be known also that this part of the Constitution was a compliance with those States. If the change of language however should be objected to by the members from those States, he should not urge it. Col. Mason was not against using the term "slaves" but ag^{st} naming N. C. S. C. & Georgia, lest it should give offence to the people of those States.