for
further exposing myself, I must take the liberty of desiring that the
correspondence between us on this subject may cease. I presume that the
certificate given you points out the person, here or elsewhere, to whom
your applications are to be made, and that he will inform you when he
receives orders on your subject.

I am, Sir, your humble servant,

Th: Jefferson.

LETTER CLXIII.--TO WILLIAM SHORT, September 20, 1788

TO WILLIAM SHORT.

Paris, September 20, 1788.

Dear Sir,

The evening of your departure, a letter came by the way of London and
New York, addressed to you, and probably from Virginia. I think you
wished your American letters to remain here; I shall therefore keep it.
The passport now enclosed came the day after your departure; so also
did a mass of American letters for me, as low down as August the 10th.
I shall give you their substance. The convention of Virginia annexed
to their ratification of the new constitution a copy of the State
declaration of rights, not by way of condition, but to announce
their attachment to them. They added also propositions for specific
alterations of the constitution. Among these was one for rendering the
President incapable of serving more than eight years, in any term of
sixteen. New York has followed the example of Virginia, expressing the
substance of her bill of rights (that is, Virginia's), and proposing
amendments: these last differ much from those of Virginia; but they
concur as to the President, only proposing that he shall be incapable
of being elected more than twice. But I own I should like better than
either of these, what Luther Martin tells us was repeatedly voted and
adhered to by the federal convention, and only altered about twelve days
before their rising, when some members had gone off; to wit, that he
should be elected for seven years, and incapable for ever after. But New
York has taken another step, which gives uneasiness; she has written a
circular letter to all the legislatures, asking their concurrence in
an immediate convention for making amendments. No news yet from North
Carolina. Electors are to be chosen the first Wednesday in January;
the President to be elected the first Wednesday in February; the new
legislature to meet the third week in March:--the place is not yet
decided on. Philadelphia was first proposed, and had six and a half
votes; the half vote was Delaware, one of whose members wanted to take
a vote on Wilmingto