Subject: Constitutional law

A contemporary manuscript copy of a declaration by George Clinton, Governor of New York, concerning religious freedom. Dated December 6, 1785, in New York. The document certifies that the New York State Constitution allows for the free exercise of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference. This copy, likely requested before a printed version was available, shows some age-related wear but is in very good condition. Docketed as “Copy of a Certificate from his Excellency Governor Clinton. No. 9” on the verso.

This issue of the National Intelligencer, published in Washington, D.C., on March 15, 1821, features extensive coverage of the landmark Supreme Court case, Cohens v. Virginia. The article details the case, which involved the brothers Cohen's conviction for violating Virginia's lottery laws despite the legality of their activities under an act of Congress. The newspaper provides a comprehensive report of the legal arguments and the court's decision, including discussions on the Supreme Court's jurisdiction over state supreme court decisions in criminal matters and the supremacy of federal law. The issue also contains a Cohen lottery advertisement, an ironic juxtaposition given the case's subject matter.

Issue of Niles' Weekly Register newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland on January 16, 1819. This issue contains an article discussing the rights of conscience and the extension of privileges to Jewish people in Maryland.

Newspaper published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 24, 1789. This issue features the publication of the Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution, affirming that the enumeration of specific rights does not deny or disparage others retained by the people. The newspaper also includes advertisements, one notably calling for a meeting to pursue land claims for the Indiana Company.

This pamphlet, published in Steubenville, Ohio, in 1821 by James Wilson, contains a review of the landmark Supreme Court case *Cohens v. Virginia*. The case, which involved the sale of lottery tickets in violation of state law, established the supremacy of federal law over state law. The pamphlet also includes a letter from an unnamed gentleman further discussing the implications of the Supreme Court's decision. This is an early imprint from Steubenville's only printer at the time. The author of the review is Charles Hammond.

This 23-page pamphlet contains the complete legal brief presented by Moses Aaron Dropsie before the Judiciary Committee of the Pennsylvania State Senate in July 1869. The case, *Thomas Barlow et al. vs. William Patterson et al.*, concerned a challenge to a new state law aimed at preventing voting fraud in Philadelphia. Dropsie, representing the Philadelphia Aldermen, argued in favor of the law's constitutionality, addressing the lower court's decision that its application to Philadelphia alone violated the state constitution's guarantee of 'free and equal' elections. Dropsie's argument emphasizes the necessity of laws to prevent election fraud and protect the right to suffrage.

Issue of *The Independent Gazetteer; or, the Chronicle of Freedom*, a newspaper published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 30, 1788. This issue extensively covers the North Carolina Constitutional Convention, including the proposed "Declaration of Rights" and "Amendments" to the United States Constitution. The newspaper is significant for its historical record of the debates surrounding the ratification of the Constitution and the eventual addition of the Bill of Rights. The newspaper is complete in four pages and measures 9 x 11 inches.

Bound volume of *The Niles' Register*, May-September 1821, containing pages 155-167 which detail the landmark Supreme Court case *Cohens v. Virginia*. This case established the Supreme Court's power to review state supreme court decisions on matters of federal law.