Debates in the Congress of the Confederation, from February 19, 1787 to April 25, 1787

providing that all money bills shall originate in the first branch,
resumed-Agreed to.

SATURDAY, July 7th

1046

Report on the eighth resolution, providing that each State shall

have an equal suffrage in the second branch, resumed-Agreed to.

MONDAY, July 9th

1051

Report of the Committee, to amend the clause of the seventh res-

olution, relative to the proportion of suffrage in the first branch, by

fixing at present the whole number therein at forty-six, and appor-

tioning them in a certain ratio among the States, considered-Re-

ferred to another Committee.

Report of the Committee, providing that the future number of

members of the first branch may be altered from time to time and
fixed by the Legislature, on the principles of the wealth and num-
bers of inhabitants of each State-Agreed to.

TUESDAY, July 10th

1056

Report of the Committee on the seventh resolution, providing that

at present the whole number of members in the first branch shall

be sixty-five and apportioning them in a certain ratio among the

States Agreed to-Motion that a census be taken every

years, and the representation in the first branch be arranged by the

Legislature accordingly-Adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, July 11th

1064

Amendment to the seventh resolution, requiring the future repre-

sentation to be arranged by the Legislature according to a periodi-

cal census, resumed-Motion to amend it by requiring the Legis-

lature to arrange the representation according to a census of the

free inhabitants, taken at least every fifteen years-Agreed to-

Motion farther to amend by requiring the census to include three

fifths of the negroes-Disagreed to.

THURSDAY, July 12th

1079

Seventh resolution, relative to the proportion of suffrage in the first

branch, resumed-Motion to provide that representation and direct

taxation shall be in the same proportion-Agreed to-Motion to

provide that for the future arrangement of representation, a census

shall be taken within six years, and within every ten years after-

wards, and that it shall be made according to the whole number

of inhabitants, rating the blacks at three fifths of their number-

Agreed to.

FRIDAY, July 13th

1087

Seventh resolution, relative to the proportion of suffrage in the first

branch, resumed-Motion to provide that until the first census be

taken, the proportion of the representatives from the States in the

first branch, and the moneys raised from them by direct taxation

shall be the same-Agreed to-Motion to strike out the amend-

ment heretofore made for regulating future representation on the

principle of wealth-Agreed to.

SATURDAY, July 14th

1094

Seventh resolution, relative to the proportion of suffrage in the first

branch, resumed-Motion that the number of representatives in

the first branch from new States, shall never exceed those of the

present States-Disagreed to.

Eighth resolution, relative to the proportion of suffrage in the

second branch, resumed-Motion to provide that the second branch
shall consist of thirty-six members, distributed among the States
in certain proportions-Disagreed to.

MONDAY, July 16th

1107

Seventh and eighth resolutions as amended, and fixing the suffrage

in both branches, resumed-Agreed to.

Sixth resolution defining the powers of the Legislature, resumed

-Motion to amend by giving a specification of the powers not
comprised in general terms-Disagreed to.

TUESDAY, July 17th

1114

Sixth resolution, defining the powers of the Legislature, resumed—

Motion to amend, so as to provide that the National Legislature

should not interfere with the governments of the States in matters

of internal police, in which the general welfare of the United

States is not concerned-Disagreed to-Motion to amend so as to

extend the power of the Legislature to cases affecting the general

interests of the Union-Agreed to-Motion to agree to the power

of negativing State laws-Disagreed to-Motion to provide that

the acts of the Legislature, and treaties made in pursuance of the

Constitution, shall bind the several States Agreed to.

Ninth resolution, relative to National Executive-Motion to

amend so as to provide that the Executive be chosen by the people
-Disagreed to-That he be chosen by Electors appointed by the
State Legislatures-Disagreed to-Motion to amend by striking
out the provision that the Executive is to be ineligible a second
time-Agreed to-Motion to amend so as to provide that the
term of the Executive should be during good behaviour-Disa-

greed to-Motion to amend by striking out seven years as the Ex-
ecutive term-Disagreed to.

Tenth resolution, giving the Executive a negative on acts of the

Legislature not afterwards passed by two thirds-Agreed to.

Eleventh resolution, relative to the Judiciary-Motion to amend

so as to provide that the supreme judges be appointed by the Exe-

cutive-Disagreed to-That they be nominated and appointed by

the Executive, with the consent of two thirds of the second branch

-Disagreed to-Motion to amend so as to provide that their com-

pensation shall not be diminished while in office-Agreed to.

Twelfth resolution, relative to the establishment of inferior Na-

tional tribunals, by the Legislature-Agreed to.

Thirteenth resolution, relative to the powers of the National Ju-

diciary-Motion to amend by striking out their power in regard to

impeachment of National officers-Agreed to-Motion to amend

so as to provide that their power shall extend to all cases arising

under the National laws, or involving the National peace and har-

mony-Agreed to.

Fourteenth resolution, providing for the admission of new States

-Agreed to.

Fifteenth resolution, providing for the continuance of the Con-

gress of the Confederation and the completion of its engagements

-Disagreed to.

Sixteenth resolution, guaranteeing a republican government and

their existing laws to the States-Motion to amend so as to pro-

vide that a republican form of government, and protection against

foreign and domestic violence, be guaranteed to each State--

Agreed to.

THURSDAY, July 19th

1141

Ninth resolution, relative to the National Executive, resumed-

Motion to amend so as to provide that the Executive be chosen by

Electors chosen by the State Legislatures-Agreed to-Motion to

amend so as to provide that the Executive shall be ineligible a

second time-Disagreed to-Motion to amend by making the Exe-

cutive term six years—Agreed to.

FRIDAY, July 20th

1152

Ninth resolution, relative to the National Executive, resumed-Mo-

tion to provide that the number of Electors of the Executive to be

chosen by the State Legislatures shall be regulated by their re-

spective numbers of representatives in the first branch, and that

at present it shall be in a prescribed ratio-Agreed to-Motion to
amend by striking out the provision for impeaching the Executive
-Disagreed to-Motion to provide that the Electors of the Execu-
tive shall not be members of the National Legislature, nor National
officers, nor eligible to the supreme magistracy—Agreed to.

SATURDAY, July 21st

1161

Ninth resolution, relative to National Executive, resumed-Motion

to provide for the payment of the Electors of the Executive out of

the National Treasury--Agreed to.

Tenth resolution, relative to the negative of the Executive on the

Legislature, resumed-Motion to amend by providing that the
Supreme Judiciary be associated in this power-Disagreed to.

Eleventh resolution, relative to Judiciary, resumed--Motion to

provide that the Judges be nominated by the Executive, and ap-

pointed, unless two thirds of the second branch disagree thereto-

Disagreed to.

MONDAY, July 23d

1175

Seventeenth resolution, providing for future amendments-Agreed to.

Eighteenth resolution, requiring the oath of State officers to sup-

port the Constitution-Agreed to.

Nineteenth resolution, requiring the ratification of the Constitu
tion by State Conventions-Motion to amend by providing for its
reference to the State Legislatures-Disagreed to-Motion to a
second Federal Convention-Not seconded.

The eighth resolution, relative to the suffrage in the second
branch, resumed-Motion to amend so as to provide that the rep-
resentation consist of two members from each State, who shall
vote per capita-Agreed to.

TUESDAY, July 24th

1188

Ninth resolution, relative to the National Executive, resumed-Mo-

tion to amend so as to provide that he be appointed by the National

Legislature, and not by Electors chosen by the State Legislatures,

Agreed to-Motion to amend so as to provide that the Executive

be chosen by Electors taken by lot from the National Legislature

-Postponed.

The resolutions as amended and adopted, together with the

propositions submitted by Mr. Patterson, and the plan proposed by

Mr. C. Pinckney, referred to a Committee of Detail, to report a

Constitution conformable to the resolutions.