-

Additional rules-Keeping of minutes
Convention goes into committee of the
whole Mr. Randolph submits fifteen
propositions-His remarks - Propositions
stated Mr. Charles Pinckney submits a
plan of a constitution- Plan stated.

WEDNESDAY, May 30,.... .......132

Mr. Randolph's first proposition with-

drawn, and a substitute offered - The pro-

posed government to be national, and to

consist of a legislature, executive, and ju-

diciary.

Mr. Randolph's second proposition -

The right of suffrage in the national legis-

lature, to be proportioned to the quotas of

contribution, or the number of free inhab-
itants, as is best in different cases Post-
poned.

THURSDAY, May 31,........ .....135

Mr. Randolph's third proposition - The

national legislature to have two branches

- Agreed to.

-

Mr. Randolph's fourth proposition -

First branch of the national legislature to

be elected by the people- Agreed to-

Qualifications, &c., of members of first

branch-Postponed.

Mr. Randolph's fifth proposition- Sec-

ond branch of the national legislature to

be chosen by the first branch, from nomi-

nations by state legislatures - Disagreed

-Qualifications of members of second

branch-Not considered.

to-

-

Mr. Randolph's sixth proposition - Pow-

ers of the national legislature - Each

branch to originate laws-Agreed to- -Na-

tional legislature to possess all the legisla-

tive powers of the Congress of the Con-

federation, to pass laws where state legis-

latures are incompetent, or where neces-

sary to preserve harmony among the states,

and to negative state laws contravening

the articles of union or foreign treaties

Agreed to-The national legislature au-

thorized to exert the force of the whole

against a delinquent state- - Postponed.

FRIDAY, June 1,.......

...140

Mr. Rande 'ph's seventh proposition - The

Mr. Randolph's ninth proposition - The

national judiciary to be chosen by the na-

tional legislature - Disagreed to- - To

hold office during good behavior, and to

receive fixed compensation - Agreed to

To have jurisdiction over offences at

sea, captures, cases of foreigners and cit-
izens of different states, of national rev-
enue, impeachments of national officers,
and questions of national peace and har-
mony Postponed.

Mr. Randolph's tenth proposition- New
states to be admitted Agreed to.

Mr. Randolph's eleventh proposition →→

Republican government and its territory,

except in case of voluntary junction, to

be guarantied to each state - Postponed.

-

Mr. Randolph's twelfth proposition

The Congress of the Confederation to

continue till a given day, and its engage-
ments to be fulfilled- Agreed to.

Mr. Randolph's thirteenth proposition

Provision to be made for amendments of

the Constitution without the assent of the

national legislature Postponed.

Mr. Randolph's fourteenth proposition

-National and state officers to take an

Mr. Randolph's fifteenth proposition —
The Constitution to be ratified by conven-
tions of the people of the states recom-
mended by the state legislatures - Post-
poned.

Motion to strike out "inferior tribunals"
in the ninth proposition-Agreed to.

1

Motion to amend the ninth proposition,
so as to empower the national legislature
to institute inferior tribunals - Agreed to.

WEDNESDAY, June 6, ..... ....160

Motion to amend fourth proposition so as

to provide that the first branch of the na-

tional legislature be elected by the state

legislatures Disagreed to.

Motion to reconsider the vote on the

eighth proposition, so as to unite a conve-

nient number of the national judiciary with

the national executive in the revision of

the acts of the national legislature — Dis-

agreed to.

THURSDAY, June 7,......

.....166

Motions to supply the blank occasioned

by the disagreement to Mr. Randolph's

fifth proposition relative to the mode of

choosing the second branch of the national

legislature- To be elected by the people

divided into large districts - Disagreed to
-To be appointed by the national execu-
tive out of nominations by the state legis-
latures Disagreed to-To be chosen by
the state legislatures - Agreed to.

Motion, on a reconsideration of that part

of the sixth proposition which gives the

national legislature power to negative state

laws contravening the articles of union, or

foreign treaties, to extend the power so

as to authorize the national legislature to

negative all laws which they should judge

to be improper-Disagreed to.

SATURDAY, June 9,..................... ......174

Motion, on a reconsideration of that part

of the seventh proposition, which declares

that the national executive shall be chosen

by the national legislature, to substitute

therefor that the national executive be

elected by the executives of the states,

their proportion of votes to be the same as
in electing the second branch of the na-
tional legislature — Disagreed to.

-

Motion to consider Mr. Randolph's second

proposition, as to the right of suffrage in

the national legislature, which had been

postponed Agreed to- Motion to sub-

stitute therefor, that the right of suffrage

in the national legislature ought not to be

according to the rule in the Articles of

Confederation, (an equality, each state

having one vote therein,) but according to

some equitable ratio of representation

Agreed to-Motion that this equitable

ratio of representation should be accord-

ing to the quotas of contribution - Post-

poned-Motion that this equitable ratio

of representation should be in proportion

to the number of free citizens and inhabit-

Mr. Randolph's fifteenth proposition rela-

tive to ratification of the Constitution by

state conventions considered and agreed

to.

-

Motion to consider that part of Mr.
Randolph's fourth proposition relative to
the qualifications of the members of the
first branch, which had been postponed -
Agreed to- - Motion that the members of
the first branch shall be elected every
three years Agreed to- Shall be of
years of age- Disagreed to- Shall

be allowed a fixed compensation, to be

paid out of the national treasury Agreed

to- Shall be ineligible to state or national
offices during their term of service, or for
one year after- Agreed to- Shall be in-
capable of reelection for
years af

-

THURSDAY, July 5,...................

...273

Report of the committee to amend the

seventh resolution, so as to provide that the

proportion of suffrage of each state in the

first branch shall be one member for every

forty thousand inhabitants of the descrip-

tion mentioned in that resolution; that
each state shall have one member in the
first branch; that all bills for raising or
appropriating money shall originate in the
first branch, and not be altered in the sec-
ond; and that no payments shall be made
from the treasury, except on appropriations
by law.

Report to amend the eighth resolution,
so as to provide that each state shall have
an equal suffrage in the second branch.

FRIDAY, July 6,...

.....280

Clause of the report on the seventh reso-

lution, providing that the proportion of

suffrage of each state in the first branch

should be one member for every forty

thousand inhabitants, resumed - Referred

to a committee-Clause of the report on

the seventh resolution, providing that all

money bills shall originate in the first

branch, resumed - Agreed to.

Report of the committee, to amend the

clause of the seversh resolution, 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 - Referred 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 princi-
ples of the wealth and numbers of inhabit-
ants of each state- - Agreed to.

TUESDAY, July 10,......

.....290

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 tak-
en every
years, and the representa-
tion in the first branch be arranged by the
legislature accordingly - Adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, July 11,..............294

Amendment to the seventh resolution, re-

quiring the future representation to be

arranged by the legislature according to a

periodical census, resumed- Motion to

amend it by requiring the legislature to

arrange the representation according to a

census of the free inhabitants, taken at

least every fifteen years Agreed to-

Motion further to amend by requiring the

census to include three fifths of the ne-

groes-Disagreed to.

THURSDAY, July 12,..................

-

.202