Constitutional Convention, Week of 2 July 1787

Journal of the federal convention Monday July 2, 1787

It was moved and seconded to agree to the following resolution namely,

Resolved that in the second branch of the legislature of the United States each state shall have an equal vote

Which passed in the negative

It was moved and seconded to appoint a committee consisting of a Deputy from each state to whom the eighth resolution and so much of the seventh resolution, reported from the committee of the whole house, as has not been decided upon should be referred

On the question to agree to this motion

It passed in the affirmative

And a committee by ballot was appointed of Mr. Gerry, Mr. Ellsworth, Mr. Yates, Mr. Paterson, Mr. Franklin, Mr. Bedford, Mr. Martin, Mr. Mason, Mr. Davie, Mr. Rutledge and Mr. Baldwin.

And then the house adjourned till Thursday next at 11 o’clock a.m.

Journal of the federal convention Thursday July 5, 1787

The honorable Mr. Gerry reported from the committee, to whom were referred the eight resolution and such part of the seventh resolution as had not already been decided on by the house, that the committee had directed him to submit the following report to the consideration of the house,  -- and the same being delivered in at the secretary’s table was read once throughout, and then by paragraphs and is as follows, namely

The committee to whom were referred the eighth resolution reported form the committee of the whole house, and so much of the seventh as hath not been decided on submit the following report

“That the subsequent propositions be recommended to the convention on condition that both shall be generally adopted.

1st that in the first branch of the legislature each of the states now in the union be allowed one member for every forty thousand in habitants of the description reported in the seventh resolution of the committee of the whole house.  That each state not containing that number shall be allowed one member – that all bills for ?? or appropriating money and for fixing the salaries of the officers of the government of the United States, shall originate in the first branch of the legislature, and shall not be altered or amended by the second branch – and that no money shall be drawn from the public treasury but in pursuance of appropriations to be originated by the first branch.

2nd that in the second branch of the legislature each state shall have an equal vote.

It was moved and seconded to postpone the consideration of the first proposition contained in the report, in order to take up the second

On the question to postpone

It passed in the negative

It was then moved and seconded to postpone the first clause of the report in order to take up the following namely

That the suffrages of the several states be regulated and proportioned according to the sums to be paid towards the general revenue by the inhabitants of each state respectively – that an apportionment of suffrages, according to the ratio aforesaid, shall be made and regulated at the end of years from the first meeting of the legislature of the United States – and so from time to time at the end of every [blank] years thereafter – but that for the present and until the period first above mentioned [blank] shall have one suffrange &ca

And on the question to postpone

It passed in the negative

And then the house adjourned till to-morrow at 11 o’clock a.m.

Journal of the federal convention Friday July 6, 1787

It was moved and seconded to refer the first clause of the first proposition reported from the grand committee to a special committee

Which passed in the affirmative

It was moved and seconded that the committee consist of the five members

Which was unanimously agreed to, and a committee was appointed by ballot of Mr. G Morris, Mr. Gorham, Mr. Randolph, Mr. Rutledge, and Mr. King

It was moved and seconded to postpone the remainder of the first proposition in order to take up the second.

Which passed in the affirmative

It was moved and seconded to postpone the consideration of the second proposition

Which passed in the affirmative

It was moved and seconded to resume the consideration of the second clause of the first proposition, which had been postponed in order to take up the second proposition

Which passed in the affirmative

On the question shall the following clause stand as part of the report, namely

3 That all bills for raising or appropriating money, and for fixing the salaries of the officers of the government of the United States, shall originate in the first branch of the legislature, and shall not be altered or amended by the second branch – and that no money shall be drawn from the Public Treasury but in pursuance of appropriations to be originated by the first branch”

It passed in the affirmative

And then the house adjourned till to-morrow at 11 o’clock

A letter from W. Rawle, secretary to the library company of Philadelphia, addressed to his Excellency the President of the Convention, enclosing a resolve of that company granting the use of their books to the members of the convention, being read.

On motion

Resolved that the secretary, by letter, present the thanks of the convention to the directors of the Library Company for their polite attention.

It was moved and seconded that the second proposition reported from the grand Committee stand part of the report namely

“That in the second branch of the legislature each state shall have an equal vote”

Which passed in the affirmative

It was then moved and seconeded to postpone the consideration of the report from the grand committee until the special committee report

Which passed in the affirmative

And then the house adjourned till Monday next at 11 o’clock a.m.

At a meeting of the directors of the Library company of Philadelphia on Thursday the 5th July 1787

Resolved that the librarian furnish the gentlemen who compose the Convention now sitting with such books as they may desire during their continuance at Philadelphia, taking receipts for the same

By order of the directors,

W Rawle, Secretary