Constitutional Convention, Week of 9 July 1787

Journal of the federal convention Monday July 9, 1787

The honorable Daniel Carrol Esquire one of the deputies from the State of Maryland attended and took his seat.

The honorable Mr. G. Morris, from the committee to whom was referred the first clause of the first proposition reported from the grand committee, informed the house that the committee were prepared to report – he then read the report in his place, 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 was referred the first clause of the first proposition reported form the grand committee beg leave to report

That in the first meeting of the legislature of the United States the first branch thereof consist of fifty six members, of which number

New Hampshire shall have – two

Massachusetts – seven

Rhode Island – one

Connecticut – four

New York – five

New Jersey – three

Pennsylvania – eight

Delaware – one

Maryland – four

Virginia – nine

North Carolina – five

South Carolina – five

Georgia – two

But as the present situation of the states may probably alter as well in point of wealth as in the number of their inhabitants that the legislature be authorized from time to time to augment the number of representatives: and in case any of the states shall hereafter be divided, or any two or more states united, or any new state created within the limits of the United States the legislature shall possess authority to regulate the number of representatives in any of the foregoing cases upon the principles of their wealth and number of inhabitants

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

Which passed in the affirmative

On the question to agree to the second paragraph of the report

It passed in the affirmative

It was moved and seconded to refer the first paragraph of the report to a committee of one member from each state

Which passed in the affirmative

And a committee was appointed by ballot of the honorable Mr. King, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Yates, Mr. Brearly, Mr. G. Morris, Mr. Read, Mr. Carrol, Mr. Madison, Mr. Williamson, Mr. Rutledge, and Mr. Houston

And then the house adjourned until to-morrow at 11 o'clock a.m.

Journal of the federal convention Tuesday July 10, 1787

The honorable Mr. King form the grand committee to whom was referred the first paragraph of the report of a committee consisting of Mr. G Morris, Mr. Gorham, Mr. Randolph, Mr. Rutledge, and Mr. King, informed the house that the committee were prepared to report – he then read the report in his place, and the same being delivered in at the secretary's table was again read, and is as follows, namely

That in the original formation of the legislature of the United States the first branch thereof shall consist of sixty-five members, of which number

New Hampshire shall send – three

Massachusetts – eight

Rhode Island – one

Connecticut – five

New York – six

New Jersey – four

Pennsylvania – eight

Delaware – one

Maryland – six

Virginia – ten

North Carolina – five

South Carolina – five

Georgia – three

It was moved and seconded to amend the report by striking out the word three in the apportionment of representation to New Hampshire, and inserting the word “two”

Which passed in the negative

It was moved and seconded to amend the report by striking out the word “five” in the apportionment of representation to North Carolina, and inserting the word “six”

Which passed in the negative

It was moved and seconded to amend the report by striking out the word “five” in the apportionment of representation to South Carolina and inserting the word “six”

Which passed in the negative

It was moved and seconded to amend the report by striking out the word “three” in the apportionment of representation to Georgia and inserting the word “four”

Which passed in the negative

It was moved and seconded to to double the number of representatives, in the first branch of the legislature of the United States, apportioned by the report of the grand committee to each state

Which passed in the negative

On the question to agree to the report of the grand committee

It passed in the affirmative

It was moved and seconded to add the following amendment after the second paragraph of the report from the committee consisting of Mr. Morris, Mr. Gorham, Mr. Randolph, Mr. Rutledge, and Mr. King

“That in order to ascertain alterations in the population and wealth of the states the legislature of the United States be required to cause a proper census and estimate to be taken once in every term of [blank] years.”

It was moved and seconded to postpone the consideration of the last motion un order to take up the following namely

“That the committee of eleven, to whom was referred the report of the committee of five on the subject of representation, be requested to furnish the convention with the principles on which they grounded the report”

Which passed in the negative

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

Journal of the federal convention Wednesday July 11, 1787

The amendment offered to the second paragraph of the report from the committee, consisting of Mr. G. Morris, Mr. Gorham, Mr. Randolph, Mr. Rutledge and Mr. King being withdrawn – it was moved and seconded to substitute the following resolution, namely

“Resolved that in order to ascertain the alterations that may happen in the population and wealth of the several states a census shall be taken of the free inhabitants of each state, and three fifths of the inhabitants of other description on the first year after this form of government shall have been adopted – and afterwards on every term of [blank] years; and the legislature shall alter or augment the representation accordingly”

[missing page 47, all of which is on July 11]

It was moved and seconded to agree to the following clause of the resolution namely

“And the legislature shall alter or augment the representation accordingly”

Which passed unanimously in the affirmative

On the question to agree to the resolution as amended it passed unanimously in the negative

And then the House adjourned till to-morrow at 11 o'clock a.m.

Journal of the federal convention Thursday July 12, 1787

It was moved and seconded to add the following clause to the last resolution agreed to by the house, respecting the representation in the first branch of the legislature of the U.S. -- namely

“Provided always that direct Taxation ought to be proportioned according to the representation”

Which passed unanimously in the affirmative

It was moved and seconded to postpone the consideration of the first clause in the report from the first grand committee

Which passed in the affirmative

It was moved and seconded to add the following amendment to the last clause adopted by the house namely

“And that the rule of contribution by direct taxation for the support of the government of the United States shall be the number of white inhabitants, and three-fifths of every other description in the several states, until some other rule that shall more accurately ascertain the wealth of the several states can be devised and adopted by the Legislation

[missing page 49, all of which is on July 12]

It was moved and seconded to strike out the words “in the manner and according to the ratio recommended by congress in their recommendation of April 18, 1783 – and to substitute the following namely “of every description and condition”

Which passed in the negative

The question being about to be put upon the clause as amended – The previous question was called for

And passed in the negative

On the question to agree to the clause, as amended, namely

“Provided always that representation ought to be proportioned according to direct taxation and in order to ascertain the alteration in the direct taxation which may be required from time to time by the changes in the relative circumstances of the state – Resolved that a census be taken within six years from the first meeting of the legislature of the United States and once within the term of every ten years afterwards of all the inhabitants of the United States in the manner and according to the ratio recommended by Congress in their resolution of April 18, 1783 – and that the legislature of the U.S. Shall proportion the direct taxation accordingly.

And then the house adjourned until to-morrow at 11 o'clock a.m.

Journal of the federal convention Friday July 13, 1787

It was moved and seconded to postpone the consideration of that clause in the report of the grand committee, which respects the originating of money bills in the first branch in order to take up the following, namely

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

It was moved and seconded to add the following amendment to the last clause agreed to by the house namely “that from the first meeting of the legislature of the United States until a census shall be taken, all monies to be ??? for supplying the public treasury by direct taxation shall be assessed on the inhabitants of the several states according to the number of their representatives respectively in the first branch

It was moved and seconded to postpone the consideration of the amendment

Which passed in the negative

On the question to agree to the amendment

It passed in the negative

It was moved and seconded to agree to the following amendment namely

That form the first meeting of the legislature of the United States until a census shall be taken, all monies for supplying the public treasury by direct taxation shall be raised from the several states according to the number of their representation respectively in the first branch

Which passed in the affirmative

It was moved and seconded to reconsider the second clause of the report from the committee of five – entered on the Journal of the 9th inst

Which as unanimously agreed to.

It was moved and seconded to alter the second clause reported form the committee of five, entered on the journal of the 9th instant, so as to read as follows namely

“But as the present situation of the states may probably alter in the number of their inhabitants that the legislature of the United States be authorised from time to time to apportion the number of representatives: and in case any of the states shall hereafter be divided, or any two or more states united, or any new states created within the limits of the United States, the legislature of the U.S. shall possess authority to regulate the number of representatives in any of the foregoing cases upon the principle of their number of inhabitants, according to the provisions hereafter mentioned --

On the question to agree to the clause as amended

It passed in the affirmative

It was moved and seconded to add after the word “divided” the followin gwords, namely “or enlarged by addition of territory”

Which passed unanimously in the affirmative

And then the house adjourned until to-morrow at 11 o'clock a.m.

Journal of the federal convention Saturday July 14, 1787

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

That to secure the liberties of the states already confederated, the number of representatives in the first branch from the states which shall hereafter be established, shall never exceed the representatives from such of the thirteen United States as shall accede to this confederation

On the question to agree to the proposition it passed in the negative

It was moved and seconded to reconsider the two propositions reported from the grand committee, and agreed by the house to stand part of the report entered on the journal of the 6 instant.

It was moved and seconded to postpone the second clause of the report from the grand committee, entered on the journal of the 6 instant, in order to take up the following namely

That the second branch of the legislature shall have thirty six members of which number

New Hampshire shall have – 2

Massachusetts – 4

Rhode Island – 1

Connecticut – 3

New York – 3

New Jersey – 2

Pennsylvania – 4

Delaware – 1

Maryland – 5

Virginia – 5

No. Carolina – 3

So. Carolina – 3

Georgia – 2

On the question to postpone it passed in the negative

And then the House adjourned until Monday