the necessity of transforming it into a national efficient Government, and the extreme danger of delaying this great work, concluding with sundry propositions as the outlines of a proper form. [See the propositions at a subsequent page of this debate.]-accompan Resolves" stricken out] ["Mr Pin" stricken out] It was then Resolved &c-&c-That the House will to-morrow resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House to consider of the State of the American Union.-and that the propositions moved by M Randolph be referred to the said Committee. which he had prepared Λ Mr. P. plan Mr Charles Pinkney laid before the house the draught of a federal Government to be agreed upon between the free and independent States of America.— ordered that the same be referred to the Committee of the whole appointed to consider the State of the American Union. [Here "[insert the draught]" stricken out] adjourned. Additional rules. [see preceding page] That no member be absent from the House, so as to interrupt the representation of the State, without leave. That Committees do not sit whilst the House shall be or ought to be, sitting. That no copy be taken of any entry on the journal during the sitting of the House without leave of the House. That members only be permitted to inspect the journal. That nothing spoken in the House be printed, or otherwise published or communicated without leave. That a motion to reconsider a matter which had been determined by a majority, may be made, with leave unanimously given, on the same day on which the vote passed, but otherwise not without one day's previous notice: in which last case, if the House agree to the reconsideration, some future day shall be assigned for the purpose. (Mr. R. Speech A. to be inserted Tuesday May 29) He expressed his regret, that it should fall to him ["lot" stricken out], rather than those, who were of longer standing in life and political experience, to open the great subject of their mission. But, as the convention had originated from Virginia, and his colleagues ["had" stricken out] supposed, ["it to be" stricken out] that some proposition was expected from them, they had imposed this task on him. He then commented on the difficulty of the crisis, and the necessity of preventing the fulfilment of the prophecies of American the downfall. [" of the Americans" stricken out] He observed that in revising the federal system we ought to inquire 1. into the properties, which such a government ought to possess, 2. the defects of the confederation, 3. the danger of our situation &. 4. the remedy. to the several States 1 dissentions between Λ 1. The character of such a governme[mutilated] ought to secure 1. against foreign invasion: 2. against members of the Union, or seditions in particular states: 3. to p [mutilated]cure various blessings, of which an isolated situation was i[mutilated] capable: 4. to be able to defend itself against incroachment: & 5. to be paramount to the state constitutions. the A & then A them Λ 2. In speaking of the defects of the confederation he professed a high respect for its authors, and considered, as having done all that patriots could do, in the infancy of [“political" stricken out] science, ["proper for the formation" stricken out] of constitutions, ["and" stricken out] of confederacies, when the inefficiency of requisitions was unknown-no commercial discord had arisen among any states—no rebellion had appeared as in Mass-foreign debts had not become urgent-the havoc of paper money had not been foreseen-["nor in short any of the nothing better could be ob—" stricken out]-treaties had not been violated— and perhaps nothing better could be obtained from the jealousy of the states with regard to their sovereignty. foreign He then proceeded to enumerate the defects: I. that the confederation produced no security agai[mutilated] invasion; congress not being permitted to prevent a war ["by Λ pre[mutilated] breaches of treaties or of the law of nations" stricken out] nor to support it by th[mutilated] own authority-Of this he cited many examples; most of whi[mutilated] tended to shew, that they could not cause infractions of treaties to be punished: or of the law of nations, that particular states might by their АЛ that conduct provoke war without controul; and neither militia nor draughts being fit for defense on such occasions, enlistments only could be successful, and these could not be executed without money. the federal government A nor a rebellion in any 2. that ["congress stricken out] could not check the quarrals between states, not having constitutional power Nor means to interpose according to the exigency: 3. that there were many advantages, which the U. S. might acquire, which were not attainable ["under union" under the confederation ["without" stricken out] stricken out]- such as a productive impost-counteraction of the commercial regulations of other nations-pushing of commerce ad libitum-&c &c. 4. that the fœderal government could not defend itself against the incroachments from the states: ratified 5. that it was not even paramount to the state constitutions, ["assented to" stricken out], as it was in may of the states. 3. He next reviewed the danger of our situation appealed to the sense of the best friends of the U. S.-the prospect of anarchy from the laxity of government every where; and to other considerations. he said, 4. He then proceeded to the remedy; the basis of which must be the republican principle A He ["then" stricken out] proposed as conformable to his ideas the following resolutions, which he explained one by one. [here insert ye Resolutions annexed] He concluded with an exhortation, not to suffer the present opportunity of establishing general peace, harmony, happiness and liberty in the U. S. to pass away unimproved.* Resolutions proposed by M'. Randolph in Convention. *This abstract of the Speech was furnished to J. M. by Mr. Randolph ["as" stricken out] and is in his hand writing. As a report of it from him, had been relied, on, it was omitted by J. M May 29. 1787. 1. Resolved that the articles of Confederation ought to be so corrected & enlarged as to accomplish the objects proposed by their institution; namely. "common defence, security of liberty and general welfare." 2. Res therefore that the rights of suffrage in the National Legislature ought to be proportioned to the Quotas of contribution, or to the number of free inhabitants, as the one or the other rule may seem best in different cases. 3. Res that the National Legislature ought to consist of two branches. 4. Res that the members of the first branch of the National Legislature ought to be elected by the people of the several States every ; to be of the age of for the term of years at least, to receive liberal stipends by which they may be compensated for the devotion of their time to public service; to be ineligible to any office established by a particular State, or under the authority of the United States, except those beculiarly belonging to the functions of the first branch, during the term of service, and for the space of after its expiration; to be incapable of re-election for the space of after the expiration of their term of service, and to be subject to recall. 5. Resold that the members of the second branch of the National Legislature ought to be elected by those of the first, out of a proper number of persons nominated by the individual Legislatures, to be of the age of years at least; to hold their offices for a term sufficient to ensure their independency, to receive liberal stipends, by which they may be compensated for the devotion of their time to public service; and to be ineligible to any office established by a particular State, or under the authority of the United States, except those peculiarly belonging to the functions of the second branch, during the term of service, and for the space of after the expiration thereof. 6. Resolved that each branch ought to possess the right of originating Acts; that the National Legislature ought to be impowered to enjoy the Legislative Rights vested in Congress by the Confederation & moreover to legislate in all cases to which the separate States are incompetent, or in which the harmony of the United States may be interrupted by the exercise of individual Legislation; to negative all laws passed by the several States, contravening in the opinion of the National Legislature the articles of Union; and to call forth the force of the Union agst any member of the Union failing to fulfill its duty under the articles thereof. 7. Res that a National Executive be instituted; to be chosen by the National Legislature for the term of years, to receive punctually at stated times, a fixed compensation for the services rendered, in which no increase or diminution shall be made so as to affect the Magistracy, existing at the time of increase or diminution, and to be ineligible a second time; and that besides a general authority to execute the National laws, it ought to enjoy the Executive rights vested in Congress by the Confederation. 8. Res that the Executive and a convenient number of the ["Ju" stricken out] National Judiciary, ought to compose a council of revision with authority to examine every act of the National Legislature before it shall operate, & every act of a particular Legislature before a Negative thereon shall be final; and that the dissent of the said Council shall amount to a rejection, unless the Act of the |