was appointed by Governor Randolph, in his place on the 2d May, 1787.

NORTH CAROLINA.-By Act of the Senate and House of Commons, in January, 1787, Richard Caswell, Alexander Martin, William Richardson Davie, Richard Dobbs Spaight, and Willie Jones were appointed. Mr. Caswell resigned, and on the twenty-third of April William Blount was appointed in his stead; Willie Jones declining the appointment, Hugh Williamson was appointed by the Governor in his place.

SOUTH CAROLINA.-By Act of March 8, 1787, Charles Pinckney, John Rutledge, Charles C. Pinckney, and Pierce Butler were commissioned.

GEORGIA. By an ordinance of 10th February, 1787, William Few, Abraham Baldwin, William Pierce, George Walton, William Houston, and Nathaniel Pendleton appointed deputies from this State.

ABSTRACT OF THE JOURNAL AND DEBATES IN

THE FEDERAL CONVENTION.

On Monday the 14th of May, A. D., 1787, and in the eleventh year of the Independence of the United States of America, at the State House in the city of Philadelphia, in virtue of appointments from their respective States, sundry deputies to the Federal Convention appeared; but a majority of States not being represented, the members present adjourned from day to day until Friday the 25th of the said month, when, in virtue of the said appointments, appeared from the State of

MASSACHUSETTS.-The Hon. Rufus King, Esq.

NEW YORK.-The Hon. Robert Yates, and Alexander Hamilton, Esqs.

NEW JERSEY.-The Hon. David Brearly, William Churchhill Houston, and William Patterson, Esqs.

PENNSYLVANIA.-The Hon. Robert Morris, Thomas Fitzsimmons, James Wilson, and Gouverneur Morris, Esqs. DELAWARE.-The Hon. George Read, Richard Bassett, and Jacob Broom, Esqs.

VIRGINIA. His Excellency George Washington, Esq., His Excellency E. Randolph, Esq., The Hon. John Blair, James Madison, George Mason, George Wythe, and James McClurg, Esqs.

NORTH CAROLINA.-The Hon. Alexander Martin, William Richardson Davie, Richard Dobbs Spaight, and Hugh Williamson, Esqs.

SOUTH CAROLINA.-The Hon. John Rutledge, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Pierce Butler, and Charles Pinckney, Esqs.

GEORGIA.-The Hon. William Few, Esq.

Hon. Robert Morris of Pennsylvania moved that a President be elected by ballot, and nominated GEORGE WASHINGTON. A ballot was taken and he was declared unanimously elected, and was conducted to the Chair by Mr. Morris and Mr. Rutledge. William Jackson was elected Secretary, Nicholas Weaver, Messenger, and Joseph Frye, Door-Keeper.

Mr. Wythe, Mr. Hamilton, and Mr. C. Pinckney were appointed a Committee on Rules, and the Convention adjourned till Monday at 10 o'clock.

Monday, May 28, 1787.-The Convention met; Nathaniel Gorham and Caleb Strong, deputies from Massachusetts, Oliver Ellsworth from the State of Connecticut, Gurning Bedford from Delaware, James McHenry from Maryland; Benjamin Franklin, George Clymer, Thomas Mifflin, and Jared Ingersoll, of Pennsylvania, took their seats. Rules for the government of the Convention were reported and adopted.

Mr. Randolph the opened the business of the Conven tion by offering the following resolutions:

Resolutions offered by Edward Randolph to the Convention, May 29, 1787.

"1. Resolved, That the Articles of the Confederation ought to be so corrected and enlarged as to accomplish the objects proposed by their institution; namely, common defense, security of liberty, and general welfare.

"2. Resolved, Therefore, that the right 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 may seem best, in different

cases.

"3. Resolved, That the national legislature ought to consist of two branches.

"4. Resolved, That the members of the first branch of the national legislature ought to be elected of the several States every

to be of the age of

by the people. for the term of

years, at least;

to receive liberal stipends, by which they may be compensated for the devotion of their time to the public service; 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 first branch,) during the term of service and for the space of after its expiration; to be incapable of reelection for the space of after the expiration of their term of service; and to be subject to recall.

"5. Resolved, 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 insure their independency; to receive liberal stipends, by which they may be compensated for the devotion of their time to the public service; and to be ineligible to any office established by a particular State, or under the autho

rity of the United States, (except those particularly belonging to the functions of the second branch,) during the term of service; and for the space of after the ex

piration thereof.

"6. Resolved, That each branch ought to possess the right of originating acts; that the national legislature ought to be empowered to enjoy the legislative right vested in Congress by the Confederation; and 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, or any treaty subsisting under the authority of the Union; and to call forth the force of the Union against any member of the Union failing to fulfill its duty under the articles thereof.

"7. Resolved, 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 the increase or diminution; to be ineligible a second time; and that, beside a general authority to execute the national laws, it ought to enjoy the executive rights vested in Congress by the Confederation.

"8. Resolved, That the executive and a convenient number of the national judiciary ought to compose a council of revision, with authority to examine every act of the national legislature before it shall operate, and every act of a parti cular 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 national legislature be again. passed, or that of a particular legislature be again negatived by of the members of each branch.

"9. Resolved, That a national judiciary be established, to hold their offices during good behavior, and to receive punctually, at stated times, a fixed compensation for their services, in which no increase or diminution shall be made, so as to affect the persons actually in office at the time of such increase or diminution. That the jurisdiction of the inferior tribunals, shall be to hear and determine in the first instance, and of the supreme tribunal to hear and determine in the dernier ressort, all piracies and felonies on the seas; captures from an enemy; cases in which foreigners, or citizens of other States, applying to such jurisdictions, may be interested or which respect the collection of the national revenue; impeachments of any national officer; and questions which involve the national peace or harmony.

"10. Resolved, That provision ought to be made for the admission of States lawfully arising within the limits of the United States, whether from a voluntary junction of government or territory, or otherwise, with the consent of a num-* ber of voices in the national legislature less than the whole.

"11. Resolved, That a republican government, and the territory of each State, (except in the instance of a voluntary junction of government, and territory,) ought to be guaranteed by the United States to each State.

"12. Resolved, That provision ought to be made for the continuance of Congress, and their authorities and privileges, until a given day, after the reform of the articles of union shall be adopted, and for the completion of all their engagements.

"13. Resolved, That provision ought to be made for the amendment of the articles of union, whensoever it shall seem necessary; and that the assent of the national legislature ought not to be required thereto.

"14. Resolved, That the legislative, executive, and judi