Part of a series of articles titled The Constitutional Convention: A Day by Day Account for June 1787.
Article
June 29, 1787: Hot Debate Over Representation
Oliver Ellsworth by James Sharples, Senior, from life, 1796-1797. Independence National Historical Park.
"We [are] partly national; partly federal. The proportional representation in the first branch [House of Representatives] was comfortable to the national principal & would secure the large States against the small. An equality of voices [in the Senate] was conformable to the federal principal and was necessary to secure the Small States against the large. He trusted on this middle ground a compromise would take place."
-- Connecticut delegate Oliver Ellsworth as recorded in Madison's Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention
Friday, June 29, 1787: The Convention Today
Debate continued on the motion to have each state an equal vote in the lower house. After a hot debate the motion was defeated, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware for, six opposed, Maryland divided. It was agreed that each state would not have an equal vote in the lower house.
Voting in the Senate was then taken up. Ellsworth (CT) moved for an equal vote for each state in the Senate, noting that "we are partly national, partly federal." He felt the small states needed protection from the large. Baldwin (GA) opposed the motion - he wanted representation in the Senate to be based on wealth.
Synopsis
Debate continued on the motion to have each state an equal vote in the lower house. After a hot debate the motion was defeated, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware for, six opposed, Maryland divided. It was agreed that each state would not have an equal vote in the lower house.
Voting in the Senate was then taken up. Ellsworth (CT) moved for an equal vote for each state in the Senate, noting that "we are partly national, partly federal." He felt the small states needed protection from the large. Baldwin (GA) opposed the motion - he wanted representation in the Senate to be based on wealth.
Synopsis
- Approved (6 – 4 – 1) proportional representation in the lower house
- Ellsworth (CT) introduces compromise for equal representation in the lower house with proportional representation in the upper house
- General Washington (VA) dined with Mr. Robert Morris (PA) and spent the evening there.
- Upon application of Colonel Thomas Mifflin, Pennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council ordered Captain Stiles to deliver 60 pounds of gun powder to the artillery battalion for the Fourth of July celebration.
Last updated: November 16, 2019