June 6, 1787: Electing the Lower House

George Read by Thomas Sully, after Robert Edge Pine, c. 1860.  Independence National Historical Park

"The Confederation was founded on temporary principles. It cannot last; it cannot be amended; if we do not establish a good Government on new principles, we must either go to ruin, or have the work to do over again…"

--George Read, as recorded in James Madison's Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention

Wednesday, June 6, 1787: The Convention Today

The Convention, meeting in the Committeee of the Whole, debated having the state legislature elect the lower house, instead of the people. Gerry (MA), Wilson (PA), Mason (VA), Madison (VA), Dickinson (DE), Read (DE) and Pierce (SC) opposed; Sherman (SC) and General Pinckney (SC) supported it.

Roger Sherman (CT) wanted the states to retain most of their authority and saw this motion as helping them do so. Gerry didn't like popular election, in Massachusetts "the worst men get into the legislature" - but one house had to be so elected. He hoped the other would be so structured as to be filled with men of merit. John Dickinson (DE) felt one house had to be elected by the people but that the other could be elected by the state legislature. James Madison (VA) noted that George Read (DE) went further, saying "Too much attachment is betrayed to the state governments…A national government must soon of necessity swallow all of them up." The motion lost with eight states opposed and three states (CT, NJ, SC) in favor.

George Read's nationalist position illustrates the point that the large state/small state conflict over representation should not be confused with the later nationalist/states rights conflict. No one was more adamant for an equal vote for the smaller states than Read --he had written this position into the law appointing the Delaware delegates, and he would probably have left the Convention had not each state been guaranteed an equal vote in the Senate. Yet in this day's debate, Read took a nationalist position somewhat beyond that even of Alexander Hamilton - a position calling for the eventual extinction of the states. If the states were to continue, Delaware must have an equal vote with Virginia or Pennsylvania, but Read would agree to meld them all into one consolidated government.

Synopsis

• Defeated (8 – 3) the motion to have the state legislature elect the lower house of the national legislature

Delegates Today

• Madison wrote to Thomas Jefferson and William Short reporting in general terms on the Convention and who was attending.
• Governor Randolph (VA) wrote Acting Governor Beverly Randolph, asking him to deliver 30 pounds to Mrs. Randolph, who was about to leave for Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Today

• Today's Pennsylvania Gazette advertised the sale of A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America by John Adams. Serving as the first United States ambassador to Great Britain, Adams was not present at the Constitutional Convention but this work would prove to be of significant influence on the Convention.The American edition was published in New York and Philadelphia as the Convention met.

Part of a series of articles titled
The Constitutional Convention: A Day by Day Account for June 1787.

Previous:
June 7, 1787: Electing the Senate

Next:
June 8, 1787: Veto Powers

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• Independence National Historical Park

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