Page:Debates in the Several State Conventions, v1.djvu/163

1787.] put thereupon, were, with amendments to some of them, agreed to by the house; which rules, so agreed to, are as follow:—

' 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 the 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 that purpose.

" Resolved, That the said rules be added to the standing orders of the house.” The Hon. John Dickinson, Esq., a deputy of the state of Delaware, and the Hon. Elbridge Gerry, Esq., a deputy from the state of Massachusetts, attended and took their seats.

Mr. Randolph, one of the deputies of Virginia, laid before the house, for their consideration, sundry propositions, in writing, concerning the American Confederation, and the establishment of a national government.

“ 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 defence, 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 national legislature ought to be elected by the people of the several states, every, for the term of , to be of the age 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