Page:Debates in the Several State Conventions, v1.djvu/303

1787.] States shall be a member of either house during his continuance in office."

The house then adjourned.

, September 4, 1787.

The Hon. Mr. Brearly, from the committee of eleven, informed the house that the committee were prepared to report partially. It was afterwards delivered in at the secretary's table, and was again read, and is as follows:—

"The committee of eleven, to whom sundry resolutions, &c., were referred on the 31st ultimo, report,—

"That, in their opinion, the following additions and alterations should be made to the report before the Convention, namely:—

"1. The 1st clause of the 1st section of the 7th article to read as follows: 'The legislature shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises; to pay the debts, and provide for the common defence and general welfare, of the United States.'

"2. At the end of the 2d clause of the 1st section, 7th article, add, 'and with the Indian tribes.'

"3. In the place of the 9th article, 1st section, to be inserted, 'The Senate of the United States shall have power to try all impeachments; but no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two thirds of the members present.'

"4. After the word 'excellency,' in the 1st section, 10th article, to be inserted, 'he shall hold his office during the term of four years, and, together with the Vice-President, chosen for the same term, be elected, in the following manner:—

"5. 'Each state shall appoint, in such manner as its legislature may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of senators and members of the House of Representatives to which the state may be entitled in the legislature.

"6. 'The electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for two persons, of whom one at least shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; and they shall make a list of all the persons voted for, and of the number of votes for each, which list they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the general government, directed to the president of the Senate.

"7. 'The president of the Senate shall, in that house, open all the certificates; and the votes shall be then and there counted. The person having the greatest number of votes shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of the electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such majority, and have an equal number of votes, then the Senate shall choose by ballot one of them for President; but if no person have a majority, then, from the five highest on the list, the Senate shall choose by ballot the President. And in every case, after the choice of the President, the person having the greatest number of votes shall be Vice-President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal votes, the Senate shall choose from them the Vice-President.

"8. 'The legislature may determine the time of choosing and