res for seven years, the members of both branches to be
apportioned on the basis finally adopted; the Legislature to possess
powers nearly the same as those originally proposed by Edmund Randolph.
The executive was to consist of a single person to be chosen by the
National Legislature for seven years, and limited to a single term, and
to have a qualified veto; all bills not approved by him to be passed by
a vote of three-fourths of both Houses in order to become laws. A
national judiciary to consist of a supreme court, the judges to be
appointed by the second branch of the Legislature for the term of good
behavior, and of such inferior courts as Congress might think proper to
establish.

This plan being highly objectionable to the State rights party, a scheme
agreeable to their views was submitted by William Paterson, of New
Jersey. This scheme, called the "New Jersey plan," proposed no
alteration in the constitution of the Legislature, but simply to give it
the additional power to raise a revenue by duties on foreign goods
imported, and by stamp and postage taxes; to regulate trade with foreign
nations and among the States; and, when requisitions made upon the
States were not complied with, to collect them by its own authority.
The plan proposed a federal executive, to consist of a number of persons
selected by Congress; and a federal judiciary, the judges to be
appointed by the executive, and to hold their offices during good
behavior.

The Virginia and New Jersey plans were now (June 19th) referred to a new
committee of the whole. Another debate arose, in which the powers of the
convention was the principal subject of discussion. It was again urged
that their power had been, by express instruction, limited to an
amendment of the existing confederation, and that the new system would
not be adopted by the States. The vote was taken on the 19th, and the
propositions of William Paterson were rejected; only New York, New
Jersey, and Delaware voting in the affirmative; seven States in the
negative, and the members from Maryland equally divided.

Randolph's propositions, as modified and reported by the committee of
the whole, were now taken up and considered separately. The division of
the Legislature into two branches, a House of Representatives and a
Senate, was agreed to almost unanimously, one State only, Pennsylvania,
dissenting; but the proposition to apportion the members to the States
according to population was