to swallow
up the greater. He thought the number of representatives ought to bear
some proportion to the number of the represented.

On July 2d the question was taken on Mr. Ellsworth's motion, and lost:
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland voting in the
affirmative; Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, and
South Carolina in the negative; Georgia divided. It will be remembered
that the delegates from New Hampshire were not yet present, and that
Rhode Island had appointed none. This has been regarded by some as a
fortunate circumstance, as the votes of these two small States would
probably have given an equal vote to the States in both Houses, if not
have defeated the plan of national government.

The excitement now became intense, and the convention seemed to be on
the point of dissolution. Luther Martin, of Maryland, who had taken a
leading part in advocating the views of the State rights party, said
each State must have an equal vote, or the business of the convention
was at an end. It having become apparent that this unhappy result could
be avoided only by a compromise, Roger Sherman, of Connecticut, moved
the appointment of a committee of conference, to consist of one member
from each State, and the motion prevailed. The convention then adjourned
for three days, thus giving time for consultation, and an opportunity to
celebrate the anniversary of independence.

The report of this committee, which was made on July 5th, proposed: (1)
That in the first branch of the Legislature each State should have one
representative for every forty thousand inhabitants (three-fifths of the
slaves being counted); that each State not containing that number should
be allowed one representative; and that money bills should originate in
this branch; (2) that in the second branch each State should have one
vote. These propositions were reported, it is said, at the suggestion of
Dr. Franklin, one of the committee of conference.

The report, of course, met with greater favor from the State rights
party than from their opponents. The equal vote in the Senate continued
to receive the most determined opposition from the National party. In
relation to the rule of representation in the first branch of the
Legislature, also, a great diversity of opinion prevailed. The
conflicting interests to be reconciled in the settlement of this
question, however, were those of the Northern and Southern, commercial
a