ot represented, her
three delegates being all absent. Yates and Lansing, both of the State
rights party, considering their powers explicitly confined to a revision
of the confederation, and being chagrined at the defeat of their
attempts to secure an equal vote in the first branch of the Legislature,
had left the convention, not to return. From that time (July 11th) New
York had no vote in the convention. Alexander Hamilton had left before
the others, to be absent six weeks; and though he returned and took part
in the deliberations, the State, not having two delegates present, was
not entitled to a vote. On the 23d Gilman and Langdon, the delegates
from New Hampshire, arrived, when eleven States were again represented.

The term of service of members of the first branch was reduced to two
years, and of those of the second branch to six years; one-third of the
members of the latter to go out of office every two years; the
representation in this body to consist of two members from each State,
voting individually, as in the other branch, and not by States, as under
the confederation. Sundry other modifications were made in the
provisions relating to this department.

The reported plan of the executive department was next considered. After
much discussion, and several attempts to strike out the ineligibility of
the executive a second time, and to change the term of office and the
mode of election, these provisions were retained.

The report of the committee of the whole, as amended, was accepted by
the convention, and, together with the New Jersey plan, and a third
drawn by Charles Pinckney, of South Carolina, was referred to a
committee of detail, consisting of Messrs. Rutledge, Randolph, Gorham,
Ellsworth, and Wilson, who, on August 6th, after an adjournment of ten
days, reported the Constitution in proper form, having inserted some new
provisions and altered certain others. Our prescribed limits forbid a
particular account of the subsequent alterations which the Constitution
received before it was finally adopted by the convention. There is one
provision, however, which, as it forms one of the great "Compromises of
the Constitution," deserves notice.

To render the Constitution acceptable to the Southern States, which were
the principal exporting States, the committee of detail had inserted a
clause providing that no duties should be laid on exports, or on slaves
imported; and another, that no navigation act might be