gislre. to adjust from time to time, the
representation upon the principles of _Wealth_ and numbers of
inhabitants was (reconsidered by common consent in order to
strike our "Wealth" and adjust the resolution to that requiring
periodical revisions according to the number of whites & three
fifths of the blacks: the motion was in the words following--"But
as the present situation of the States may probably alter in the
number of their inhabitants, that the Legislature of the U. S. be
authorized from time to time to apportion the number of
representatives: and in case any of the States shall hereafter be
divided or any two or more States united or new States created
within the limits of the U. S. shall hereafter be divided or any
two or more States united or new States created within the limits
of the U. S. the Legislature of U. S. shall possess authority to
regulate the number of Representatives in any of the foregoing
cases, upon the principle of their number of inhabitants;
according to the provisions hereafter mentioned.")

Mr. Govr. Morris opposed the alteration as leaving still an
incoherence. If Negroes were to be viewed as inhabitants, and the
revision was to proceed on the principle of numbers of inhbts.
they ought to be added in their entire number, and not in the
proportion of 3/5. If as property, the word wealth was right, and
striking it out would produce the very inconsistency which it was
meant to get rid of.--The train of business & the late turn which
it had taken, had led him he said, into deep meditation on it,
and He wd. candidly state the result. A distinction had been set
up & urged between the Nn. & Southn. States. He had hitherto
considered this doctrine as heretical. He still thought the
distinction groundless. He sees however that it is persisted in;
and that the Southn. Gentleman will not be satisfied unless they
see the way open to their gaining a majority in the public
Councils. The consequence of such a transfer of power from the
maritime to the interior & landed interests will he forsees be
such an oppression of commerce, that he shall be obliged to vote
for ye. vicious principle of equality in the 2d. branch in order
to provide for some defence for the N. States agst. it. But to
come now more to the point, either t