Note 125 — Thursday July 5th in Convention

This report was founded on a motion in the Com̃itte made by Dr Franklin. It was barely acquiesced in by the members from the States opposed to an equity of votes in the 2d branch and was evidently considered by the members on the other side, as a gaining of their point. A motion was made by Mr Sherman. He acted in the place of Mr Elseworth who was kept away by indisposition, in the Committee to the following effect "that each State should have an equal vote in the 2d branch; provided that no decision therein should prevail unless the majority of States concurring should also comprise a majority of the inhabitants of the U. States." This motion was not much deliberated on nor approved in the Committee. A similar proviso had been proposed in the debates on the articles of Confederation in 1777, to the articles giving certain powers to "nine States." See Journals of Congs for 1777, p. 462.—Madison Note.