A Senate of the States: August 7th – 9th, 1787

Article V Blog ^ | December 14th 2017 | Rodney Dodsworth

[Jacquerie]

This last stretch, from August 7th onward, was an endurance test. The summer dragged on and so did most of the delegates. Long hours in convention plus committee work for many delegates six days a week, combined in a punishing routine. Through it all, James Madison managed to keep daily notes, although less detailed than before the two-week recess. Most delegates had heavy personal and state business responsibilities that went neglected. The nation’s business suffered as well since fourteen of the convention members were also delegates to the confederation congress. When a contentious issue threatened progress, members assigned it to a committee while the convention moved on. In this way, these smaller groups often found acceptable compromises to seemingly unrelated issues like taxes and slavery.

On August 8th, three small states reneged on a critical portion of the Connecticut Compromise of July 16th when they voted to strike the provision that money-bills must originate in the house and remain unamendable by the senate. What could have caused a walkout only a few weeks before was met with anger, and fortunately anger alone, from the large states. The familiar origination clause of Constitution, highly modified, would reappear near the end of the convention in exchange for the electoral college.¹

August 9th. A displeased and animated Governor Edmund Randolph & Hugh Williamson (NC) signaled their intent to reconsider the vote regarding money-bills, which was the flip-side to the compromise in Article V Section 1:

The Senate of the United States shall be chosen by the Legislatures of the several States. Each Legislature shall choose two members. Vacancies may be supplied by the Executive until the next meeting of the Legislature. Each member shall have one vote.

[rawcatslyentist]

Now that was a working Congress.

It's our own fault for running a retirement home for demented perverts and grifters.

I suppose we should rename it the William J Lepetomane hospital for the criminally insane.

[central_va]

Congress is a geriatric Ivy League debate club.

[Jacquerie]

“running a retirement home demented perverts and grifters.”

That’s good.

[sauropod]

bkmk