ⅭⅬⅩⅩⅩ. Benjamin Lincoln to George Washington.[1]
Having been detained from convention for a number of day I requested one of my friends to give me a general state of matters which statement I do myself the pleasure to inclose…
[Enclosure]
…when a question, for the first time, was proposed to Mr Gerry viz Why Georgia was entitled to three reps, under this Constitution, and Massts but to eight, when in former requisitions on Massts, she had been requir’d to pay thirteen times the amount Georgia was assess’d—a motion was made by Mr Dana, at the request of Mr G— as he declared in Convention, & Mr Gerry acceded to, that the question should be reduced to writing, & the answer in writing be laid on the table—this was complied with on saturday morning—a debate then ensued on the first paragraph in the 3d section—and an objection was raised against the equality of the representation of the states in the senate—Mr Strong stated that this was a matter of long debate in the fed-convention—& that a committee consisting of a member from each state in the Convention was appointed to consider the subject—that, in regard to an equality of representation of states in the senate the committee agreed[2] & so reported to Convention—
ⅭⅬⅩⅩⅩⅠ. Elbridge Gerry to the Vice President of the Convention of Massachusetts.[3]
After having, on Saturday morning, stated an answer to the question proposed the preceding evening, I perceived that your honourable body were considering a paragraph which respected an equal representation of the States in the Senate, and one of my honorable colleagues observed, that this was agreed to by a committee consisting of a member from each State, and that I was one of the number. This was a partial narrative of facts, which I conceived placed my conduct in an unfavorable point of light, probably without any such intention on the part of my colleague.…
I shall only add, Sir, that I have subjoined a state of facts,
