Page:Debates in the Several State Conventions, v1.djvu/250

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DRAFT OF A CONSTITUTION.
[August 6

within the limits of any of the present states, the consent of the legislature of such states shall be also necessary to its admission. If the admission be consented to, the new states shall be admitted on the same terms with the original states. But the legislature may make conditions with the new states concerning the public debt which shall be then subsisting.

"Art. XVIII. The United States shall guaranty to each state a republican form of government; and shall protect each state against foreign invasions; and, on the application of its legislature, against domestic violence.

"Art. XIX. On the application of the legislature of two thirds of the states in the Union for an amendment of this Constitution, the legislature of the United States shall call a convention for that purpose.

"Art. XX. The members of the legislatures, and the executive and judicial officers of the United States, and of the several states, shall be bound by oath to support this Constitution.

"Art. XXI. The ratification of the conventions of states shall be sufficient for organizing this Constitution.

"Art. XXII. This Constitution shall be laid before the United States in Congress assembled, for their approbation; and it is the opinion of this Convention that it should be afterwards submitted to a convention chosen in each state, under the recommendation of its legislature, in order to receive the ratification of such convention.

"Art. XXIII. To introduce this government, it is the opinion of this Convention, that each assenting Convention should notify its assent and ratification to the United States in Congress assembled; that Congress, after receiving the assent and ratification of the conventions of states, should appoint and publish a day, as early as may be, and appoint a place for commencing proceedings under this Constitution; that, after such publication, the legislatures of the several states should elect members of the Senate, and direct the election of members of the House of Representatives; and that the members of the legislature should meet at the time and place assigned by Congress, and should, as soon as may be, after their meeting, choose the President of the United States, and proceed to execute this Constitution."

Tuesday, August 7, 1787.

It was moved and seconded to refer the report of the committee of detail to a committee of the whole; which passed in the affirmative.

Yeas: Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, 5. Nays: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, North Carolina, 4.

Delaware being unrepresented during the debate, a question was again taken on referring to a committee of the whole, and passed in the negative.

Yeas: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, 3. Nays: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, 6.

On the question to agree to the preamble to the Constitution, as reported from the committee to whom were