General PINCKNEY.  The Report before it was committed was more favorable to the Southern States than as it now stands.  If they are to form so considerable a minority, and the regulation of trade is to be given to the General Government, they will be nothing more than overseers for the Northern States.  He did not expect the Southern States to be raised to a majority of representatives; but wished them to have something like an equality.

Mr. WILLIAMSON.  The Southern interest must be extremely endangered by the present arrangement.  The Northern States are to have a majority in the first instance, and the means of perpetuating it.

General PINCKNEY urged the reduction; dwelt on the superior wealth of the Southern States, and insisted on its having its due weight in the Government.

Mr. GOUVERNEUR MORRIS regretted the turn of the debate.  The States, he found, had many representatives on the floor.  Few, he feared, were to be deemed the representatives of America.  He thought the Southern States have, by the Report, more than their share of Representation.  Property ought to have its weight, but not all the weight.  If the Southern States are to supply money, the Northern States are to spill their blood.  Besides, the probable revenue to be expected from the Southern States has been greatly overrated.—­pp. 1056-7-8-9.

WEDNESDAY, July 11, 1787.

Mr. WILLIAMSON moved that Mr. RANDOLPH’s propositions be postponed, in order to consider the following, “that in order to ascertain the alterations that may happen in the population and wealth of the several States, a census shall be taken of the free white inhabitants, and three-fifths of those of other descriptions on the first year after this government shall have been adopted, and every ——­ year thereafter; and that the representation be regulated accordingly.”

Mr. BUTLER and General PINCKNEY insisted that blacks be included in the rule of representation equally with the whites; and for that purpose moved that the words “three-fifths” be struck out.

Mr. GERRY thought that three-fifths of them was, to say the least, the full proportion that could be admitted.

Mr. GORHAM.  This ratio was fixed by Congress as a rule of taxation.  Then, it was urged, by the Delegates representing the States having slaves, that the blacks were still more inferior to freemen.  At present, when the ratio of representation is to be established, we are assured that they are equal to freemen.  The arguments on the former occasion had convinced him, that three-fifths was pretty near the just proportion, and he should vote according to the same opinion now.

Mr. BUTLER insisted that the labor of a slave in South Carolina was as productive and valuable, as that of a freeman in Massachusetts; that as wealth was the great means of defence and utility to the nation, they were equally valuable to it with freemen; and that consequently an equal representation ought to be allowed for them in a government which was instituted principally, for the protection of property, and was itself to be supported by property.