M^r King. Altho' this amendment varies the aspect somewhat, he had still two powerful objections ag^{st} tying down the Legislature to the rule of numbers. 1. they were at this time an uncertain index of the relative wealth of the States. 2. if they were a just index at this time it can not be supposed always to continue so. He was far from wishing to retain any unjust advantage whatever in one part of the Republic. If justice was not the basis of the connection it could not be of long duration. He must be shortsighted indeed who does not foresee that whenever the Southern States shall be more numerous than the Northern, they can & will hold a language that will awe them into justice. If they threaten to separate now in case injury shall be done them, will their threats be less urgent or effectual, when force shall back their demands. Even in the intervening period, there will be no point of time at which they will not be able to say, do us justice or we will separate. He urged the necessity of placing confidence to a certain degree in every Gov^t and did not conceive that the proposed confidence as to a periodical readjustment of the representation exceeded that degree. M^r Pinkney moved to amend M^r Randolph's motion so as to make "blacks equal to the whites in the ratio of representation." This he urged was nothing more than justice. The blacks are the labourers, the peasants of the Southern States: they are as productive of pecuniary resources as those of the Northern States. They add equally to the wealth, and considering money as the sinew of war, to the strength of the nation. It will also be politic with regard to the Northern States, as taxation is to keep pace with Representation. Gen^l Pinkney moves to insert 6 years instead of two, as the period computing from the 1^{st} meeting of y^e Legis^e within which the first census should be taken. On this question for inserting six, instead of "two" in the proposition of M^r Wilson, it passed in the affirmative Mass^{ts} no. C^t ay. N. J. ay. P^a ay. Del. div^d. May^d ay. V^a no. N. C. no. S. C. ay. Geo. no. On a question for filling the blank for y^e periodical census with 20 years, it passed in the negative Mass^{ts} no. C^t ay. N. J. ay. P. ay. Del. no. M^d no. V^a no. N. C. no. S. C. no. Geo. no. On a question for 10 years, it passed in the affirmative. Mass. ay. Con^t no. N. J. no. P. ay. Del. ay. M^d ay. V^a ay. N. C. ay. S. C. ay. Geo. ay. On M^r Pinkney's motion for rating blacks as equal to Whites instead of as 3/5. Mass. no. Con^t no. (D^r Johnson ay) N. J. no. P^a no. (3 ag^{st} 2.) Del. no. M^d no. V^a no. N. C. no. S. C. ay. Geo--ay. M^r Randolph's proposition as varied by M^r Wilson being read for question on the whole--