M^r Gerry insisted that the commercial & monied interest w^d be more secure in the hands of the State Legislatures, than of the people at large. The former have more sense of character, and will be restrained by that from injustice. The people are for paper money when the Legislatures are ag^{st} it. In Mass^{ts} the County Conventions had declared a wish for a _depreciating_ paper that w^d sink itself. Besides, in some States there are two Branches in the Legislature, one of which is somewhat aristocratic. There w^d therefore be so far a better chance of refinement in the choice. There seemed, he thought to be three powerful objections ag^{st} elections by districts, 1. it is impracticable; the people cannot be brought to one place for the purpose; and whether brought to the same place or not, numberless frauds w^d be unavoidable. 2. small States forming part of the same district with a large one, or large part of a large one, w^d have no chance of gaining an appointment for its citizens of merit. 3 a new source of discord w^d be opened between different parts of the same district. M^r Pinkney thought the 2^d branch ought to be permanent & independent; & that the members of it w^d be rendered more so by receiving their appointment from the State Legislatures. This mode w^d avoid the rivalships & discontents incident to the election by districts. He was for dividing the States into three classes according to their respective sizes, & for allowing to the 1^{st} class three members, to the 2^d two, & to the 3^d one. On the question for postponing M^r Dickinson's motion referring the appointment of the Senate to the State Legislatures, in order to consider M^r Wilson's for referring it to the people. Mass. no. Con^t no. N. Y. no. N. J. no. P^a ay. Del. no. M^d no. V^a no. N. C. no. S. C. no. Geo. no. Col. Mason. Whatever power may be necessary for the Nat^l Gov^t a certain portion must necessarily be left in the States. It is impossible for one power to pervade the extreme parts of the U. S. so as to carry equal justice to them. The State Legislatures also ought to have some means of defending themselves ag^{st} encroachments of the Nat^l Gov^t. In every other department we have studiously endeavoured to provide for its self-defence. Shall we leave the States alone unprovided with the means for this purpose? And what better means can we provide than the giving them some share in, or rather to make them a constituent part of, the Nat^l Establishment. There is danger on both sides no doubt; but we have only seen the evils arising on the side of the State Gov^{ts}. Those on the other side remain to be displayed. The example of Cong^s does not apply. Cong^s had no power to carry their acts into execution, as the Nat^l Gov^t will have. On M^r Dickinson's motion for an appointment of the Senate by the State Legislatures, Mass. ay. C^t ay. N. Y. ay. P^a ay. Del. ay. M^d ay. V^a ay. N. C. ay. S. C. ay. Geo. ay.