M^r Madison. The primary object is to secure an effectual discipline of the Militia. This will no more be done if left to the States separately than the requisitions have been hitherto paid by them. The States neglect their Militia now, and the more they are consolidated into one nation, the less each will rely on its own interior provisions for its safety & the less prepare its Militia for that purpose; in like manner as the militia of a State would have been still more neglected than it has been if each county had been independently charged with the care of its Militia. The Discipline of the Militia is evidently a _National_ concern, and ought to be provided for in the _National_ Constitution. M^r L. Martin was confident that the States would never give up the power over the Militia; and that, if they were to do so, the militia would be less attended to by the Gen^l than by the State Governments. M^r Randolph asked what danger there Could be that the Militia could be brought into the field and made to commit suicide on themselves. This is a power that cannot from its nature be abused, unless indeed the whole mass should be corrupted. He was for trammelling the Gen^l Gov^t whenever there was danger, but here there could be none. He urged this as an essential point; observing that the Militia were every where neglected by the State Legislatures, the members of which courted popularity too much to enforce a proper discipline. Leaving the appointment of officers to the States protects the people ag^{st} every apprehension that could produce murmur. On Question on M^r Elsworth's Motion N. H. no. Mass. no. C^t ay. N. J. no. P^a no. Del. no. M^d no. V^a no. N. C. no. S. C. no. Geo. no. A motion was then made to recommit the 2^d clause which was negatived. On the question to agree to the 1^{st} part of the clause, namely "To make laws for organizing arming & disciplining the Militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the U. S." N. H. ay. Mas. ay. C^t no. N. J. ay. P^a ay. Del. ay. M^d no. V^a ay. N. C. ay. S. C. ay. Geo. ay. M^r Madison moved to amend the next part of the clause so as to read "reserving to the States respectively, the appointment of the officers, _under the rank of General officers_." M^r Sherman considered this as absolutely inadmissible. He said that if the people should be so far asleep as to allow the most influential officers of the militia to be appointed by the Gen^l Government, every man of discernment would rouse them by sounding the alarm to them.