Identifier: connecticutascol02morg (find matches)
Title: Connecticut as a colony and as a state; or, One of the original thirteen;
Year: 1904 (1900s)
Authors: Morgan, Forrest, 1852- ed Hart, Samuel, 1845-1917 Trumbull, Jonathan, 1844-1919 Holmes, Frank R Bartlett, Ellen Strong
Subjects: Connecticut -- History
Publisher: Hartford, The Publishing Society of Connecticut
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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the legislature, whose power was derivedfrom the States; instead of one executive head, it favored sev-eral. This became known as the State Sovereignty plan. Al-though it utterly failed, it formed the basis of a compromise,which brought the Connecticut representatives prominentlybefore the body. Hamilton, who had remained silent during the convention,introduced on June 16 a plan of government leaning towardaristocracy; and advocated that the membership of executive,judiciary, and Senate, should be for life or good behavior. The report of the committee of the whole was taken up indetail on June 20. Ellsworths proposition, that the nationalgovernment should consist of a supreme legislative, executive,and judiciary body, was unanimously adopted. To pacify thefears of New Jersey and Delaware, the word national wasdropped. Ellsworth moved as a substitute that the govern-ment of the United States be adopted; this was concurred inby a majority. That the legislature should consist of two 242
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WILLIAM SAMUEL JOHNSON CONNECTICUT AFTER THE REVOLUTION branches was opposed by Sherman: while he admitted that inState legislatures two branches were necessary, he did not con-sider it so in the confederacy of States. Referring to theArticles of Confederation, of which he was one of the orig-inators, he declared that Congress had carried through a waras well as any government could. It was on the 21st of June that William Samuel Johnsonmade his maiden speech in the convention. He contrastedthe New Jersey and Virginia plans of government, andfavored the preserving of the distinct individuality of theStates; in order to do this, he agreed that they must haveequal votes in the general council. Sherman yielded to his col-league, and Connecticut voted for two branches of the legis-lature; also that the election of the members of the firstbranch should be by the people. The Connecticut delegation was opposed to a three-yearsterm for representatives. Sherman preferred annual elec-tions, but

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