The Virginia Plan
May 29, 1787

The fifty-five delegates who gathered in Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention in May 1787 recognized that the Articles of Confederation would not serve as a practical plan for the new government—that document was too weak to hold a country together under attack or over time. The delegates faced the challenge of devising a new approach. Two Virginia delegates were key to the process—James Madison, who drafted the plan, and Edmund Randolph, who presented it to the Constitutional Convention on May 29, 1787.  The appropriately named Virginia Plan proposed a strong central government composed of three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

The Virginia Plan revealed a hold approach, replacing the confederation of state governments with a centralized national government. Randolph and Madison called for representation in both houses of the legislature to he proportional to each states population. This quickly angered other delegates who recognized that Virginia was the largest state.  The Virginia Plan further described the two congressional houses: one with members elected by the people for three-year terms and the other composed of older leaders elected by the state legislatures for seven-year terms. The two houses would jointly name the new nation's President and judges and would have the power of legislation and taxation as well as the ability to veto state laws. The Virginia Plan traced the broad outlines of what would become the U.S. Constitution: a national government consisting of three branches, all subject to the checks and balances that prevent the abuse of power.

State of the resolutions submitted to the consideration of the House by the honorable Mr. Randolph, as altered, amended, and agreed to, in a Committee of the whole House.
 
1. Resolved
 

2. Resolved 

3. Resolved
 
 
 
 
 
 

4. Resolved
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

5. Resolved

6. Resolved
 

 that it is the opinion of this Committee that a national government ought to be established consisting of a Supreme Legislative, Judiciary, and Executive.

that the national Legislature ought to consist of Two Branches.

that the members of the first branch of the national Legislature ought to be elected by the People of the several States for the term of Three years; to receive fixed stipends, by which they may be compensated for the devotion of their time to public service to be paid out of the National Treasury; to be ineligible to any Office established by a particular State or under the authority of the United-States (except those peculiarly belonging to the functions of the first branch) during the term of service, and under the national government for the space of one year after it's expiration.

that the members of the second Branch of the national Legislature ought to be chosen by the individual Legislatures; to be of the age of thirty years at least; to hold their offices for a term sufficient to ensure their independency, namely seven years; to receive fixed stipends, by which they may be compensated for the devotion of their time to public service - to be paid out of the National Treasury to be ineligible to any office established by a particular State, or under the authority of the United States (except those peculiarly belonging to the functions of the second branch) during the term of service, and under the national government, for the space of one year after its expiration.

that each branch ought to possess the right of originating acts.

that the national Legislature ought to be empowered to enjoy the legislative rights vested  in Congress by the confederation—and moreover to legislate in all cases to which the separate States are incompetent: or in which the harmony of the United  States may be interrupted by the exercise of individual legislation, to negative all laws passed by the several States contravening, in the opinion of the national Legislature, the articles of union, or any treaties subsisting under the authority of the union.
 
7. Resolved
 
 
 
 
 
 

8. Resolved
 

9. Resolved
 
 
 
 
 
 

10. Resolved
 

11. Resolved
 
 
 
 
 

12. Resolved

13. Resolved

 that the right of suffrage in the first branch of the national Legislature ought not to be according to the rule established in the articles of confederation: but according to some equitable ratio of representation—namely, in proportion to the whole number of white and other free citizens and inhabitants of every age, sex, and condition including those bound to
servitude for a term of years, and three firths of all other persons not comprehended in the foregoing description, except Indians, not paying taxes in each State.

that the right of suffrage in the second branch of the national Legislature ought to be according to the rule established for the first.

that a national Executive be instituted to consist of a single person to be chosen by the National Legislature for the term of seven years with power to carry into execution the national Laws, to appoint to Offices in cases not otherwise provided for to be ineligible a second time, and to be removable on impeachment and conviction of mal practice or neglect of duty; to receive a fixed stipend, by which he may be compensated for the devotion of his time to public service to be paid out of the national Treasury.

that the national executive shall have a right to negative any legislative act: which shall not be afterwards passed unless by two third parts of each branch of the national Legislature.

that a national Judiciary be established to consist of One Supreme Tribunal. The Judges of which to be appointed by the second Branch of the National Legislature to hold their offices during good behaviour to receive, punctually, at stated times, a fixed compensation for their services: in which no encrease or diminution shall be made so as to affect the persons actually in office at the time of such encrease or diminution.

that the national Legislature be empowered to appoint inferior Tribunals.

that the jurisdiction of the national Judiciary shall extend to cases which respect the collection of the national revenue: impeachments of any national officers: and questions which involve the national peace and harmony.
 
14. Resolved
 
 
 

15. Resolved
 
 

16. Resolved
 

17. Resolved
 

18. Resolved
 

19. Resolved

 that provision ought to be made for the admission of States, lawfully arising within the limits of the United States, whether from a voluntar junction of government and territory, or otherwise, with the consent of a number of voices in the national Legislature less than the whole.

that provision ought to be made for the continuance of Congress and their authorities until a given day after the reform of the articles of Union shall be adopted; and for the completion of all their engagements.of the national Legislature ought to be according to the rule established for the first.

that a republican constitution, and its existing laws, ought to be guaranteed to each State by the United States.

that provision ought to be made for the amendment of the articles of Union, whensoever it shall seem necessary.

that the Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary powers within the several States ought to be bound by oath to support the articles of Union.

that the amendments which shall be offered to the confederation by the Convention, ought at a proper time or times, after the approbation of Congress to be submitted to an assembly or assemblies of representatives, recommended by the several Legislatures, to be expressly chosen by the People to consider and decide thereon.

Received this sheet from the President of the United States, with the journals of the general Convention, March 19th, 1796.

TIMOTHY PICKERING
SECY OF STATE

State of the Resolutions submitted by Mr. Randolph to the Consideration of the House, as altered, amended and agreed to in a committee of the whole House.

Received from the President of the U. States, March 19, 1796. by

TIMOTHY PICKERING
SECY OF STATE