sentation in the two
houses again came before the Convention. The majority of the States on
the 29th of June once more voted in favor of proportional representation
in the lower house. But on the question of the upper house, owing to a
peculiar combination of circumstances--the absence of one delegate and
another's change of vote causing the position of their respective States
to be reversed or nullified--the vote on the 2d of July resulted in a
tie. This brought the proceedings of the Convention to a standstill. A
committee of one member from each State was appointed to consider the
question, and, "that time might be given to the Committee, and to
such as chose to attend to the celebration on the anniversary of
Independence, the Convention adjourned" over the Fourth. The committee
was chosen by ballot, and its composition was a clear indication that
the small-State men had won their fight, and that a compromise would be
effected.

It was during the debate upon this subject, when feeling was running
high and when at times it seemed as if the Convention in default of any
satisfactory solution would permanently adjourn, that Franklin proposed
that "prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven... be held in this
Assembly every morning." Tradition relates that Hamilton opposed the
motion. The members were evidently afraid of the impression which would
be created outside, if it were suspected that there were dissensions in
the Convention, and the motion was not put to a vote.

How far physical conditions may influence men in adopting any particular
course of action it is impossible to say. But just when the discussion
in the Convention reached a critical stage, just when the compromise
presented by the committee was ready for adoption or rejection, the
weather turned from unpleasantly hot to being comfortably cool. And,
after some little time spent in the consideration Of details, on the
16th of July, the great compromise of the Constitution was adopted.
There was no other that compared with it in importance. Its most
significant features were that in the upper house each State should
have an equal vote and that in the lower house representation should
be apportioned on the basis of population, while direct taxation should
follow the same proportion. The further proviso that money bills should
originate in the lower house and should not be amended in the upper
house was regarded by some delegates as of considerable importance