THIS WEEK-ISO YEARS ACO g The Story -of the Allf Constitutional Convention WmM "i 1737 Sentinel features BY RAYMOND PITCA1RN UNIQUE IN GOVERNMENT "Something new in history!" Thus have historians described a principle of government evolved by delegates to the Constitutional Convention Con-vention which met in Independence Hall, Philadelphia, just a century and a half ago. And it was exactly 150 years ago this week from May 30 to June 5 that members of the Convention, sitting as a Committee of the Whole, first considered seriously that unique idea. Briefly, it was the plan of our Federal form of Republic, combining combin-ing a number of states, each with its own powers, under a central government gov-ernment with separate executive, legislative and judicial authority "a sovereign nation of many sovereign sover-eign states." But this was only one of numerous ideas, more or less novel to the political polit-ical thought of the day, that were introduced, weighed and sifted at that history-making meeting. Informally its members approved also the now familiar idea of balanced bal-anced powers among the Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial Departments De-partments of the Nationai Government, Govern-ment, which became so distinctive a feature of our American system. Vigorously the majority of them lought to put the .reins of authority In the hands of the people. Firmly many insisted that both the Executive and the Legislative branches be held responsive to the public will. Voices notable in American history his-tory were raised in the demand for popular rule and individual rights when the Committee considered methods of choosing members of the proposed Congress. James Madison, "Father of the Constitution." announced that he "eoauidered the popular election of M branch of the National Legislator Legis-lator aa essential to every plan of fja QtwniiMint " George Mason, of Virginia, declared it should be "the grand depository of the democratic principles of the Government," insisting . that "we ought to attend to the rights of every class of the people." James Wilson, of Pennsylvania, wished "authority to flow immediately immedi-ately from the legitimate source of all authority . . . the mind of the people at large." 1 Benjamin Franklin pointed out that an Assembly elected by the people peo-ple "cannot easily - become danger- ; ous to liberty; they are the ser- 1 li.. vants of the Peo- JFj Jpt pie, sent together f s f-N -irs to do the People's V&-' j-business." j-business." '-- With the dis-trust dis-trust of royalty sK still fresh in their iSp minds, the dele- ;, gates were similarly sim-ilarly eager to keep the proposed Executive responsive to the people. Governor Randolph, sponsor of the Virginia Plan, wanted to divide the Executive authority among three men, lest one assume kingly prerogatives. pre-rogatives. "The permanent temper of the people," he said, "is adverse to the very semblance of monarchy."' Franklin wanted the Executive to serve without pay. Many delegates were opposed to granting him the power to veto any acts of the Legislature. Legis-lature. Finally the Committee of the Whole approved a plan proposing that a single Executive be chosen by the elected Legislature, and that his veto could be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the Congress. These and other democratic proposals pro-posals were vigorously defended and not infrequently opposed during dur-ing succeeding weeks, when debated in the formal sessions of the Convention Conven-tion Many, of course, were rhnngmt as later articles will snow. Next. Week Bi? States vs. Small. ,