Introduced to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, James Madison’s Virginia Plan outlined a strong national government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The plan called for a legislature divided into two bodies (the Senate and the House of Representatives) with proportional representation. That is, each state’s representation in Congress would be based on its population. The alternative to the Virginia Plan, William Paterson’s New Jersey Plan, intended to give states equal representation in a one-bodied legislature. Adopted on July 16, 1787, the “Connecticut Compromise” utilized both forms of representation, providing proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate.
Resolutions submitted to the Constitutional Convention on May 29, 1787.
Resolved that the Articles of Confederation ought to be so corrected & enlarged as to accomplish the objects proposed by their institution; namely, "common defence [sic], security of liberty and general welfare."
Resolved therefore that the rights of suffrage in the National Legislature ought to be proportioned to the Quotas of contribution, or to the number of free inhabitants, as the one or the other rule may seem best in different cases.
Resolved that the National Legislature ought to consist of two branches.
Resolved that the members of the first branch of the National Legislature ought to be elected by the people of the several States every _______ for the term of ______ ; to be of the age of _____ years at least, to receive liberal stipends by which they may be compensated for the devotion of their time to public service; 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 for the space of _____ after its expiration; to be incapable of reelection for the space of ______ after the expiration of their term of service, and to be subject to recall.
Resold that the members of the second branch of the National Legislature ought to be elected by those of the first, out of a proper number of persons nominated by the individual Legislatures, to be of the age of _____ years at least; to hold their offices for a term sufficient to ensure their independency; to receive liberal stipends, by which they may be compensated for the devotion of their time to public service; and 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 for the space of _____ after the expiration thereof.
Resolved that each branch ought to possess the right of originating Acts; that the National Legislature ought to be impowered [sic] to enjoy the Legislative Rights vested in Congress by the Confederation & 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; and to call forth the force of the Union against any member of the Union failing to fulfill its duty under the articles thereof.
Resolved that a National Executive be instituted; to be chosen by the National Legislature for the term of ______ years, to receive punctually at stated times, a fixed compensation for the services rendered, in which no increase or diminution shall be made so as to affect the Magistracy, existing at the time of increase or diminution, and to be ineligible a second time; and that besides a general authority to execute the National laws, it ought to enjoy the Executive rights vested in Congress by the Confederation.
Resolved that the Executive and a convenient number of the National Judiciary, ought to compose a Council of revision with authority to examine every act of the National Legislature before it shall operate, & every act of a particular Legislature before a Negative thereon shall be final; and that the dissent of the said Council shall amount to a rejection, unless the Act of the National Legislature be again passed, or that of a particular Legislature be again negatived by ______ of the members of each branch.
Resolved that a National Judiciary be established to consist of one or more supreme tribunals, and of inferior tribunals to be chosen by the National Legislature, to hold their offices during good behaviour; and to receive punctually at stated times fixed compensation for their services, in which no increase or diminution shall be made so as to affect the persons actually in office at the time of such increase or diminution. that the jurisdiction of the inferior tribunals shall be to hear & determine in the first instance, and of the supreme tribunal to hear and determine in the dernier resort, all piracies & felonies on the high seas, captures from an enemy; cases in which foreigners or citizens of other States applying to such jurisdictions may be interested, or which respect the collection of the National revenue; impeachments of any National officers, and questions which may involve the national peace and harmony.
Resolved that provision ought to be made for the admission of States lawfully arising within the limits of the United States, whether from a voluntary junction of Government & Territory on otherwise, with the consent of a number of voices in the National legislature less than the whole.
Resolved that a Republican Government & the territory of each State, except in the instance of a voluntary junction of Government & territory, ought to be guarantied by the United States to each State.
Resolved that provision ought to be made for the continuance of Congress and their authorities and privileges, until a given day after the reform of the articles of Union shall be adopted, and for the completion of all their engagements.
Resolved that provision ought to be made for the amendment of the Articles of Union whensoever it shall seem necessary, and that the assent of the National Legislature ought not to be required thereto.
Resolved that the Legislative Executive & Judiciary powers within the several States ought to be bound by oath to support the articles of Union.
Resolved 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 & decide thereon.
Note: This is not a transcription of the original Virginia Plan as submitted by Edmund Randolph on May 29, 1787. This is a transcription of the document from June 13,1787, showing the proposed resolutions "as Altered, Amended, and Agreed to in a Committee of the Whole House," a third of the way through the convention.
I'm quoting from "A Patriot's History of the United States" by Schweikart and Allen. On page 112, it says:
A president would serve alongside federal judges (with lifetime terms) ...
Regardless of how you interpret that passage, it is a fact that there was no such idea as term limits at the Constitutional Convention, or if it was discussed, it was rejected, both for the president and congress.
Washington served only two terms, refusing to run again for a third term. And out of respect for that man, presidents only served two terms, up until FDR, who was elected for four terms but died shortly into his fourth term. (FDR being one of the worst presidents in our history.) After that, it was discussed and decided and the constitution so amended such that presidents serve only up to two terms.
A lifetime president is not a ridiculous idea, any more than a lifetime judge, because, when you consider what the role of president was at the founding of our nation, it was SECONDARY to the Speaker of the House. Both the Virginia and New Jersey plans put CONGRESS at the center of the government, with the executive and judicial as appendages to it. Indeed, if our forefathers saw what we have done with the office of president, they would be flabberghasted and wonder why the Speaker of the House, with ALL THE POWER to control every part of government, rode in the back seat of government. The president, at best, can merely suggest a course of action on the international scene, and is entirely at the whim of congress to do anything but talk about it.
We evolved from a strong parliamentary system into a strong executive system, from a republic to an empire, if you like to read history books and compare the American system with, say, the Roman one. ("Empire", by the way, has nothing to do with a collection of kingdoms, but refers to the imperial powers of the imperator -- the one who commands.)
I should add, the exact text of the original submission is debated, but it had a lifetime appointment for president. This was quickly changed to serving terms of X years, but there was the understanding of no term limits.
The idea of term limits didn't start until long after President Washington died. It was FDR that caused it to be put on paper. Until then, the stress was considered more than a mortal should bear.
If Washington was younger or better able to manage the stress perhaps he would've served 4 or 10 terms. If he was successful in building an administration that could manage itself with his oversight, perhaps until death.
I did. It says nothing about lifetime tenure for the president LOL.
It does say "Resolved that a National Executive be instituted; to be chosen by the National Legislature for the term of ______ years."
Look it up...here, I'll make it easy:
https://www.senate.gov/civics/common/generic/Virginia_Plan_item.htm
...and even easier:
The Virginia Plan
Introduced to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, James Madison’s Virginia Plan outlined a strong national government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The plan called for a legislature divided into two bodies (the Senate and the House of Representatives) with proportional representation. That is, each state’s representation in Congress would be based on its population. The alternative to the Virginia Plan, William Paterson’s New Jersey Plan, intended to give states equal representation in a one-bodied legislature. Adopted on July 16, 1787, the “Connecticut Compromise” utilized both forms of representation, providing proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate.
Resolutions submitted to the Constitutional Convention on May 29, 1787.
Resolved that the Articles of Confederation ought to be so corrected & enlarged as to accomplish the objects proposed by their institution; namely, "common defence [sic], security of liberty and general welfare."
Resolved therefore that the rights of suffrage in the National Legislature ought to be proportioned to the Quotas of contribution, or to the number of free inhabitants, as the one or the other rule may seem best in different cases.
Resolved that the National Legislature ought to consist of two branches.
Resolved that the members of the first branch of the National Legislature ought to be elected by the people of the several States every _______ for the term of ______ ; to be of the age of _____ years at least, to receive liberal stipends by which they may be compensated for the devotion of their time to public service; 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 for the space of _____ after its expiration; to be incapable of reelection for the space of ______ after the expiration of their term of service, and to be subject to recall.
Resold that the members of the second branch of the National Legislature ought to be elected by those of the first, out of a proper number of persons nominated by the individual Legislatures, to be of the age of _____ years at least; to hold their offices for a term sufficient to ensure their independency; to receive liberal stipends, by which they may be compensated for the devotion of their time to public service; and 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 for the space of _____ after the expiration thereof.
Resolved that each branch ought to possess the right of originating Acts; that the National Legislature ought to be impowered [sic] to enjoy the Legislative Rights vested in Congress by the Confederation & 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; and to call forth the force of the Union against any member of the Union failing to fulfill its duty under the articles thereof.
Resolved that a National Executive be instituted; to be chosen by the National Legislature for the term of ______ years, to receive punctually at stated times, a fixed compensation for the services rendered, in which no increase or diminution shall be made so as to affect the Magistracy, existing at the time of increase or diminution, and to be ineligible a second time; and that besides a general authority to execute the National laws, it ought to enjoy the Executive rights vested in Congress by the Confederation.
Resolved that the Executive and a convenient number of the National Judiciary, ought to compose a Council of revision with authority to examine every act of the National Legislature before it shall operate, & every act of a particular Legislature before a Negative thereon shall be final; and that the dissent of the said Council shall amount to a rejection, unless the Act of the National Legislature be again passed, or that of a particular Legislature be again negatived by ______ of the members of each branch.
Resolved that a National Judiciary be established to consist of one or more supreme tribunals, and of inferior tribunals to be chosen by the National Legislature, to hold their offices during good behaviour; and to receive punctually at stated times fixed compensation for their services, in which no increase or diminution shall be made so as to affect the persons actually in office at the time of such increase or diminution. that the jurisdiction of the inferior tribunals shall be to hear & determine in the first instance, and of the supreme tribunal to hear and determine in the dernier resort, all piracies & felonies on the high seas, captures from an enemy; cases in which foreigners or citizens of other States applying to such jurisdictions may be interested, or which respect the collection of the National revenue; impeachments of any National officers, and questions which may involve the national peace and harmony.
Resolved that provision ought to be made for the admission of States lawfully arising within the limits of the United States, whether from a voluntary junction of Government & Territory on otherwise, with the consent of a number of voices in the National legislature less than the whole.
Resolved that a Republican Government & the territory of each State, except in the instance of a voluntary junction of Government & territory, ought to be guarantied by the United States to each State.
Resolved that provision ought to be made for the continuance of Congress and their authorities and privileges, until a given day after the reform of the articles of Union shall be adopted, and for the completion of all their engagements.
Resolved that provision ought to be made for the amendment of the Articles of Union whensoever it shall seem necessary, and that the assent of the National Legislature ought not to be required thereto.
Resolved that the Legislative Executive & Judiciary powers within the several States ought to be bound by oath to support the articles of Union.
Resolved 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 & decide thereon.
Regardless, no lifetime tenure for president--unless you have sauce du contraire from another version of the Virginia Plan?
I'm quoting from "A Patriot's History of the United States" by Schweikart and Allen. On page 112, it says:
Regardless of how you interpret that passage, it is a fact that there was no such idea as term limits at the Constitutional Convention, or if it was discussed, it was rejected, both for the president and congress.
Washington served only two terms, refusing to run again for a third term. And out of respect for that man, presidents only served two terms, up until FDR, who was elected for four terms but died shortly into his fourth term. (FDR being one of the worst presidents in our history.) After that, it was discussed and decided and the constitution so amended such that presidents serve only up to two terms.
A lifetime president is not a ridiculous idea, any more than a lifetime judge, because, when you consider what the role of president was at the founding of our nation, it was SECONDARY to the Speaker of the House. Both the Virginia and New Jersey plans put CONGRESS at the center of the government, with the executive and judicial as appendages to it. Indeed, if our forefathers saw what we have done with the office of president, they would be flabberghasted and wonder why the Speaker of the House, with ALL THE POWER to control every part of government, rode in the back seat of government. The president, at best, can merely suggest a course of action on the international scene, and is entirely at the whim of congress to do anything but talk about it.
We evolved from a strong parliamentary system into a strong executive system, from a republic to an empire, if you like to read history books and compare the American system with, say, the Roman one. ("Empire", by the way, has nothing to do with a collection of kingdoms, but refers to the imperial powers of the imperator -- the one who commands.)
I should add, the exact text of the original submission is debated, but it had a lifetime appointment for president. This was quickly changed to serving terms of X years, but there was the understanding of no term limits.
The idea of term limits didn't start until long after President Washington died. It was FDR that caused it to be put on paper. Until then, the stress was considered more than a mortal should bear.
If Washington was younger or better able to manage the stress perhaps he would've served 4 or 10 terms. If he was successful in building an administration that could manage itself with his oversight, perhaps until death.