But it was difficult to reach a conclusion as to the apportionment of representatives in the House.
[Sidenote: The federal ratio.] 184.

Compromise as to Apportionment .-- Should the members of the House of Representatives be distributed among the states according to population?
At first sight the answer seemed to be perfectly clear.

But the real question was, should slaves who had no vote be counted as a part of the population?
It was finally agreed that the slaves should be counted at three-fifths of their real number.

This rule was called the "federal ratio." The result of this rule was to give the Southern slave states representation in Congress out of all proportion to their voting population.
[Sidenote: Power of Congress over commerce.] [Sidenote: Restriction as to slave-trade.] 185.

Compromise as to the Slave-Trade .-- When the subject of the powers to be given to Congress came to be discussed, there was even greater excitement.