ed in England as an ambassador and agent for Pennsylvania, Georgia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Although Franklin was involved in many things politically, one of the more important was the constitutional convention. In 1785, he became president of the supreme executive council of Pennsylvania. At the constitutional convention he did a number of things. He opposed salaries for highest executive positions. He argued that representatives should be proportional to population. Later he proposed the "Great Compromise" on representation making representation proportional to population in the House and equal by state in the Senate. He moved to have sessions of congress opened with prayer, and it was dropped because it was proved controversial. He argued for extending the right to vote as widely as possible and condemns property qualification for franchise and for office holding as unnecessary. Though he did not approve of many aspects of the finished document and was hampered by his old and ill health, he missed only a few if any sessions and lent his intelligence and prestige, soothed passions and compromised disputes. James Wilson read his closing speech at the convention urging every member to "doubt a little of his infallibility. Put aside specific reservations, and vote unanimously for approval of the constitution....
