<P> The most contentious disputes revolved around composition and election of the upper legislative house in the future bicameral Congress , to be known as the Senate , how `` proportional representation '' was to be defined ( whether to include slaves or other property ) , whether to divide the executive power between three persons or invest the power into a single chief executive to be called the President , how to elect the President , how long his term was to be and whether he could run for reelection , what offenses should be impeachable , the nature of a fugitive slave clause , whether to allow the abolition of the slave trade , and whether judges should be chosen by the legislature or executive . Most of the time during the Convention was spent on deciding these issues , while the powers of legislature , executive , and judiciary were not heavily disputed . Once the Convention began , the delegates first agreed on the principles of the Convention , then they agreed on Madison 's proposed Virginia Plan and began to modify it . A Committee of Detail , assembled during the July 4th recess , eventually produced a rough draft of the constitution . Most of the rough draft remained in place , and can be found in the final version of the constitution . After the final issues were resolved , the Committee on Style produced the final version , and it was voted on by the delegates , inscribed on parchment with engraving for printing and sent to the states and their legislatures . </P>
who proposed the virginia plan at the constitutional convention
Madison