Former council Vice President Samuel C. Cohen '00 made a last-minute plea for the council to reject the bill over the council's open e-mail list.

"It is imperative, in my mind, that the council retain its authority to question the actions of any organ of the University," Cohen wrote three hours before the meeting and voting deadline. "This bill would severely diminish our ability to do so."

Apparently, enough council members agreed and voted to reject the amendment.

Also defeated was a contentious amendment proposed by David B. Orr '01 and Jeffrey A. Letalien '01 which would allow certain council members to serve as voting members on more than one of the council's three standing committees.

Cohen and Seton vehemently denounced the bill as undemocratic at last week's meeting.

Still, Letalien and Orr's proposal did draw a two-thirds majority. But as Letalien had predicted, three-fourths proved to be too much.

Letalien said he felt some senior council members "who don't have to live with the consequences" of the downsized council irresponsibly voted against the bill.