The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-03-25

Federal convention refpefing the apportion.
'nent OF Representatives in both Houfcs of Cor
srefs. The larger ftates contensied for num-
Der OF representatives, in botb houfes proportions
Cd to their hze and population The Enolsr
Rates commended for an equality of fuffraee in
both. The difpute was finally. comrromifsd
bv allowing to the 6nniier fta;es their favourite
equality characterization in the fenate, and 70
the larger, hyperion representation in the low
er houfe.
2. There was a conFiderabe Rruggle be-
tween the EGfern and the Southern Rates res
Meeting the non-imtortatioa Of Aa9.eJ: Tire
hrtt beingin favor Of c0Dftitutional prohi.i.
ton, the latter being oppofed to il. A f.
cond diipuie arofe at the fang time. about
laying re9yiaiou on naviyafioa acts. The
Hap'e and commercial fta,es. henc focitous
to have fuch refriefion, LEFT their commerce
H,ouId be placed too much under the power
efthe eoaefn tatesr and thefe lat taies being as
anxious to reject It. Aud how we're thtIe dir
pntes compromised! Why "the general ro-
vernment was TO be prohibited. from preventing
the importation Of Asves for limited time and
the RI ftrctve claufr relative to navigation atts
WAS TO be omitted"
The compromiie, iluffrated bv thefe two
memorable facts, was the co-nuromifr Of local
or partial ntcrefs. But there was another fpe
cies Of comprnmife, which had an impo,ta,,
rtcefin mo"'ingti sconft:tution into IT'S prrfept
form Il WIS the fruit ~ tkat Difference & conceC
h"n, which men coming from different parts
ot the ppion, and at an are when Republican
principles were mt well reduced 70 TyGem.
were willing TO EXHIBIT in favour of their diff.
ferent otinion5. We have now hcfere Us. a
valuable and curious communication from Tn.
Their Martin, under date of March 1888, whic
he made 10 the General A1embly of hIayland
when they called upon him for information ref.
pect,ng the proceedings ofthe convention. Ac.
cording TO this gentleman there were in that
Body three parties of very different fentimeuts
and views: .s -.
One party, whole wiz, was to annih;late tbe
ftate governments and bring forward one gene
raj government over this exteuiive continent, of
nronarebieni nature, under certain teftricfions
The fecond party was not for the abolition
ct the tate governments. nor for the introduc
ton Of narchical government under anv
form but they wifhed to eftabIifh fuch fyf.
TEN, AZ would give their own ftates undue in
Hutnce in the government over the other ffates.
a thir? party was truly federal and repnbli.
can, who were forproceeding upon terms of fe-
deral equality.
Where fuch a contrariety of ss;aioaJ ex;aed.
IT WIS not fnrpri6ng that the executive DEPART
ment fhould not have been at that time con-
ftitnted aereeahlv to the puref principles Of
repuhlicanfm, but confuted and perverted bv
the bias of monarchical tenets. In confrmati
on Of this conjecture. the reader will wel!r
colled the. proportions fad to have been laid
before the convention by Alex. Hamilton.
That the contribution "a it came from the hands
or the convention, avaJ even then ifronpIy OBJ
lett"d 70, in all that relates TO the executive
department, we may infer from the following
extracts from Mr.. Martins communicated.
We regret while we give them, that the man
who could thus write, fhould row he found
the mon aetive in oPpo6ng republican admin.
ifration:
There were alto objections that part of this fec
tion which relates TO the rercf4e of the Pye6dsot
There were fome who thought no good reafon could
he aligned for giving the Preident negative of any
A0s-Upon the pr ncpe Of check to tie proceed ps
OF the Legislature, it was a;d be unneeeiIary that
the r"o branches having cnntroul each others
proceedings; and the fenate being chofe by tie State
'efriilaures and beig competed of members from the
different States, there would always be fuficieut
guard againft mealures being 5a7y or ,a8v adopted
hat the Prejiaenf was not likely to have suoye
7ooro or integrity than the naors any of btn or
to bette. ine7p or fOz the neref of the States than
any 0e,rbfr OF the ena,e, 70 be entitled to ne
gatve on that prncipe-And to the precedent from
the Britifh contribution or we were eterna!ly trou
hed with arguments and precedents from, the Brtif
governmenD it was faid it would no, aeply The King
{" Sreat- britain there competed of the three f9fe
OF the kingdom be pofefed of ri jf4 and 6,i,.
iseef, as fuch, dfin6 from TIE Lords and Commons ;
right and brfvges which dteenaa to his bei,s, and
were inleritablc by them tina, for the Syeyvafiou
OF theie was nec"iary be Mould have negative but
that this was noe the cafe with the PRECEDENT of the Il
States, who was no more thrn an etFecl of govern
ment, the JoVe't;grty not In lin, but in the Ic
tafHrt And it further urged even If he was al
ioweda negative, it ought to be of m great extent
as that given by the yfeni, nce his Easie voiae is 10
eoun'erva the 7oboie Of eibet branch and any NUM-
Der h)s than .7oo-fbi,df of the other however ma
Jority at the convention of different opinion and
adopted it as it now makes part of the fyacm
The Ese6nd article relates to the execrtiye-.his
mode OF electionhis powers-and the length Of time
he ihoud continue in office.
Con theie iubjeas there was erea, diyerfty NJ
ien,iment; many of the members were defrous that
the Preiden, fhould be elected for feven years, and
not to be eligible fecond time others propofed that
ne fhould not be abfolutely ineligible, bu. tina, he
ihould not be capable of being ehofen feeond time,
until the expiration Of j certain number of yearsThe
lupPorter Of the above proportions, went upon the
idea that the bef fecurty for liberty was limited du
ration and rotation Of Office III the chief executive
department..
There was a party who attempted to- have the
Preiident appointed during good behaviour, without
any limitation as TO tinle and being able TO iuc.
coed IN that attempt, they then endeayored to have
Il. 49, Il. -