The Journal of the Debates in the Convention which Framed the Constitution of the United States, May-September 1787. Volume 1Madison, James
History
The Journal of the Debates in the Convention which Framed the Constitution of the United States, May-September 1787. Volume 1
Madison, James
Constitutional law -- United States; Constitutions -- United States; United States. Constitution
All who had been concerned in the appointment of strangers on those
recommendations must be sensible of this truth. Nor w^d the partialities
of such Bodies be obviated by disqualifying their own members.
Candidates for office would hover round the seat of Gov^t or be found
among the residents there, and practise all the means of counting the
favor of the members. A great proportion of the appointments made by the
States were evidently brought about in this way. In the General Gov^t
the evil must be still greater, the characters of distant states, being
much less known throughout the U. States than those of the distant parts
of the same State. The elections by Congress had generally turned on men
living at the seat of the fed^l Gov^t or in its neighbourhood.--As to
the next object, the impulse to the Legislative service, was evinced by
experience to be in general too feeble with those best qualified for it.
This inconveniency w^d also be more felt in the Nat^l Gov^t than in the
State Gov^{ts} as the Sacrifices req^d from the distant members, w^d be
much greater, and the pecuniary provisions, probably, more
disproportionate. It w^d therefore be impolitic to add fresh objections
to the Legislative service by an absolute disqualification of its
members. The point in question was whether this would be an objection
with the most capable citizens. Arguing from experience he concluded
that it would. The Legislature of Virg^a would probably have been
without many of its best members, if in that situation, they had been
ineligible to Cong^s to the Gov^t & other honorable offices of the
State.
M^r Butler thought Characters fit for office w^d never be unknown.
Col. Mason. If the members of the Legislature are disqualified, still
the honors of the State will induce those who aspire to them to enter
that service, as the field in which they can best display & improve
their talents, & lay the train for their subsequent advancement.
M^r Jenifer remarked that in Maryland, the Senators chosen for five
years, c^d hold no other office & that this circumstance gained them the
greatest confidence of the people.
On the question for agreeing to the motion of M^r Madison,
Mass^{ts} div^d. C^t ay. N. Y. no. N. J. ay. P^a no.
Del. no. M^d no. V^a no. N. C. no. S. C. no. Geo. no.
M^r Sherman mov^d to insert the words "and incapable of holding" after
the words "eligible to offices" w^{ch} was agreed to without opposition.
The word "established" & the words "Nat^l Gov^t" were struck out of the
Resolution 3^d.
M^r Spaight called for a division of the question, in consequence of
which it was so put, as that it turned in the first member of it, "on
the ineligibility of members _during the term for which they were
elected_"--whereon the States were,
Mass^{ts} div^d. C^t ay. N. Y. ay. N. J. ay. P^a no.
Del. ay. M^d ay. V^a ay. N. C. ay. S. C. ay. Geo. no.
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