The Journal of the Debates in the Convention which Framed the Constitution of the United States, May-September 1787. Volume 2Madison, James
History
The Journal of the Debates in the Convention which Framed the Constitution of the United States, May-September 1787. Volume 2
Madison, James
Constitutional law -- United States; Constitutions -- United States; United States. Constitution
(7) 'Sect. 4. The President by and with the advice and Consent
of the Senate, shall have power to make Treaties; and he shall
nominate and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate
shall appoint ambassadors, and other public ministers, Judges of
the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the U.S. whose
appointments are not otherwise herein provided for. But no
Treaty shall be made without the consent of two thirds of the
members present.'
(8) After the words--'into the service of the U. S.' in sect. 2.
art: 10. add 'and may require the opinion in writing of the
principal officer in each of the Executive Departments, upon any
subject relating to the duties of their respective offices.'
The latter part of Sect. 2. art: 10. to read as follows.
(9) 'He shall be removed from his office on impeachment by the
House of Representatives, and conviction by the Senate, for
Treason, or bribery, and in case of his removal as aforesaid,
death, absence, resignation or inability to discharge the powers
or duties of his office, the vice-president shall exercise those
powers and duties until another President be chosen, or until
the inability of the President be removed.'"
The (1^{st}) clause of the Report was agreed to, nem. con.
The (2) clause was also agreed to nem: con:
The (3) clause was postponed in order to decide previously on the mode
of electing the President.
The (4) clause was accordingly taken up.
M^r Gorham disapproved of making the next highest after the President,
the vice-President, without referring the decision to the Senate in case
the next highest should have less than a majority of votes. As the
regulation stands a very obscure man with very few votes may arrive at
that appointment.
M^r Sherman said the object of this clause of the report of the
Committee was to get rid of the ineligibility, which was attached to the
mode of election by the Legislature, & to render the Executive
independent of the Legislature. As the choice of the President was to be
made out of the five highest, obscure characters were sufficiently
guarded against in that case; and he had no objection to requiring the
vice-President to be chosen in like manner, where the choice was not
decided by a majority in the first instance.
M^r Madison was apprehensive that by requiring both the President & vice
President to be chosen out of the five highest candidates, the attention
of the electors would be turned too much to making candidates instead of
giving their votes in order to a definitive choice. Should this turn be
given to the business, The election would, in fact be consigned to the
Senate altogether. It would have the effect at the same time, he
observed, of giving the nomination of the candidates to the largest
States.
M^r Gov^r Morris concurred in, & enforced the remarks of M^r Madison.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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