Page:Cambridge Modern History Volume 7.djvu/280

 248 Hamilton s plan. [1787 representation by the people at large, the States severally having repre- sentation according to population ; by the second, the States were to be equal in the legislature. By the first, the executive was to be single ; by the second, plural. By the first, the national government was to have power to act directly upon the citizens of the several States ; by the second, it was to act only upon the States in their corporate capacity, requisitions being made, as theretofore, upon the States for supplies, coercion (of the States) to follow in case of failure. By the first, the executive was to be removable on impeachment and conviction ; by the second, to be removable at the instance of a majority of the executives of the States. By the first, the legislature was empowered to create inferior federal Courts; by the second, it was not. The Paterson resolutions being now under consideration in com- mittee of the whole, Hamilton, who was not satisfied with either of the plans proposed, brought forward a plan of his own, not indeed as a formal measure for action what the Convention was likely to do was already indicated but as a definite expression of theories of government which he had just set forth at length in a speech before the committee. This plan proposed a legislature having two branches, an Assembly and a Senate ; the members of the Assembly to be chosen by the people for three years, those of the Senate to be appointed by electors chosen by the people and to serve during good behaviour. The executive authority was to be vested in a governor, to be appointed by electors chosen by the people and to serve during good behaviour. Besides having the duties incident to the office, the executive was to have a right of negative on all Acts of the legislature before they became laws; with the advice and consent of the Senate he was to have power to make treaties ; he was to appoint federal officers, certain of them with the advice and consent of the Senate ; he was to have the power of pardon except in cases of treason. The Senate was to have the sole power of declaring war. The supreme judicial authority was to be vested in judges holding office during good behaviour, and was to have original jurisdiction in cases of capture and appellate jurisdiction in matters concerning the federal revenue or citizens of foreign nations. The legislature was to have power to institute Courts in each State for determining all matters of general concern. The governor, senators, and all officers of the United States, were to be liable to impeachment before a Court of judges from the highest Courts of the States, one from each State. All laws of the States contrary to the constitution and laws of the United States were to be void,- and the better to prevent such laws being passed, the governor of each State was to be appointed by the general government, and was to have a negative upon laws about to be passed in the particular State. No State was to have land or naval forces ; the militia of the States was to be under the sole direction of the United States, and its officers were to be appointed by them. The plan was