Page:Essays on the Constitution of the United States, published during its discussion by the people 1787-1788.djvu/245

 A ClTlZEiN OF NEW HAVEN, I. THE NEW HAVEN GAZETTE. Thursday, December 4, 1 788. Observations on the Alterations Proposed as Ametidments to the new Federal Constitution. Six of the states have adopted the new constitution without proposing any alteration, and the most of those proposed by the conventions of other states may be provided for by congress in a code of laws without altering the constitution. If congress may be safely "trusted with the affairs of the Union, and have sufficient powers for that purpose, and possess no powers but such as re- spect the common interest of the states (as I have endeavored to show in a former piece), then all the matters that can be regulated by law may safely be left to their discretion, and those will in- clude all that I have noticed except the following, which I think on due consideration will appear to be improper or unnecessary. 1. It is proposed that the consent of two- thirds or three-fourths of the members present in this branch of the congress shall be required for passing certain acts. On which I would observe, that this would give a minority in congress power to controul the majority, joined with the concur- rent voice of the president, for if the president dissents, no act can pass without the consent of two-thirds of the members in each branch of congress ; and would not that be contrary to the general principles of republican government ? 2. That impeachments ought not to be tried by the senate, or not by the senate alone. (233)