Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/51

Rh of this; one is, that there are not only noble families in this illutriimâ republiâ Sancti Marini, but the contitution has limited the choice of the electors o far as to oblige them to chooe one half the enate out of thee nobles; the other is, that the names of the agents for the commonwealth, of the notary, and the witnees to two intruments of purchaes made at eventy years diftance from one another, one in 1100, the other in 1170, are the ame.—It is not credible that they were the ame perons: they were probably ons or grandons—which is a trong proof of the attachment to aritocratical families in this little tate, and of their deire to continue the ame blood and the ame names in public employments, like the Oranges, Fagels, De Lindens, &c. in Holland, and like innumerable other examples in all nations.

Another remarkable circumtance is, the reluctance of the citizens to attend the aembly of the arengo, which obliged them to make a law, obliging themelves to attend, upon a penalty. This is a defect, and a misfortune natural to every democratical contitution, and to the popular part of every mixed government. A general or too common diinclination to attend, leaves room for perons and parties more active to carry points by faction and intrigue, which the majority, if all were preent, would not approve.

It is curious to ee how many checks and limitations are contrived for this legilative aemblv. Half nobles, half plebeians—all upwards of five-and-twenty years old—two thirds mut agree—no on can it with his father; never two of the ame family.

The capitaneos have the executive, like the Roman conuls, and the commiary has the cial.