Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/131

 RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION IZ 7 Thursday MADISON July 26 Col. Mason. observed that it would be proper, as he thought, that some provision should be made in the Constitution agst. choosing for the seat of the Genl. Govt. the City or place at which the seat of any State Govt. might be fixt. There were 2 objections agst. having them at the same place, which without mentioning others, required some precaution on the subject. The Ist. was that it tended to produce disputes concerning jurisdiction- The ed. & principal one was that the inter- mixture of the two Legislatures tended to give a provincial tincture to ye Natl. deliberations. He moved that the Come. be instructed to receive a clause to prevent the seat of the Natl. Govt. being (in the same City or town with} the seat of (the Govt. of any State (longer) than untill the necessary public buildings could be erected. n Mr. Alex. Martin zded. the motion. Mr. Govr. Morris did not dislike the idea, but was appre- hensive that such a clause might make enemies of Philda. 8[ N. York which had expectations of becoming the Seat of the Genl. Govt. Mr. Langdon approved the idea also: but suggisted the case of a State moving its seat of Govt. to the natl. seat after the erection of the public buildings Mr. Ghorum. the precaution may be evaded by the Natl. Legislre. by delaying to erect the public buildings Mr. Gerry conceived it to be the genel. sense of America, that neither the Seat of a State Govt. nor any large commer- cial City should be the seat of the Genl. Govt. Mr. Williamson liked the idea, but knowing how much the passions of men were agitated by this matter, was apprehen- sive of turning them agst. the system. He apprehended also that an evasion might be practiced in the way hinted by Mr. Ghorum. Mr. Pinkney thought the seat of a State Govt. ought to be avoided; but that a large town or its vicinity would be proper for the seat of the Genl. Govt. Col. Mason did not mean to press the motion at this time, n Revlsed �rom Journal.

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