Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/207

 RECO]KD$ OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION 20! Tuesday MADISON lugust ? "Art IV. Sect. .4 taken up." Mr. Govt. Morris moved to strike out the last member of the section (beginning with the words) "qualifications" of Electors." in order that some other provision might be sub- stituted which wd. restrain the right of suffrage to freeholders. Mr. Fitzsimmons 2ded. the motion Mr. Williamson was opposed to it. Mr. Wilson. This part of the Report was well considered by the Committee, and he did not think it could be changed for the better. It was difficult to form an 7 uniform rule of qualifications for all the States. Unnecessary innovations he thought too should be avoided. It would be very hard & dis- agreeable for the same persons, at the same time, to vote for representatives in the State Legislature and to be excluded from a vote for those in the Natl. Legislature. Mr. Govr. Morris. Such a hardship would be neither great nor novel. The people are accustomed to it and not dissatisfied with it, in several of the States. In some the qualifications are different for the choice of the Govr. & Rep- resentatives; In others for different Houses of the Legislature. Another objection agst. the clause as it stands is that it makes the qualifications 0� the Natl. Legislature depend on the will of the States, which he thought not proper. Mr. Elseworth. thought the qualifications of the electova stood on the most. proper footing. The right of suffrage was a tender point, and strongly guarded by most of the (St&re) Constitutions. The people will not readily subscribe to the Natl. Constitution, if it should subject them to be disfranchised. The States are the best Judges of the circumstances and temper of their own people. Col. Mason. The force of habit is certainly not attendel to by those gentlemen who wish for innovations on this point. Eight or nine States have extended the right of suffrage beyond u ArticIe IV, Sect. L "The member of the House of Representatlwa shall be chosen every second year, by the pople of the several States comprehended within this Union. The qualifications of the electors shall be the same, from time to tirae, as those of the deemrs in ;he several $tates of the most numerous branch of their (>wn le$islatures,"

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