Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/214

 ZO8 IECORDS OF THE FEDEF, AL CONVENTION Tuesday KING August 7 common Interest--? I think the Father of a Family has this interest 4 his Children will remain- this is a natural Interest -- a Farm & other property is an artificial interest-- we are governed by our prejudices in favr. of Engd- there a Twig, a Turf is the Elector -- Madison- I am in favr. of the rigt. of Election being con- find. to Freeholders -- we are not governed by British Attach- ments-because the Knights of Shires are elected by Free- holders, but the Members from the Cities & Boroughs are elected by persons qualified by as small property as in any country and wholly without Freeholds--where is the Cor- ruption in England: where is the Crown Influence seen- in the Cities & Boroughs & not in the Counties- 4d.$.r Franklin- I am afraid by depositing the rights of Elec- tions in the Freeholders it will be injurious to the lower class of Freemen- this class have hardy Virtues and gt. Integrity --the late war is a glorious Testimony in favor of plebian Virtue- Military men are sensible of this Truth- I know yt our Seamen prisoners in England refused all Allurements to draw them from yr. Allegiance- they were threatened with Halters but refused- this was not the case with the Brith. Seamen -- they entered the American service & pointed out where they might make more marine prisoners--This is the reason -- the Americans were all free and equal to any of yr. fellow Citizens  the British once were so  in antlent Times every freeman was an Elector  but finally they made a law requiring an Elector to be a Freeholder  this was only in the Shires- The consequence was that the residue of In- habitants were disgraced- in the next parliament they made a law authorising the Justices to fix the price of Labor- to compel any person not an Elector or Freeholder to labor for a Freeholder at the stated price or to be imprisoned--the English common people from that period lost a large portion of patriotism  * 0 [Endorsed:] 7 & 8 Augt I Qualifications of elector I Ellsworth Mason C, orham Franklln--agt. conting. of the Qual. to Freeholders I Madison Gov. Mot Dickinson --in fayour of it ..

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