Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/231

 RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION 225 Wednesday KING August 8 N.H. no. Mas. no. Ct. no. N.J. ay. Pa. ay. Del. ay. Md. ay. Va. ay. N. C. no. S.C. ay. Geo. ay. [Ayes--7; noes -- 4-1 Adjd. KING Wednesday 8 August- 4. A. x- c. The Qualifications of Electors- Gorham, The Qualifications stand well--Gentlemen who say that the Elections in the Cities are unsafe are in an Error --- The Mem- bers of London, Bristol & Liverpool are as independent as any of the Members of the Shires -- The King has no Influence in ye. City Elections- He buys the boroughs and he buys them of the Freeholders -- there will be no Danger in allowing the Merchants & Mechanicks to be Electors -- they have been Electors Time immemorial in this country as well as in England m We must regard the Habits & prejudices of the people  if you propose a window Tax in N. Eng. you wd. offend the people--If the minister in England shd. propose a poll- Tax he wd. also offend the People- so if you deprive the Mercht. & Mechank. of the Rights of Election you will offend them -- --2d. Resident--proposed to change the word to Inhabi- tant -- Morris G. proposed Freeholder -- Rutledge -- Resi- dent for seven years in the State where he is elected -- Mason -- I am in favor of Residency-- if you do not require it-- a rich man may send down to the Districts of a state in wh. he does not reside and purchase an Election for his Dependt. We shall have the Eng. Borough corruption -- a question was put & negatived by 8 of I states to insert Inhabitant for 3 yrs 4__ afterwards the question for One yr. before Election was negatived by 6 of x- finally the wd. was established as it stands unanimously-  4 According to the Journal and Madison the vote on this question was Ayes, noes, 9; and the vote which King gives belongs to the preceding question "to post- pone." * [Endorsed:] t August 8th I Qualifications of I electors.

�