Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/254

 2Z8 RECORDS OF TltE FEDERAL CONVENTION Friday MADISON .dugust xo MADISON Friday Augst. Io. in Convention Art. VI. sect. 2. taken up. 6 Mr. Pinkney- The Committee as he had conceived were instructed to report the proper qualifications of property for the members of the Natl. Legislature; instead o{ which they have referred the task to the Natl. Legislature itself. Should it be left on this footing, the first Legislature will meet with- out any particular qualifications of property; and if it should happen to consist of rich men they might fix such such quali- fications as may be too favorable to the Hch; if of poor men, an opposite extreme might be run into. He was opposed to the establishment of an undue aristocratic influence in the Constitution but he thought it essential that the members of the Legislature, the Executive, and the Judges- should be possessed of competent property to make them independent & respectable. It was prudent when such great powers were to be trusted to connect the tie of property with that of repu- tation in securing a faithful administration. The Legisla- ture would have the fate of the Nation put into their hands. The President would also have a very great influence on it. The Judges would have not only important causes between Citizen & Citizen but also where foreigners are concerned. They will even be the Umpires between the U. States and {ndiviclual States as well as between one State & another. Were he to fix the quantum of property which should be required, he should not think of less than one hundred thous- and dollars for the President, half of that sum for each of the Judges, and in like proportion for the members of the Natl. Legislature. He would however leave the sums blank. His motion was that the President of the U.S. the Judges, and members of the Legislature should be required to swear that they were respectively possessed of a clear unincumbered s Article VI, Sect. z. 'The Legislature of the United States shall have authority to establish such uniform qualifications of the members of each House, with regard to property, as to the said Legislature shall seem expedient."

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