Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/258

 Z52 RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION Friday MADISON August xo allow a small number of members of the two Houses to make laws. The Central States could always take care to be on the Spot and by meeting earlier than the distant ones, or weary~ ing their patience, and outstaying them, could carry such measures as they pleased. Pie admitted that inconveniences might spring from the secession of a small number: But he had also known good produced by an apprehension of it. Fie had known a paper emission prevented by that cause in Vir- ginia. He thought the Constitution as now moulded was founded on sound principles, and was disposed to put into it extensive powers. At the same time he wished to guard agst abuses as much as possible. If the Legislature should be able to reduce the number at all it might reduce it as low as it pleased & the U. States might be governed by a ]uncto- A majority of the number which had been agreed on, was so few that he feared it would be made an objection agst. the plan. Mr. King admitted there might be some danger of giving an advantage to the Central States; but was of opinion that the public inconveniency on the other side was more to be dreaded. Mr. Govr. Morris moved to fix the quorum at 33 members in the H. of Reps. & 14 in the Senate. This is a majority of the present number, and will be a bar to the Legislature: fix the number low and they will generally attend knowing that advantage may be taken of their absence. the Secession of a small number ought not to be suffered to break a quorum. Such events in the States may have been of little consequence. In the national Councils, they may be fatal. Besides other mischiefs, if a few can break up a quorum, they may sleze a moment when a particular <part) of the Continent may be in need of immediate aid, to extort, by threatening a seces- sion, some unjust & selfish measure. Mr. Mercer 2ded. the motion Mr. King said he had just prepared a motion TM which instead of fixing the numbers proposed by Mr. Govr Morris as Quorums, made those the lowest numbers, leaving the n In the MS. the word "motion" has a cross (X) above it, evidently referring to the motion as given on the following page and similarly' marked.

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