Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/293

 RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION :Z8 7 Tesday MADISON lgst t 4 their merits, we honor the men, we chuse to renew our confi- dence in them, have they not a right to give them a preference; and can they be properly abridged of it. Mr. Williamson; introduced his opposition to the motion by referring to the question concerning "money bills". That clause he said was dead. Its ghost he was afraid would not- withstanding haunt us. It (had been) a matter of conscience with him, to insist upon it as long as there was hope of retain- ing it. He had swallowed the vote of rejection, with reluc- tance. He could not digest it. All that was said on the other side was that the restriction was not convenient. We have now got a House o[ Lords which is to originate money-bills. To avoid another inconvenienc3b we are to have a whole Legis- lature at liberty to cut out offices for one another. He thought a self-denying ordinance for ourselves would be more proper. Bad as the Constitution has been made by expunging the re- striction on the Senate concerning money bills he did not wish to make it worse by expunging the present Section. He had scarcely seen a single corrupt measure in the Legislature of N- Carolina, which could not be traced up to office hunting. Mr Sherman. The Constitution shd. lay as few tempta- tions as possible in the way of those in power. Men of abilities will increase as the Country grows more populous and, nd the means of education are more diffused. Mr. Pinkney- No' State has rendered the members of the Legislature ineligible to offices. In S- Carolina the Judges are eligible into the Legislature. It cannot be supposed then that the motion will be offensive to the people. If the State Constitutions should be revised he belleveal restrictions o� this sort wd be rather diminished than multiplied. Mr. Wilson could not approve of the Section as it stood, and could not give up his judgment to any supposed objec- tions that might arise among the people. He considered himself as acting & responsible �or the welfare of millions not immediately represented in this House. He had also asked himself the serious question what he should say to his con- stituents in case they should call upon hlm to tell them why he sacrificed his own Judgment in a case Where they author-

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