Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/294

 :2 IECOlq. DS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION Tuesday MADISON .4ugust 4 ized him to exercise it? Were he to own to them that he sacri- ficed it in order to flatter their prejudices, he should dread the retort: did you suppose the people of Penna. had not good sense enough to receive a good Government? Under this impression he should certainly follow his own Judgment which disapproved of the section. He would remark in ad- dition to the objections urged agst. it. that as one branch o� the Legislature was to be appointed by the I,egislatures of the States, the other by the people of the States, as both are to be paid by the States, and to be appointable to State offices; nothing seemed to be wanting to prostrate the Natl. Legis- lature, but to render its members ineligible to Natl offices, & by that means take away its power of attracting those talents which were necessary to give weight to the Governt. and to render it useful to the people. He was far from think- ing the ambition which aspired to Offices of dignity and trust, an ignoble or culpable one. t-Ie was sure it was not politic to regard it in that light, or to withhold from it the prospect of those rewards, which might engage it in the career of public service. He observed that the State of Penna. which had gone as far as any State into the policy of lettering power, had not rendered the members of the Legislature ineligible to offices of Govt. Mr Elsworth did not think the mere postponement of the reward would be any material discouragement of merit. Ambitious minds will serve z years or 7 years in the Legis- lature for the sake of qualifying themselves for other offices. Thls he thought a sufficient security for obtaining the ser- vices of the ablest men in the Legislature, although whilst members they should be ineligible to Public offices. Besides, merit will be most encouraged, when most impartially rewarded. If rewards are to circulate only within the Legislature, merit out of it will be discouraged. Mr. Mercer was extremely anxious on this point. What led to the appointment of this Convention ? The corruption & mutability of the Legislative Councils of the States. If the plan does not remedy these, it will not recommend itself: and we shall not be able in our private capacities to support

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