Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/592

 RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION rtdsday MADISON September Mr. Gerry. It is necessary to consider the danger on the other side also.  will be a conside[able, perhaps a proper security. } puts too much in the power of a few men-- The primary object of the revisionar 7 check in the President is not to protect the general interest, but to defend his own department. If { be required, a few Senators having hopes from the nomination of the President to offices, will combine with him and impede proper laws. Making the vice-Presi- dent Speaker increases the danger, Mr. Williamson was less afraid of too few than of too many laws. He was most of all afraid that the repeal of bad laws might be rendered too dicult by requiring { to over- come the dissent of the President. Col: Mason had always considered this as one of the most exceptionable parts of the System. As to the numerical argument of Mr. Govt. Morris, little arithmetic was neces- sary to understand that a was more than [, whatever the numbers of the Legislature might be. The example of New York depended on the real merits of the laws. The Gentle- men citing it, had no doubt given their own opinions. But perhaps there were others .of opposite opinions who could equally paint the abuses on the other side. His leading view was to guard against too great an impediment to the repeal of laws. Mr. Govt. Morris dwelt on the danger to the public interest from the instability of laws, as the most to be guarded against. On the other side there could be little danger. If one man in office will not consent when he ought, every fourth year another can be substituted. This term was not too long for fair experiments. Many good laws are not tried long enough to prove their merit. This is often the case with new laws opposed to old habits. The Inspection laws of Virginia & Maryland to which all are now so much attached were unpopular at first. Mr. Pinkney was warmly in opposition to ] as putting a dangerous power in the hands of a few Senators headed by the President. Mr. Madison. When  was agreed to, the President was

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