Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/72

 68 RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION Friday MADISON July o began to wonder at it. At length it was suspected that the Starholder was at the bottom of the matter. This suspicion prevailed more & more. Yet as he could not be impeached and no regular examination took place, he remained in his office, and strengtheing his own party, as the party opposed to him became formidable, he gave birth to the most violent animosities & contentions. Had he been impeachable, a regu- lar & peaceable inquiry would have taken place and he would if guilty have been duly punished, if innocent restored to the confidence of the public. Mr. King remarked that the case of the $tatholder was not applicable. He held his place for life, and was not peri- odically elected. In the former case impeachments are proper to secure good behaviour. In the latter they are unneces- sary; the periodical responsibility n to the electors 12 being an equivalent security. Mr Wilson observed that if the idea were to be pursued, the Senators who are to hold their places during the same term with the Executive. ought to be subject to impeachment & removal. Mr. Pinkhey apprehended that some gentlemen reasoned on a supposition that the Executive was to have powers which would not be committed to him: (He presumed> that hls powers would be so circumscribed as to render impeach- ments unnecessary. Mr. Govr. Morris,'s opinion had been changed by the argu- ments used in the discussion. He was now sensible of .the necessity of impeachments, if the Executive was to continue for any time in office. Our Executive was not like a Magis- trate having a life interest, much less like one having an hereditary interest in his office. He may be bribed by a greater interest to betray his trust; and no one would say that we ought to expose ourselves to the danger of seeing the first Magistrate in foreign pay without being able to guard agst it by displacing him. One would think the King of England well secured agst bribery. He has as it were a fee u Cro-d out "trial". s Crossed out "rendering them unnecessary'".

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