It was agreed, nem-con- that the Committee consist of 5 members to be appointed tomorrow.
Adjourned.
Tuesday July 24. in Convention
The appointment of the Executive by Electors reconsidered.
Mr Houston moved that he be appointed by the "Natl Legislature," instead of "Electors appointed by the State Legislatures" according to the last decision of the mode. He dwelt chiefly on the improbability, that capable men would undertake the service of Electors from the more distant States.
Mr Spaight seconded the motion.
Mr Gerry opposed it. He thought there was no ground to apprehend the danger urged by Mr Houston. The election of the Executive Magistrate will be considered as of vast importance and will create great earnestness. The best men, the Governours of the States will not hold it derogatory from their character to be the electors. If the motion should be agreed to, it will be necessary to make the Executive ineligible a 2d time, in order to render him independent of the Legislature; which was an idea extremely repugnant to his way of thinking.
Mr Strong supposed that there would be no necessity, if the Executive should be appointed by the Legislature, to make him ineligible a 2d time; as new elections of the Legislature will have intervened; and he will not depend for his 2d appointment on the same sett of men as his first was recd from. It had been suggested that gratitude for his past appointment wd produce the same effect as dependence for his future appointment. He thought very differently. Besides this objection would lie agst the Electors who would be objects of gratitude as well as the Legislature. It was of great importance not to make the Govt too complex which would be the case if a new sett of men like the Electors should be introduced into it. He thought also that the first characters in the States would not feel sufficient motives to undertake the office of Electors.
Mr Williamson was for going back to the original ground; to elect the Executive for 7 years and render him ineligible a 2d time. The proposed Electors would certainly not be men of the 1st nor even of the 2d grade in the States. These would all prefer a seat either in the Senate or the other branch of the Legislature. He did not like the Unity in the Executive. He had wished the Executive power to be lodged in three men taken from three districts into which the States should be divided. As the Executive is to have a kind of veto on the laws, and there is an essential difference of interests between the N. & S. States, particularly in the carrying trade, the power will be dangerous, if the Executive is to be taken from part of the Union, to the part from which he is not taken. The case is different here from what it is in England; where there is a sameness of interests throughout the Kingdom. Another objection agst a single Magistrate is that he will be an elective King, and will feel the spirit of one. He will spare no pains to keep himself in for life, and will then lay a train for the succession of his children. It was pretty certain he thought that we should at some time or other have a King; but he wished no precaution to be omitted that might postpone the event as long as possible.–Ineligibility a 2d time appeared to him to be the best precaution. With this precaution he had no objection to a longer term than 7 years. He would go as far as 10 or 12 years.