Col. Mason thought the amendment of Mr Govr Morris extended too far. Treaties are in a subsequent part declared to be laws, they will therefore be subjected to a negative; altho' they are to be made as proposed by the Senate alone. He proposed that the mutual negative should be restrained to "cases requiring the distinct assent" of the two Houses.
Mr Govr Morris thought this but a repetition of the same thing; the mutual negative and distinct assent, being equivalent expressions. Treaties he thought were not laws.
Mr Madison moved to strike out the words each of which shall in all cases, have a negative on the other; the idea being sufficiently expressed in the preceding member of the article; vesting the "legislative power" in "distinct bodies," especially as the respective powers and mode of exercising them were fully delineated in a subsequent article.
Genl Pinkney 2ded the motion.
On question for inserting legislative Acts as moved by Mr Govr Morris
N. H. ay. Mas. ay. Ct ay. Pa ay. Del. no. Md no. Va no. N. C. ay. S. C. no. Geo. no.
On question for agreeing to Mr M's motion to strike out &c.–—
N. H. ay. Mas. ay. Ct no. Pa ay. Del. ay. Md no. Va ay. N. C. no. S. C. ay. Geo. ay.
Mr Madison wished to know the reasons of the Come for fixing by ye Constitution the time of Meeting for the Legislature; and suggested, that it be required only that one meeting at least should be held every year leaving the time to be fixed or varied by law.
Mr Govr Morris moved to strike out the sentence. It was improper to tie down the Legislature to a particular time, or even to require a meeting every year. The public business might not require it.