Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/216

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210 RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION Tuesday McHENRY A?gust ? became more populous- wealthy merchants and manufac- turers would elect the house of representatives. This was an aristocracy. This could only be avoided by confining the suffrage to free holders. Mr. Maddison supported similar sentiments. The old ideas of taxation and representation were opposed to such reasonlng. 22 Doctor Franklin spoke on this occasion. He observed that in time of war a country owed much to the lower class of citizens. Our late war was an instance of what they could suffer and perform. If denied the right of suffrage it would debase their spirit and detatch them from the interest of the country. One thousand of our seamen were confined in Eng- lish prisons- had bribes offered them to go on board English vessels which they rejected. An English ship was taken by one of our men of war. It was proposed to the English sailors to join ours in a cruise and share alike with thm in the captures. They immediately agreed to the proposal. This difference of behavior arises from ss the operation of freedom in America, and the laws in England. One British Statute excluded a number of subjects from a suffrage-- These immediately became slaves- At thee o'clock the house adjourned without coming to any issue. At five o'clock in the evening I went to Mr. Carrolls lodg- ing to confer with my colleagues on the points I had submitted to their consideration. I found Mr. Carroll alone when We entered upon their merits. He agreed with me that the depu- tation should oppose a resolute face to the $ sect of the IV article, 24 and that they ought to reject it. He appeared fully sensible of its tendency- That lodging in the house of repre- sentatives the sole right of raising and appropriating money, nThis is apparently McI-Ienry's comment. What follows, from "Doctor Franklin" to "became slaves" is written on the opposite page o{ the manuscript, and marked to be inserted. m Crossed out: "this description of men having a right of suffrage." ? That money-bills should originate in the House of Representatives alone, and that the Senate should have no right to alter or amend them.