I98 KECORDS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION Tuesday MADISON 21ugust 7 Mr. Govr. Mor 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. Mr. Pinckney concurred with Mr (Madison) Mr. Ghorum. If the time be not fixed by the Constitu- tion, disputes will arise in the Legislature; and the States will be at a loss to adjust thereto, the times of their elections. In the N. England States, the annual time of meeting had been long fixed by their Charters and Constitutions, and no incon- veniency had resulted. He thought it necessary that there should be one meeting at least every year as a check on the Executive department. Mr. Elseworth was agst. striking out the words. The Legis- lature will not know till they are met whether the public interest required their meeting or not. He could see no impropriety in fixing the day, as the Convention could judge of it as well as the Legislature. Mr. Wilson thought on the whole it would be best to fix the day. Mr. King could not think there would be a necessity for a meeting every year. A great vice in our system was that of legislating too much. The most numerous objects of legis- lation belong to the States. Those of the Natl. Legislature were but few. The chief of them were commerce & revenue. When these should be once settled, alterations would be rarel?r necessary & easily made. Mr (Madison) thought if the time of meeting should be fixed by a law it wd. be sufficiently fixed & there would be no difficulty (then) as had been suggested, on the part of the States in adjusting their elections to it. One consideration appeared to him to militate strongly agst. fixing a time by the Constitution. It might happen that the Legislature might be called together by the public exigencies & finish their Session but a short time before the annual period. In this case it would be extremely inconvenient to reassemble so quickly & without the least necessity. He thought one annual meeting ought to be required; but did not wish to make two unavoidable.
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