The Convention consists now as it has generally done of Eleven States. There has been no intermission of its Sessions since a house was formed; except an interval of about ten days allowed a Committee appointed to detail the general propositions agreed on in the House. The term of its dissolution cannot be more than one or two weeks distant.
A Governmt. will probably be submitted to the
people of the
States, consisting of a
president, cloathed with
Executive power; a
Senate chosen by the
Legislatures, and another
House chosen by the
people of the States, jointly
possessing the
legislative power; and a regular
judiciary establishment.
1 The mode of constituting the
Executive is among the few points not yet finally settled.
The
Senate will consist of two
members from each
State, and
appointed sexennially. The other, of
members appointed biennially by the
people of the States, in proportion to their number.
2 The Legislative power will
extend to taxation, trade, and sundry other general matters.
3 T
4he powers of Congress will be
distributed, according to their
nature, among the several departments. The States will be
restricted from paper money<5/em> and in a few other instances. These are the outlines. The extent of them may perhaps surprize you. I hazard an opinion nevertheless that the plan, should it be adopted, will neither effectually answer its national object, not prevent the local mischiefs which everywhere excite disgusts agst. the State Governments. The grounds of this opinion will be the subject of a future letter. . . .