7283. REPRESENTATION, Principles of.—
In the structure of our Legislatures, we
think experience has proved the benefit of
subjecting questions to two separate bodies of
deliberants; but in constituting these, natural
right has been mistaken, some making one
of these bodies, and some both, the representatives
of property instead of persons; whereas
the double deliberation might be as well
obtained without any violation of true principle,
either by requiring a greater age in one
of the bodies, or by electing a proper number
of representatives of persons, dividing
them by lot into two chambers, and renewing
the division at frequent intervals, in order
to break up all cabals.—
To John Cartwright. Washington ed. vii, 357.
(M.
1824)
