t sui juris, in the early days of legislation, meeting with the
free members of the community to deliberate on public measures; hence is
derived this maxim in free governments, that representation ought to bear
a proportion to the number of free inhabitants in a community; this
principle your own state constitution, and others, have observed in the
establishment of a future census, in order to apportion the
representatives, and to increase or diminish the representation to the
ratio of the increase or diminution of electors. But, what aid can the
community derive from the assistance of women, infants and slaves, in
their deliberation, or in their defence? and what motives, therefore,
could the convention have in departing from the just and rational
principle of representation, which is the governing principle of this
state and of all America?

The doctrine of taxation is a very important one, and nothing requires
more wisdom and prudence than the regulation of that portion, which is
taken from, and of that which is left to the subject--and if you anticipate
what will be the enormous expense of this new government added also to
your own, little will that portion be which will be left to you. I know
there are politicians who believe that you should be loaded with taxes, in
order to make you industrious, and, perhaps, there are some of this
opinion in the convention, but it is an erroneous principle. For, what can
inspire you with industry, if the greatest measure of your labors are to
be swallowed up in taxes? The advocates for this new system hold out an
idea, that you will have but little to pay, for that the revenues will be
so managed as to be almost wholly drawn from the source of trade or duties
on imports, but this is delusive--for this government to discharge all its
incidental expenses, besides paying the interest on the home and foreign
debts, will require more money than its commerce can afford; and if you
reflect one moment, you will find, that if heavy duties are laid on
merchandise, as must be the case if government intends to make this the
prime medium to lighten the people of taxes, that the price of the
commodities, useful as well as luxurious, must be increased; the consumers
will be fewer; the merchants must import less; trade will languish, and
this source of revenue in a great measure be dried up; but if you examine
this a little further you will find that this revenue, managed in this
way, will come o