the
government, be elected a member of either house during his continuance in
that station.

This clause at once confutes every assertion of the antifederalists
respecting the new congress being able to secure to themselves all offices
of power, profit and trust. This section is even more rigidly republican
than the constitution of this commonwealth; for in the general assembly of
Massachusetts, a civil officer is not excluded a seat; whereas the new
constitution expressly asserts that no person in civil office under the
United States shall be eligible to a seat in either house.

Sect. 7 provides that all bills for raising revenues shall originate in
the house of representatives. Here again must the anti-federalists appear
weak and contemptible in their assertions that the senate will have it in
their power to establish themselves a complete aristocratick body; for
this clause fully evinces that if their inclinations were ever so great to
effect such an establishment, it would answer no end, for being unable to
levy taxes, or collect a revenue, is a sufficient check upon every attempt
of such a nature.

The 7th section further provides, That every bill which passes the house
of representatives and the senate, before it becomes a law, shall be
presented to the president of the United States; if he objects to it the
sense of both houses will be again taken on the subject, and if two-thirds
of the members are in favour of the bill, it passes into a law.

Much clamour has been made about the power of the president; it has been
asserted that his influence would be such as to enable him to continue in
office during life.

Such insinuations are founded on a very slender basis. If the president
opposes the sense of both houses, without sufficient reasons for his
conduct, he will soon become obnoxious, and his influence vanish like the
fleeting smoke; and his objection to anything which the house and senate
may think calculated for the promotion of the publick good, will be of no
effect.

Sect. 8 provides, That Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes,
duties, imposts, excises, &c.--to pay debts, to provide for the common
defence and general welfare of the United States--that all duties, imposts
and excises shall be uniform throughout the Union--they shall have power to
coin money, and to fix the value thereof, &c.--The impotency of the present
Congress sufficiently indicates the necessity of granting greater po