points twenty-three Electors. The State of New Jersey sends two Senators and six Representatives, and therefore appoints eight Electors.

No senator, representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States, can be appointed an Elector. The Electors vote by ballot; and in the event of there being several candidates, and no one being voted for by more than half of the Electors, one of the three candidates that have the greatest number of votes is chosen by the House of Representatives. The Representatives vote by States on this occasion, each State having only one vote. The people, however, always try to prevent the election being thus referred to the Representatives, as in voting by States the small States are as powerful as the large.

The President is elected for four years, and there is no restriction as to his being re-elected. But no President has served for a longer time than eight years; and this, indeed, by custom, is almost considered the time for which he is elected, as, after the first four years, his election is not contested. All the Presidents have served eight years except Adams, who, in consequence of his having passed an Alien Law, increased the army in time of peace, and done other acts disagreeable to the people, was turned out by them at the end of his four years.

Adams was at the head of a party calling them

selves Federals (the Tories of the United States); but this party, owing to their violent, treasonable, and unconstitutional conduct, during the last war with Great Britain, has made itself generally odious to the people, and is at present almost annibilated.

"The Vice-President is ex-officio President of the Senate; his salary is 5,000 dollars per annum, and his ordinary duty is to preside in the Senate of the United States. He is elected in the same manner, at the same time, for the same term, and by the same electors, as the President." *

The Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of War, and the Secretary of the Navy, hold their offices at the will of the President, by whom they are chosen. Each of these Secretaries receives a salary of 6,000 dollars per annum.

I may here remark, that all the salaries given by the people to their public officers are certainly too small and insufficient. The President himself does not receive a higher salary than the English Minister at Washington; and the Secretaries have scarcely more than the British Secretary of Legation. All public officers, who are really useful, should be paid handsomely and liberally—indeed, rather overpaid than underpaid; for it is only at sinecures that a nation has a right to grumble.

* Vide National Calendar and the Constitution of the United States.

2

Each State sends two Senators to Congress, who are elected for six years. These Senators are elected by the legislatures of the different States, and not, as is the case with the Representatives, by the people themselves. A Senator must be thirty years of age, and nine years a citizen of the United States.cudu en

...The Senate, as soon as the members of it had assembled, in consequence of the first election held after the framing the constitution, was divided as equally as could be into three classes. The seats of the Senators of the first class were vacated at the expiration of the second year; of the second class at the expiration of the fourth year; and of the third class, at the expiration of the sixth year. This was done, in order that the Senate itself remaining a perpetual body, one-third of its member should vacate their seats every second year. All the senators afterwards chosen were, as they are at present, elected for six years. Ageng sub ada

When a new State is admitted into the Union, it is determined by lot, to which class the new Senators shall belong. This is done to keep up the same arrangement, dendr

The Senate, whenever the President of the United States proceeds to any important nomination, has the power of withholding its consent; in which case the sitting is held with closed doors, and the journal of its proceedings is then secret. It has also a vote in the ratification of treaties, in

F

which case it is indispensable that two-thirds should consent. The Senate is also a court, for the trial of high crimes and misdemeanours, upon impeachment by the House of Representatives. The Senate keeps up a great deal of dignity in its proceedings; and will not allow, in debate, any of its members to speak disrespectfully of foreign powers, even when they are enemies.

The House of Representatives is composed of members chosen every two years by the people of the several States. The number of people that are entitled to be represented, is settled after every census, which census takes place every ten years. The present number that sends one Representative to Congress is 40,000. Although slaves have no votes, yet three-fifths of them are, in the slaveholding States, counted as whites. Thus, for instance, if a State has 100,000 slaves, three-fifths, or 60,000, are counted as whites, and are added to the number of whites in the State, after which every 40,000 sends a Representative.

Each State settles the qualifications for its own voters; for although allowed to send one Representative for every 40,000, this regulation merely determines the number a State shall send, and it by no means follows that every individual of the 40,000 should have a vote. Thus in Maryland it is necessary that a voter have a freehold of fifty acres of land, or property in the State above the value of

thirty pounds current money; whereas in the State of New York, the elections are founded on universal suffrage.

A Representative must have attained the age of twenty-five years, and have been seven years a ci tizen of the United States.

"Each Senator and Representative receives for his services, from the public treasury, eight dollars per diem, during the period of his attendance in the Senate or House. The same allowance is made to each for every twenty miles of the usual road in going to and returning from the seat of Govern

ment.

"The Congress must assemble at least once in every year, on the first Monday in December, if not otherwise provided for by law. The President of the United States may convene them at any time, upon giving forty days' notice." *

Such is the General outline of the Government established by the people of the United States, a Government by far the most perfect that has ever yet existed; inasmuch as it is simple and economical, and at the same time admirably calculated for securing the liberties of the nation.

Our own Government is Representative, though but imperfectly so, I should imagine; for I have been told, though no doubt falsely, that any indi

* National Calendar.