They will distribute the powers of government into three parts,
legislative, judiciary, and executive. The legislative will certainly
have no hereditary branch, probably not even a select one, (like our
Senate). If they divide it into two chambers at all, it will be by
breaking the representative body into two equal halves by lot. But
very many are for a single House, and particularly the Turgotists. The
imperfection of their legislative body, I think, will be, that not a
member of it will be chosen by the people directly. Their representation
will be an equal one, in which every man will elect and be elected as
a citizen, not as of a distinct order. _Quaere_, whether they will elect
placemen and pensioners? Their legislature will meet periodically,
and sit at their own will, with a power in the executive to call
them extraordinarily, in case of emergencies. There is a considerable
division of sentiment whether the executive shall have a negative on
the laws. I think they will determine to give such a negative, either
absolute or qualified. In the judiciary, the parliaments will be
suppressed, less numerous judiciary bodies instituted, and trial by jury
established in criminal, if not in civil cases. The executive power
will be left entire in the hands of the King.
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