cutive, and judiciary powers into different
departments. In the federal constitution the judiciary powers are
separated from the others; but the legislative and executive are both
exercised by Congress. A means of amending this defect has been thought
of. Congress having a power to establish what committees of their own
body they please, and to arrange among them the distribution of their
business, they might, on the first day of their annual meeting, appoint
an executive committee consisting of a member from each State, and refer
to them all executive business which should occur during their session;
confining themselves to what is of a legislative nature, that is to say,
to the heads described in the ninth article, as of the competence of
nine States only, and to such other questions as should lead to the
establishment of general rules. The journal of this committee of the
preceding day might be read the next morning in Congress, and considered
as approved, unless a vote was demanded on a particular article, and
that article changed. The sessions of Congress would then be short, and
when they separated, the Confederation authorizes the appointment of a
committee of the States which would naturally succeed to the business of
the executive committee. The legislative business would be better done,
because the attention of the members would not be interrupted by the
details of execution; and the executive business would be better done,
because business of this nature is better adapted to small than great
bodies. A monarchical head should confide the execution of its will to
departments, consisting each of a plurality of hands, who would warp
that will as much as possible towards wisdom and moderation, the two
qualities it generally wants. But a republican head, founding its
decrees originally in these two qualities, should commit them to a
single hand for execution, giving them thereby a promptitude which
republican proceedings generally want. Congress could not, indeed,
confide their executive business to a smaller number than a committee
consisting of a member from each State. This is necessary to insure the
confidence of the Union. But it would be gaining a great deal to reduce
the executive head to thirteen, and to relieve themselves of those
details. This, however, has as yet been the subject of private
conversations only.

3. A succinct account of paper money, in America?

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