I 



On the Foundation of Civil Government. 503 



memberfliip on the terms propofed. Fifthly, 

 As fo large a portion of the laws of every com- 

 munity confift of regulations concerning, pro- 

 perty, the right of fufFrage ought to be confi- 

 dered as connefled with both the objefts of law, 

 viz. perfons and property. Even if two fepa- 

 rate legiflatures were provided, one for a civily 

 and the other for a criminal code, yet would the 

 preceding objeftions hold with refpefl to the 

 latter. Sixthly, The exclufion on the ground 

 above-mentioned, would extend to fo fmall a 

 portion of the fociety, that where the reprefen- 

 tation is adequate there would be little chance 

 but the regulations adopted would accord with 

 the inclinations of a majority of the whole com- 

 munity. 



To the preceding reafons may be added, the 

 difficulty of afcertaining who had or had not 

 voted before for any particular diftridt, if mere 

 perfonality gave this right — the probable fuf- 

 picion of want of knowledge and independance 

 in this clafs of people^ — the confideration that 

 thofe who enjoyed the right inqueftion, would 

 be equally interefted with the perfons excluded, 

 as to thofe laws in which alone the latter could 

 claim an intereft — the ftimulus to exertion, 

 which the exclufion itfelf would furnifli — and 

 the fuperior facility with which the fuffrages of 

 a community could be colle(5led, if confined to 

 K k 4 houfeholders. 



