The recorder, or, Lady's and gentleman's miscellany. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1801-1802, 1802-05-01

attention OF ttote who may tapport the
prclent fytten, is iolicired,
1.-THE Legislature Of Virginia can i'm
poie a tax OF forty dollars, it teems TO
be a fair, and indeed an inevitable con-
cluhon, that they may raile 1t To nifty
dollars; TO one hundred, TO one rhoufand,
IN ihort, to 4 1urn which may materially
affect the coniumption of foreign goods
in this fate, and Of courfc the amount
of duties, received by the Treaiury OF
the United States. But il hasbeen al
ready ihewn, that it was the delign of the
Contribution in the reci1ed clauIcs, TO
give the revenues ariliDg from duries on
imports, exclulively TO the general &c
vernment, and place thoie revenues,
intireiy beyond the reach OF THE fate
Legislatures.
Now it is rule Of logic, as we'll as of
common fenfe, thar premifes from which
al Inference falic in itlelf, is correctly
deduced, mutt be faile alto In the
preient initance, the foregoing conclu-
iion which is luppoted to DC a fair dcduc-
tlon from the law, asserts char the Ie-
giilature of Virginia, has indirectly con-
trout over the revenues OF the general
government ariling from foreign goods;
bur the Conltirurlon gives theie revenues
70 the general government, exclulivcIy,
and moreover prohibits the flares from
touching them, without the conlenr of
ConSreis, and even then for the benefit
9th eFederal Treafury only. The con-
cluEon therefore being repugnant TO the
Contribution, is falie, and coniequently
the preniics from which il is drawn,
nruf be erroneous.
IF it ihall be fad thac this is not cor
rect, rhoie who ihall advocate the right
of the Legiilature, to impoie this tax,
tur llall deny their righr to carry il TO
any extent 20 which they may chute TO
carry it, viii point out, the exact de-
grees OF laticude within which they mutt
feer their conrte, and the reaion why
they arc confined witnin thofc de-
grecs.
II purifying the fame train of rea(on-
ing, we come to conciujion, ftiil more
formidable to the independence of the
general government. II the itates may
conRitutionally impole TAX on mer-
chants, 70 heavy, as TO affect the con-
lumptlon Of foreign goods, and thus to
impair the revenues Of the Federal
Treafury, ariling from duties on choGc
goods, they may conftitucionaiLy aug
menr the tax, until by degrees, the con
fumPrion Of foreign goods is done away,
and the revenue OF the general govern-
menr is totally CUE of. This con
cilfion, though at preiene appa-
RELY improbable in event, is fair
inference from the law, and merits
particular notice at this TING, b-cauG1
rhofe who now have the management
ofpubiic affairs, ltem difpotcd TO rely,
for the fupport Of government, and the
performance gifts engagements, almoit
exclufvcly on that flGd, in which the
law in qucRion alters, that the ita-cS
have right indirectly TO participate
Another inference from the law be-
fore us prefcnrs igltls, waich, from two
points Of view, merits very ferrous At
teniion.
If the fates can conGitutionally tax
the whole body Of wholslale and retail
dealers, it mutt be Admired, they may
conttiturionally ra,; part Of that body.
The burtben may be impofed, on the
whoieiale dealers only, or they may be
exempted from all impoti5ion, as by
the law of 1886, and the whole tax
thrown on the retailers. ia dilcrimi-
nation can be made, between tho lcYerag
clafes of men engaged in trade, il
may be made between individuals OF the
G,,,-s clo{, There &c No Enc r,,eri-e,1