Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-01-26

l aot an SSSSuttaa part VI va Se>s'su"S"b
but that this clause like all Others in the
eighth section, is mere grant OF spower.
Ifthsn this clause which gives congress
exclusive Legislation over this territory,
is emily grant sfpowsr, the uss she may
uncenstitutionally make of the power, de-
pends on the extent Of the grant, and we
may fairly enquire, whether the power o.
YER this territory i, conferred on congress,
10 terms 80 unlimited as to authorize
~. transfer to any other person or per-
! sons.
In order to decide this question:, it will
| be necessary to ascertain; what IS ths pow
er conferred on Congress o,.. this DIS
trict, BY the terms exclusive legs at'on, M
al gases whatsoever. is it the sane H.
mit-d sovereignty which she possesses
over o.hrr territories OF the Upited States
which have mol become states! Or is 1t an
absolute soversif MY? In other countries
where no written comPacts or charters sx'
is, between the people nd those who go
vern, sovereignty IS defined to b. the
" power of making laws A right to
dictate the rul. of action in all cases SUD-
ise,t 10 no sonuoul is certainly complete
sovereignty. In this country, ia the IN
dvidual states, the sovereignty resides in
the people, and The Legislative power ex-
tends only to certain specified object fixed
b. their cons buttons. Under the general
government also, the legislative power OF
congress, so far as it respects the conted-
era,cd states, eS ends ONLY TO aer,ain spe-
s,ivd objects fixed by the constitution, AID
all lowers not expressly given are reserv-
cd by the states or the people. In speak
ing therefore of the legislative power OF a
tate, or " congress, 30 far as it relaves
20 the Uni,ed States. we mean nothing
mere than he power of making such laws
as are authorised by the constitutions OF
he diff rent states or Of the u ni,t States.
Hs III opposed, however, that the terms
" exclusive legi,lauon," contained In the
article which gave to congress jurisdiction
over this territory had very different
meaning from The mtre power Of making
laws. 4 hey did, in his OPINION, vest in
rgress absolute severe 'gnty over the d.
,riCi. He had no doeb but that the words
were selected for that purpose. An sbsc.
ut sovereignty is he pow r to pass laws
without any limitation as to the exercise of
hat power. LIZ any gentleman attend to
the claus. which gives to congress jnri.-
dletion over this district of country: Con-
grsss s. al have power TO exercise exelu
sive iegi, alton ii all eases whatsoever.
What is the Limitation to this roTer? Is
there any but the moral ctitude Of con-
grs.s? Have the people ct this territory
any charter of rights! if,hev have, :ere
is il to be found? Can they claim the con
.titu,ion ef the Uoi,sJ States as their
charter OF rights? They are not parties 20
that compact. If they are al all parties to
tina, compact, i, must be as citizens OF
MARYLAND and V rg;nia. Whatever r;shs
as portion of the ST atss of Maryland and
Virginia they might have inquired, BY
be .ng ciizens of these states, at the time
he constitutions of the United States was
adopted, were certainly lost by the acts OF
cession Of Maryland and Virginia. B,
that transfer they lost their chartered
rights under tae state constitutions OF Ma
ryi MI and Vngin a and also the rights
they had acquired under the constitution OF
h. Unit d SAFES as por'i MS OF the states
cf Maryla d ard Virginia at the time OF It's
adoption By the act, of cession their
right ofpropc:ty oalyis secured; their Po-
l,tc,! rights vested ~ congress. And he
pc pie o. this territory have as good
right TO claim as their charter. the state
cor, iluiiors Of Mar, land and Virginia, as
they would have to cl in the c"ns.it t oo
nf The United States. The'r rights as ci-
tizens Of those s,a.eS are lost. 1t IS rot
thert fore in the constitution Of III: Unit
States we are TO look for he limitation at
the pc wer Of congress rs i les, scts 'h's
district. I, i. in tn. p opie off district
we art to look for this Limitation Have
they any share in our elections Are we
in any shape responsible 70 them Are
they represented on this floor! DO they
pretend to claim, or exercise any political
rights! If then an absolute power to le.
risla,e without con,roul, either by charter,