Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1809-01-30


worth aboW 2soo dollars; aud bonds
for FIX times this amount, or IS ooo
dollars, will be required for every
trip they make-for only about three
or four weeks employment tor their
yeilsls.
The coaiters are generally of a ref
peetaole but not wealthy clafs of per-
fons-lhey inhabit new country,
th.,ly fe,rled for the land they &C.
copy, many OF them are partially in
debted, as well as for the equipment
Of their veilels- under preient cir-
cumitanccs, in many cafes, the whole
vicinity. for an extent OF teveral
miles, could no, multer $1,000 dol
lars in money, to pay the penalty
provided the law was violated the
confequence muft be, either that the
regulation mutt b. falacy on &C
count of inefficient bondfmen being
given, and be mere buiineis OF vex-
alton, or the trade wou d IN many
iuaanees be abandoned from the
inability Of the owners OF vehels to
procur. fuch bondfmen as would be-
acceptable to the collector IT The
Latter were the cafe, ana the princi-
pal parr Of the trade were cut oil,
the inhabitants Of that part Of Maj
fachulr,ts, who have hitherto receiv-
ed their titewood from Maine, might
be greatly incommoded for the fup.
plies of an Indispensable necehary of
life in climate 10 insl:ment, as the
one they inhahit, while the inhabi-
tants of Maine would be equally dis
trehed, from being interdietcd from
the purfuis of their ordinary occu'
pations - from being deprived OF a
market for almoft the only cath ar
,icle they now poaefs-from proeur-
ing clothes to cover them, or Of OBJ.
tanning food for their fubfiitence, for
in many parts Of that diitries, they
do not raile corn enough for their
confumption. .li|
And iaid Mr.. l.. what authority
have Congrcfs to prohibit fuch a trade
as this, for an indefinite period T..
1t was not given by the contribution,
nor in his opinion was it BY any
means certain that Congrsfs poilef-
fed it +: perhaps gentlemen were not
aware on how frail a tenure it might
be conldered that they held even the
right to regulate this trade-it might
be found TO rcit on no more fold
BATS than that of fuferancc-he
knew that there was fwceping
cIaufe in the conititution, on which
gentlemen placed great reliance, that
Congrefs lhould poAefs the power to
make all laws that might be necefla-
ry for carrying the contribution into
effect but he alto knew that in all
political contracts, whatever was not
specifically given, was retained. he
alto knew that amendments to the
contribution, Whenever they clathed
with the original Populations in the
contribution were of hyperion force
| and by the nth and I2th amend
ments, it was expressly declared, that
the [" enumeration 10 the contribution
Of certain rights, ihall not be confirm
cd TO deny or disparage others re-
.aincd by the people. That the pow
ers not delegated to the United States
by the contribution, nor prohibited
by it to the States, are rcieryed to the
aates repe7iveiy, or 10 he 9eepis.'
Now, faid Mr.. l.. wha, is the au-
thority given by the contribution to
the general government with regard
to commerce-it is comprifed in two
lines" Congrefs lnall have power
to repsL,tc commerce with foreign
nations, and among the feveral States
and with the Indian Tribes" Now,
apply this TO the coating trade be-
tween two ports in the fame fate,
take for example the ports of Bolton
and Portland, and if this trade be
nor trade with foreign nations-a
trade among rhe feyeral States, or
| trade with The Indain Tribes, then
| Cir. whence arifes your power ever
| TO regulate it, except from fuhcrance ?
| It may be said that it is natural 20
fupposc rhe trainers of the conifiru-
non meant to give TO the general
governments, the fame power 70 resu-
late a trade between two ports Ia the