Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-01-19

on more mature investigation, To- b,. calcul,
ted rather Ia promote State, than Nation
al purpose, 1t is houn,i-to do what? To re-
schld the measure If it be possible or 10 take
| lach what ms been given? o: IL either is still
| incomplete, Ia stop short and leave IL so p
No, but-to psrsevere in the measure, or 10
continue the appropriations until every State
or Section, not benefited by the FIRST. have re-
ceived distinct and adequate cu,iiralen,.-
IN Other words, the only way Ia rctrac. your
steps whenyou find that you have done wrong
| Is To so on In the same coursc-ihe only way
10 remedy the evil, isto increase TIN short
The argument leads In the nonsirous consr-
quehce, mat one unwise or unjust measure
must be followed, in all cases. by AS many
oiners, Just as unwise or must, rs there. are
States 10 put in claim for such a strange.
anomalous compensation, and that the viola
uon of The Constitution in a single equivocal
Instance ought IN reason to lead to SO many
open, avowed and reckless outrages upon il.
III Is To no purpose 10 urge that IN equva-
lent may IN this particular case he extended
to all the old States without producing any
very bad effect. What we complain of-at
least what we ought to complain of-when
the constitution has been violated in any res
pectls that IT has been Uiointed. This is an
c'ii that admits OF no equraleut-no compcn
sation. rms State is accustomed to contri-
butte more, in the ordinary course of Things.
than IN proportion either to her size or popu.
iauon she ough, so trihing an addition To the
burdens she continually bears for the sake of
others, would scarce be felt. But she wonld
De guilty oil supine and criminal indifference.
u she saw, without making an effort to check.
such an alteration of the national government
from its proper sphere, as is implied in az, at
tempt to meddle with the internal concerns of
the States, and to make AN application of the
common resources to that purpose.
NOT TO mention that there are many cases
III which compensation would be evidently
Impossible, and the argument of the Reviewer
would lead us TO the most absurd and ridicu-
lous consequences. For example, Congress
winch has no right to make an approximation
out oil The National Treasury, for State pur-
Poscs-a tortio11 has no right to make an APP
preparation TO individuals or TO companies. AS
vi land be money! they have repeatedly done.
Yet IL this argument of the North American
reviewers is good for any thing, it certainly
proves that there would .be no other means of
correcting the evil in case such an appropri,
ton were made--but by making similar grants
10 all the individuals or corporations which
Inc naiion might contain Or suppose a.
mother case: Congress thinks proper 10 open
a great turnpike road from Washington TO
Lexington, In Kentucky. It's afterwards de
cided ny the proper authorities. that Congress-
mas no power TO construct turnpike roads. or
TO undertake any other kind of internal i'm
pToVements. The reviewer would of course
say, you nave done wrong-it is true Won did
so In despite ofthe decided opinions and mos,
strenuous efforts of the del gates from tba,
part OF the country through which this (sup
posed road passes no maiter-a certsin
sum OF money has been laid out among the ci
tizens OF Virginia MISUNDERSTANDING
y or not, is not the present questcn-it is SUI
nclent that IT has been laid out and that Won
had no constitutional right to dispose of,he
treasure of the Union for Stat.. purposes.
Now, the only way to correct the evil IS to |
continue 1T great deal further-is To compel
IN Sc two States to pay back as much as they
nave received to the other members of the
cohieueracy-and TO make the whole nalion
contribute twenty or thirty times as much AS
| they have done-twenty or thirty times MARI
than, by your own showing, they ought to
have done, IN order that by running turnpike
roads IN twenty or thirty different directions,
they may all stand upon the same footing in
this violation ofthe social compact!
The Committee of Finance, in the Senate oil
the y. states, to whom was referred the Me
moral OF the Trustees of the Transylyana
University, praying for a repeal of the duties
on books imported into the United States.n
have made a Report, concluding with the fol-
lowing Resolution
"Res0tred, That is, at this time iRerpd;e,t 10 re-
pea. the duty on the importation OF books
Inc Committee contend, that by the act of
Apnl 1916, books as well rs other specified
articles, imported "by order and for the use of
any seminary oflearnin5," are dLreqdyexempt-
Ell from duty-that general exception would
operate as encouragement ON the niaDufac-
nd
wei as on the printing of5ookS, " which is al
ready advancing to its highest perfection -
mat II might operate even against American
authors, whom the constitution has placed
under the protection of Congress :" as TO-
| reign books would inundate the literary mar
ket, and even his own productions from n
foreign press might be made to impair. if not
defeat his exclusive right ;'-that il would
lessen our revenue (which is chiefly derived
from imposts) not only by the loss of the du
ties on books, but by diminution in the
quantity oftypes and paper we might import :;
that our common schools are already furnish
ed with cheap American editions of British
books our scminaries may import free of du
| ty the most rare and costly books IN any lam
SuaSe; that ii is therefore the private man
OF fortune, who wishes these " expensive
and highly finished editions" which are ms
much hruTy as any other extravagant cx-
penditure," and as little deserve the indul
gence Of the tarff.--The committee con-
clude with this very objectionable suggestion :;
that If British books are let in, free of duty, we
shall be inundated with British books !" our
channels of instruction will be foreign, our
youth will imbibe sentiments form attach
ments, and acquire habits Of thinking adverse
to our prosperity, uniriendly TO our govern
ment and dangerous TO Our liberties "-Ve
| no ir ,frgf,f h.. 4.
books they please, without the governments
attempting to play the part Of II liceuser. We