The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-01-07

tenth section of article first of he Cunstiiu-
tioa, which says: " No State shall. without
the consent Of Congress, lay amy impost or
duties on imports, or exports, exrept what
may he absolutely necessary for executing
its Inspection laws and the net produce of
all duties, and imposis. laid l;y any State on
Imports and exports. shall he for the use of
the Treasury of the United States and all !
such laws shall he subject TO the revision
and control of the Congress"
To say nothing Of the clear Indications in
the JOarnal of the Convention of 1857 That ,
the clause was intended merely tn provide /,
for expenses incurred by particular States, |
in their Inspection laws, and in such inn |
provements as they might choose to make F;
in their harhnrs ami rivers, with the sane
ton of Congress-ohiects To y mich the re-
served power has been applied. in several
instances, at the request of Virginia and
Georgia-how could it ever he imagined
that any State wOnld wish to tax its own
trade for the encouragement Of manutar-
lures, if posse ssed of the authority, or could,
in fact, do so, if wishing it?
A tax on imports would le a tax on its own
consumption; and the net proceeds 60
ing, according to the clause, not into as
own Treasury, hut into the Treasury of the
separately for the equal gain OF all the other
States; and as far as the manufactures. so
encouraged, might succeed in ultimately
increasing the stork in market. and lower
ing the price nv rompetition this advantage.
-aiso, pIorurei at the sole expense of the
State, would lie common to all the others
But the very suggestion of such an eXpe-
dient 10 any State, wo:ld have an air OF
mnckerv, when its experienced impractIra-
hillty is taken into view. No one, who rec
ollects or recars TO The period when the
power over commerce WAS IN the individual
States, and separate attempts were mule 10
tax. or Otherwise regulate it. need he told
that the attempts were not only abortlve,
Int, by demonstrating the necessity o' gen
eral AMI uniform regulations, gave the oIig
inal Impulse TO the constitutional reform
WIFI prov, led o. such regulations.
To tefer State. therefore. Ia the exercise
Of a power, as reserved to- her hv the Con-
stitntion, the impossihiliiv of exercising
which was an indnrement Ia alopt the
Constitution, is, of all remedial devices. the
last that Ought to he thought forward
And what rem ers il the more cXtraordIna
~. is. that. rs the tax on commerce. as far
as il o Id he separately roiec;e,', instead
of belonging to the Treasury of the State.
as previous 81 the Constitution. would lie u
tribute to the United States. the State would
! e in a worse ron.liton. afitI the adoption
of the Constitution, than before, in reference
tO an important interest. the improvement of
which was particular oljert in adopting
the Constitution.
Were Congress 10 make the proposed
declaration of consent tn state tariffs in
favor of State manufactures, AMI the per
mitted attempts did not defeat themselves.
what would he the situation of States .leriv-
ing their foreign supplies through the ports
of other States It is evident that they
might he compelled to pay, in their con-
sumption of particular articles imported, II
tax for the common treasury not roInmOn
70 all the States. without having aay mahu-
5arrIre protinr-t nf thnir H. &c, psrfa q
of the contemplated benefit.
of the impractirahiliiy Of separate regu-
lations of trade. and the resulting nnressiv
of general regulations. no State was more
sensible than Virginia. She vas arcor,i-
ingiv aiming the most earnest for granting
to Congress a power adequate tn the OIL
ject. On more Occasions than one ia the
proceedings of her Legislative councils. it
was rerited "that the relative situation of
the States had i.een found, on trirI tn re-
quira uniformity in their commerrial repula-
lions ms the only effacfual policy for obtain
ing in the ports Of foreign nations stipn.
lNtion of privileges reciprocal to those on
Joyed Ivy the sui lacts Of such nations IN the
Torts Of the United States for preventing
anlmosliies which cannot fail to arse a.nonp
the several States from tho Interference of
partial an separate regulations; and for
deriving nom commerce such aids 10 the
pnhllc revenue az II ought to G ont ril.utcr e. -
During the delays and dis.,nnrapements
experienced in the atiensiis to invest Con-
gress WITH the necessary powers. tho State
VI virginia made varinns trails of what
fohid done bv her Individual llws. She
injured on duties and impoSts as ~ source
of revenue Resolutions werr passed AT ono
time to encourage anl nrotect her q vn nav
ignition and ship hnilding: and in ronse-
a"enre of complaints and petitions from
Norfolk. Alexandra. and other nlaces. A.
gainst the mnnopoii7inp navigation laws of
Great Britain. particularly in the trade
tef,Ceen the United STATES and The British
VeSt Indies. she deliherated, with n purpose
controlled only nv the inefficarv of separate
measures. on the exDeriment nf foIring n
reciprocity hv prohibitorv regulations of her
own. lSee Journal Of House of Delegates
in 1855
Inc effect nj her separate attempts IN
raise revenue by duties nm imports, soon
appeared in representations from her mer-
chants, that the commerce of the State was
ban'Shed nv them into other rhnnnels. es-
perially of MARYLAND. whore imports wore
less nr'iened than in Virginia. [See do.
for l7ss.1
Snrh tendency of separate rngnaiions
was indee ton manifest to escape anticipa-
ton. Among the projects prompted Nv The
want Of Federal authority over ronmerce.
was that If concert first proposed on the
part of MnrVland FIR n nirnrn,itn &c rne-..I.