Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-01-08

ingredient Of revenue was occasionally
overlooked or disregarded in the British
regulations. as in the duty on sugar and
molasses imported into the Colonies
And II was fortunate that the attempt at
an internal and direct tax, in the case of
the Stamp Act produced radical ex.
animation OF the subject before a regu.
latlon OF trade with view of revenue
bad grown into an established authority
One thing at least is certain, that the
main and admitted object Of the ParIia
mehtary regulations of trade with the
Colonies. was the encouragement of
manufactures in Great Britain.
But the present question is unconnec-
ted with the former relations between
Great Britain and her colonies, which
were OF peculiar, complicated, and,
IN several respects, OF an underlined
character. II is simple question under
the Constitution of the United States,
whether "the power to regulate trade
with foreign nations" as a distinct and
substantive item in the enumei ated pow.
ers embraces the object Of encouraging
by duties restrictions and prohibitions,
the manufactures and products of the
country And the affirmative must be
inferred from the following considera-
tons.
I. The meaning of the phrase "to
regulate trade" must be sought in the
general use Of it; in other words, in the
objects to which the power was gen ral.
ly understood to be applicable, when
the phrase was inserted in the Constitu.
ton.
Q. The power has been understood
and used by all commercial and manu-.
featuring nations, as embracing the OBJ
lect of encouraging manufactures. It's
believed that not a single exception can
be named
8 This has been particularly the case
with Great Britain, whose commercial
vocabulary is the pareat OF ours. A
preliminary object of her commercial
regulations is well known to have been
the protection and encouragement OF
| her manufactures.
4. Such was understood TO be a pro-
per use OF the power by the States most
prepared for manufacturing industry,
whilst retaining the power, by Congress
accords with the intention and eypecta.
ton OF The States, in transferring the
power over trade. from the M elves to the
Government ofsthe United States
This was emphaticslly the case ia the
Eastern, the more manufacturing mem
bers of the Confederacy. Hear the
language held in the Convention of Mas
sachusetts.
By Mr.. Dawes, an advocate for the
Constitution, it was observed, "Our ma
nufactures are another great subject
which has received no encouragement
by nationel duties on foreign manufac
lures, and they never can BY any au
"thorIty IN the old Confederation. A.
gain, VT we wish to encourage our o,on
manufactures, to preserve our own com
"merce' to raise the value of our own
lands we must give Congress the pow.
"eIs in question"
BY MIR. Widgery. an opponent: "All
1--WE hear is, that the merchant and far
"mer will flourish, and that the nee ham
"ic and tradesman are 10 make their
fortunes directly, If, the Constitution
"goes down"
The Convention of Massachusetts was
the only one in New England whose de.
bates have been preserved. BUTT eau
not be doubted that the sentiment there
expressed was common u the other
States in that quarter, more especially to
Connecticut and Rhode Island, the most
thickly peopled of all the States, and
having of course, their thoughts most
turned to the subject of manufactures
A like inference may be confidently
applied to New Jersey, whose debates
IN Convention have not been preserved.
In the populous and manufacturing
State of Pennsylvania, partial account
only Of the debates having been pub.
lished, nothing certain is known Of what
passed in her Convention on this point.
But ample evidence may be found else
where, that regulations of trade, for the
encouragement of manufactures, we're
considered as within the power to be
granted to the new Congress, as well
as within the scope Of the national poll
cy. Of the States South of Pennsyl.
vania' the only two in whose Conven-
tons the debates have been preserved
are Virginia and North Carolina, and
from these no adverse inferences can be