Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-10-17

pose according To the necessities Of the State, without
regard to property or income.
AN ADVOCATE OF POLITICAL Equality.
October ~. 1929.
FOR TIE ENQUIRER.
Petersburg, l5th Oct. 1929.
InessTs. Eduofs 81 have no come xion whatever,
wih the great world a, Washington, and the l.boriou.
nature OF my occupations. leaves me no leisure, even II
mad the talent, TO write for the instruction of my fel-
iow-ciiizens. Yet, l feel il TO he one of the mos, i'm.
portaut oil my duties, at least so far to attend TO the no.
Nucai movements OF the times, "a to be able. at each
returning election, 10 bestow my humble vote. in a
manner best calculated 10 preserve those liberties.
which have hitherto conducted us along a course of
such unparalleled prosperity.-I have been lorg tho.
roughly convinced. that The sacred preservation Of the
rights oil the States, and the keeping Of the Fedora!
government, strictly within the limits assigned 10 il. are
essentially necessary TO our very existence az n free
peopie.-My object, however, Is not 10 write a political
Essay; but merely to ask you to lay before nv fnIlow.
QUEENS, Tor their consideration. soma facts and circun.
stances, in relation TO the onsiiiufion1 iity of the Las,
tarih-iaw' which seem TO have escaped the attention Of
those who have discussed the matter before the public.
tne advocates OF the Tariff contend, that the Fe9e-
RAJ government may, consiitu'ionaliy, impose duties for
the sole purpose Of encouraging manufactures. Tho
snch duties may not he necessary for revenne-On the
1,her hand the opponents of ths Tariff deny, that the
Federal Government has any power 10 inpose dn,i.s
Tor any other purpose than revenue hut. If revenue
oe necessary, then they admit, that duties NAV he q,
imposed Tor mat purpose, as in their consequ mes. and
rom ~ manner oil their operation, to have The effect Of
encouraging manufactures. The question, then, is this:
Chn congress impose duties, Tor the sole purpose of en-
courag'ng manufactures or not?
The preamble of the frs, TariGJ,w ,,r,rod
on the 4Nh OF July, 1889. ia in these word. " Wher,-
as hns necessary, Tor the support of Government. fr
me discharge OF the debts of the United S'a'es. and the
encouragement and prote ciion of manufactures. ,ba,
duties he laid on goods, wares, and merchandise i'm
por,ea; This preamble, it has been often urged, af
iords me most satisfactory evidence Of The fact. Of is
having been always under TODD, that the Federal Go.
yernmcnt does possess The power to pass laws. SOLELY
Tor " The Encouragement and protection or n,g,,,,c,c,
n"es. but 10 this IL has been answered, that This pre-
ambie, when taken altogether, truly expresse, Tie 'ex.
T nv ~ power which the opposers of the present
'ar''i' admit that Congress do possess; which ia. that
-" tohen IL is necessary for the support of Gop.
er''menf,' to raise repenue, then the duties lsid for that
purpose, may be so imposed. "a to encourage manuf,c-
lures; but not Tor the sole purpose Of encouraging
them.
Bnt. II is remarkablo, that in the mex, Tariff Law
passed oy me same Congress, or set of federal lcsi-Ia
tors' tney nave not thought proper 10 Indicate, as i'm The
preamble Of their first act, that it was their intention.
mat me encouragement of manufactures should be pro-
y,aea ,or, even as an incident or consequence, of the
duties they were then about To impose, for the necessa-
~ support Of Gopernmsnt-The preamble Of the az.
cond Tariii,Law, approved I0lh August, 1890, is in the SC
words" Whereas by an act entitled, an ACT for LAYING
a duty on goods. wares. and merchandise ;,,nor,ed
INTO the United States, divers duties were laid on goods
wares ana merch 'ndizes, so imported, for the discharge
OF the debts Of the United States, and the encorrare.
ment and projection Of manufactures And, wherea.
me support oil Government, and the discharge of the
SAD neb,s, render II necessary 10 increase the said du.
ues. he language OF the preamble of the first Ta-
rf Act, is thus reciled, almost entire and verbatim. and
then II is declared, that the sole objects of the new TIA.
rif, are "he support Of government, and he dis.
charge of the said debts."1Thisa alteration in a.. I
guage OF Congress, did not happen by acciden,: IL arose
from a more mature deliberation, and was The result Of
a iul conviction, that the Federal Government had M
power TO impose duties, solely for the purpose of en-.
couraging manufactures. as is clearly proved by a letter
i,om The late Samuel Chase, Of Maryland. 10 the late
Richard III. Lee, who was al that time one of our Sem
atnrs, in the Senate Of the United States; which letter
was written in the month Of July, 1899, Will. the frs,
i"r'ff Law was pending before Congress. 1t is in these
words
" sometimes see debates in the low, or house Of Par.
lament but mons in the Senate; 1 hear their doors are
ockeo' u rue am sorry Tor ii. ] retain my r%epuhli-
can principles. although our government, and the prin-
eiples OF The people, are changed. and are monarchicaI
l approve OF the amendments Of the Senate to the i'm
post bill: the duties are yet too high, and ex,ericnce
will prove IL. Think me subject of me bin o,,obf IN
haze been diuidcd duties for reuenue; duties lar ie
regulation Of tradej and duties to encourage manu-
JaefiHes, II you haze any po,csr Jy the Constitution
to impose tdres or duties Jr these pvposes. I net.
ceive by the bill for the establishment of the judicial
court', that the jury trial is secured. II the jury nal
depends on a law. j suppose 1, may be modified. or TAX.
en- away by another law. ] think the bill is ably drrrn.
think there are some defects. The circuit courts
ought not 10 have jurisdiction Of eases under aSoo tn.
district court ought 10 have Jurisdiction Of cases 4, ~.
amount OF $500. The same persons OUGHT. n n n y
account, to be judges Of law and equity. The estric.
uNn on the jurisdiction Of courts Of equity. will render
The court useless in . thousand instances, in which Il,
ought to have jurisdiction. 1t IL difficult 4. define n,
jurisdiction, but the limitation will do great inirry. I
have written my idea of a proper clause. poi,,;n, o,,
in what cases the equity courts shall have iurisdir,ion
to Nr. Housy. ! consider the. district court az the mos,
useiul ana i'nportsn'; the superior court as the most
-. sNN"''N ~ W lS iDttnIeU 10 give the
districtjudge Jurisdiction Of prizes in time of war. his
once VIII be very important, and will require consiIer.
able ahiliiies, az well az great integrity. saw If in.
tended, because IL IL omitted"
The political opinions Of the late Judge Chase. have
nolhimg TO do with the matter now under con liberation.
ihi' letter oil his, about The auth OF which, there
Is no question:, IL cited here as proof. in relation 10 a
controversial iack which is, whether the first Congress-
ny whom The hrst Tariff. La s were passed, undprsioo1
That The Federal Government had the power TO impose
taxes, ioF the purpose Of encouraging manufacturer. a.
part from any necessity for revenue. or no,,-And n
clearly appears, from The words Of this letter. printed
IN Italics, that IL was then universally understand. thai
they had no such power.-There we're few men of This
country, who were better acquainted will, all the DO.
litical affairs Of his time, than the late Samuel Chase
have been assured from the best authority. that during
the revolution, and Tor some time after, he correspond.
ed by letter, with more persons in the United States,
Than any man IN Maryland. lie was long a member
Oh the old Congress; filled many important Offices Of
hIs nauve State; and was a member Of the Convention
OF maryland by which the Federal Constitution vas "a.
ubcd; and ia which he was it, great and ardent oppo.
nent.-Now 1T Is impossible 10 believe that the asse rtion
OF so important a power, as that 10 impose duties, 10 en-.
courage manufactures, IL u ever had been openly made.
could have escaped the then recollection of sucl, , msn
On the contrary. IL u perfectly manifest, from thjs let.
ter OF his, tbathe had never heard Of the assertion Of
any such power; and evidently speaks Of it,, s.a matter
which had ol'y then suggested itself 20 his own mind;