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

A
rent impos,ibility 81 raising. in thai
mode, a revenue from the States pro
portioned 70 the ability to pay it, the
ability Of ssns being derived, in a great
measure not from their exports. but from
their fisheries, from their freight,, and
from commerce at large. in some Of its
branches altogether external to the U.
nited States; the profits from all which
being invisible and intangible, would
escape tax, on exports A tax on inn
ports on the other hand, being tax on
consumption, which is in proportion to
the ability Of the consumers. whenceso.
saever derived, YVES free from that inc
quality.
Z tfrevenue be the sole object ola
legitimate impost. and the encourage
ment of domes sic articles be not without
the power of regulating trade, il would
follow that no monopolizing or unequal
regulations of foreign nations could be
counteracted; that neither the staple ar.
ticles OF subsistence, nor the essential
implements of the public safety, could,
under any circumstances, be Injured or
fostered at home, by regulations of com.
merce, the usual and most convenient
mode OF providing for both; s. the Anne.
rican navigation, though the source OF
naval defence, of a cheapening compe.
ton in carrying our valuable and bulky
articles to market, and of an ipdepend
ent carriage of them during foreign
wars, when foreign navigation might
be Withdrawn, must be at once aban-
doned, or speedily destroyed: il being
evident that tonnage duty in foreign
ports against our vessels, and an ex-
emption from such duty in our ports,
in favor of foreign vessels. must have
the inevitable effect of banishing ours
from the ocean.
II assume power to protect our ma.
vigation and the cultivation and iabries.
lion OF all articles requisite for the pub.
lie safety, as incident 10 the war power,
would be more latitudnsry cnostruc.
| ton OF the text Of the Constitution than
10 consider it as embraced by the speci
6ed power TO regulate trade; a power
which has been exercised BY all nations
lfor those purposes, ODD which effects
purposes with the authority and conve-
uiencY OF the States, than might result
from 'nternai aud direct modes of en-
courasins the articles, any of which
mode would be authorized. as far as
ldeemed necessary and proper by
considering the power as an Incidental
Ipower.
That the encouragement Of manu-
features was an object of the power to
regulate trade, is proved by the use
made of the power for that object, in
the first session of the First Congress
under the Constitution; when among
the members presnt were so many who
had been members of the Federal Con-
vention which framed the Constitution,
and ofthe State Conventions which vat-
fed it; each of these classes consisting
also a members who had opposed and
who had espoused, The Constitution in its
actual form. II does not appear from
the printed proceedings of Congress on
that occasion, that the power was deni-
ed by any of them. And it may be re.
marked, that Members from Virginia,
in particular, as we'll Of the anti federal
as the federal party, the names then
Distinguishing those who had opposed
and those who had approved the Con-
stitution, did not hesitate to propose
duties and to suggest even predictions
in favor of several articles of her pro-
duction' By one duty was proposed
CD mineral coal, in favor of the Virginia
coal pits; BE- smother, duty on hemp
was proposed, 20 encourage the growth
Of that article; and by third, a prohi-
bition even of foreign beef was suggest.
ed, as measure of sound policy. See
Lloyd's Debates.
further evidence 10 support of the
constitutional power to protect and fos-
ter manufactures by regulations of
trade, an evidence that ought, of itself,
to settle the question, is the Uniform
and practical sanction given TO the pow
er By the General Government, for
nearly forty years; with concurrence
or acquiescenee Of every State Govern
ment, throughout the same period; and,
it may be added, through all the vicissi-
tudes of party which marked the period.
No novel construction, however ingeni-
ously devised, or however respectable
and patriotic its patrons, can withstand
the weight of such authorities, or the un.
| broken eurrapf Of so prnIon0ad ,,n;var.