Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-01-29

government and entered into all it's commercial re-
guu,ons, connected with those Subjects the protuc-
lion manufacture of which it was designed to
favor. when, therefore, with this knowledge, they
formed constitution, granting to Congress u gene
raj and unqualified power to regulate commerce.
it must have been understood that the power might
be used To cherish and foster the domestic industry
and manufactures Of the States, it had been else
where and every where used And if it had been
intended to exclude from the general grant of the
power TO regulate commerce. the right to exercise
it for the common and familiar purpose of encoura-
cling domestic industry and manufactures that cx-
clusion would most certainly, in some way, have
been expressed.
That the constitution of the United States was 60
understood and interpreted by many OF it's iustrors
trainers and their contemporaries, is a fact demon
strable by uneQuivocal evidence. 1t would swell the
argument unnecessarily this point, to offer at
length the authorities that might be adduced n SUM-
port of it. brief abstract Of the opinions of some
of the most distinguished, is all that sill be attemp-
ted.
After the adoption of the federal constitutions the
first Congress met in April, 1889 -Earlier than any
other, the Important subject Of revenue claimed at
tenion. The debates which have been preserved,
shed much light the views of national policy,
expressed by tho members of that enlightened
semby.
| On the thlrd day OF the session. the House being
in committee of the wholc-Mr. Madison, after a
few observations the great subject of finance and
the deficiencies in the federal treasury, suggested
the necessity of Immediately adopting some measure
;, upon the subject of national revenue. With this
object i'll view, he produced resolve, specifying
certain articles. upon which an impost proposed
| to be laid
| On the next du v the House being still in commit
tee the state of the Union, 'Mr Madison said ,
that With respect to the resolve before the commit
tee, his design was to have proposed temporary
system He. however, perceived gentlemen
much divided. He conceived that very powerful
noives existed, to induce the adoption of plan bat
should come into immediate operation, &c. BE re-
marked that of the articles proposed had re-
of o,,,fnc
lures
Fhis resolution CT Mr. Madison was subsequent
~ wlthd avn Us constituting temporary system on
ly, and he then moved, that it is the opinion of this
conimttee that committee OF the house ourht to
be appointed to prepare draft OF bill to rsyulat to
the COLLECTION OF DUTIES on 1posts un2 tonnage with
IN the United States Tho motion vas adopted,
and after some discussion, duties were imposed upon
variety Of articles, among them were Jamaica spr-
It's VINES sugars, coffee, beer candies cheese shoes
unwrought steel, &c '9hs article, says the repor-
ter caused long and interesting debate, it being
commended on the one hand, proper to encourage the
growing manufactures of that article; and opposed
on the other, as tax agriculture and all nechan-
lc arts, IN which steel tools &c. We're necessary
MIR. Gilman, from New Humpshire moved to
have the article of hemp, struck out of the enumera-
/ tioD.
'Wr. Hartley observed, that there appeared to him
an inconsistency In the proceeding on the business
fhe committee has just resolved, that duty should
be laid on cables and cordage and that it was now
proposed to tex the principal material of that manu-
facture. II The object was to protect the manuac-
torres of the country, it was absurd to DISCOURAGE
the Importation OF materials, essential to those
manufactures. 1t was, indeed, of importance to en-
courage American productions but was it of higher
Importance than ship buldinge 1t vas the policy OF
all manufacturing Countries to encourage the mpor-
tation of the material. 70 lay a duty on hen,p
would BIO giving fatal blow to the manufacture OF
cordage.'
Mr.. Moore, from Virginia, conceived it not only
the interest of the State he represented, but of ev
cry part OF America, to encourage the raising of
hemp
Mr.. Hester observed, that the hemp of this sea-
son was already sown that the farmer would not
profit by any encouragement this year He did not
therefore Wish to render the duty heavy at prescott
1t might be proper in year two to increase it,
Mr.. White opposed the motion for striking out the
article, and vas rather for filing it I'D with LARGER
sum. lie moved that the blank be filed up with IT
cents
Mr. Lawrence imagined, that the article of hemp
gus not raised at present in sufficient quantities to
warrant any extraordinary duties, which might in
the end operate prohibition. IF the duty on
hemp was higher than on cordage, it would be the
interest of the merchant to import the latter to the
encouragement OF the manufacture here
Mr. Scott, from Pennsylvania, observed that
commerce and agriculture were inseparably conuec-
ted, and that nothing commercial ought TO be adopt
ed, which would gjure agriculture, on which 1t go
essentially depended. He disapproVed of ;hp i'm
moderate zeal in favsr of manufactures
Mr. BoudInot moved for SO cents Tlie question
on that sum was taken and carried (See Ameri-
csnd Museum for l739-pp 4l8, 423-vol. SD
The deliberations of Congress on this subject re-
suited in the passage of law, entitled AN act for
laying duty on goods, wares and merchandise I'M
ported into the United States; the preamble of which
follows
Whereas 1t is necessary for the support of gov
eminent, for the discharge of the debts OF the Uni
ted States, and tho ENCOURAGEMENT and PRO-
fEtIION q DOMESTIC MANUFAcFUREs, that du-
ties be land on goods, wares and merchandses i'm
ported: Bet enacted, &C.
1T VIII not escape observation. that this rf
not only sanctioned but projected by men who had
aided in the formation of the Federal constitutions e.
as If to mark its connection with the memorable
event that preceded n, vas approved by President
Washington, the 4th July. 1889.
The inlrnoderate zeal in favor of manufactures
seems not TO be confined to the present day, but to
Iago entered into the profound and cnlg htgned de-
liberacas OF the fathers Of the constitution upon
next to- the brst act that is to be found upon
the statute book Of the milton. Phe conclusion de-
ducible from circumstances like those cannot DO re-
sisted.
Phe opinions of Mr.. Jefferson, orc no less uneoui-