Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1831-11-21

Massachusetts, which, AnHs been mhnimbsiy
approved Of by Congress. a. published and wide
" dlInaedhy their order Tins statute (3iltaos
M lure. Is Gomee I'D reeiles that 1t L. o&pt-
DIM u deenre that the king and falioIntA Of
Gr,ai Britain Aill otinIese any duty o. tax for
fbe purpose 81 raising fegsnueon the coIoues'
and ailer ,u1ctng to the saue effect, thus distn.
eu shes. esecpt only such duties rs may be cx-
pedi1ut Ia impose for the regulation Of col
mrtrr
fhe American report while il rejects the proro.
qiftall Il cancellation and admission. with stern
verify. nnphcdly rcco nl,es Tie distinction taken in
the British statute
lfwould be easy for mo to multiply authorities 10
H. Is point could tll II volume with thcm, for,
in fact nv ehitt labor has been 10 select and
dense Tn evidence from he mas5 of materials be
fore NJ But could ndd nothing 10 tho weIghei Of
what ! have ulrcudy odduced Tie whole tenor Of
our colonial and revolutionary history proves the
Truth Of B,fIe's assertion in his speech on Amer
can TAXATION IN l711 fhat from the act Of nasi-
cation ihr policy of Great Britain towards her cole
nlcs VIZ purely commercial, aud that commercial
ystem Was wholly restrictive. Itwas the system
OF monopoly
Tor whai end were thc,c restrictions this mono
poly by commercial rcauation surely Tor 10 o
iher than Ia retain the whole American market for
tie manufactures dillingham; and the produce OF
her suear stands Goc nom fnelgn competition.
And TIN wns VIVA, was chiefly mennt and must
have been meant, by the hrase Of commercial r.
eulnlion
My mind therefore, cannot roalat the conclusion,
that The phrases the lnying ottnxca and inposts
iol the pmpoar of revenue, md The regulation
of eommerc, were from l563 iothe adoption Of
our com, ltmion luunhur III thoir mouths nb louac-
hold words not only to the statesman, but 20 the
people oltho revolution that th,y were used IN II
,rry dehnitte scnsc precisely fXedby legal as well
as constant popular use and that IN the latter phreo
of REGULATION ofradc,' was included what the
British government had always cloImed and oHcr-
cls,d aiId IA which America bad always acqtios-
cod The power laformg and prohibiting rGrhcuaE
traffic, produce, ol fabrics by duties
When, then, Ia I7o7. the Convention aclccted
,h,sc plras,y to csw,s SO Tic powers they meant 10
confer uon1 hen,w government, N what tothor
acnsc lanihis could they have employed thcm7
] he memh1. Of iA1t body were all Of them men
who inual hive brud cunversant with the diecustioh9
OF which lheaG phrases lorncd the WatchWords ond
tho ioat Many olthom had thtnseVor conducted
these dlsoaas Ians. lGre vas George Washing
ton, tbelt President llum'lan, Whose fral rohll-
cal essay wub said to have l,tn ah examination Of
The questions at i,au, bctw.en Great Frllon ond
her colonies Bouumm Franklin, John Dick
mson, md Gov,u,W Monia, N whose iamij
ilriy with tins subject lrooie lave been above CIV
II Is worthy ofulsorvnlion that The chniImon of
the commit. appointed To lcFiFe and arrange the
urieIe. Of III, CON tuition after the principles had
meu seul,d was William Samuel Johnson Of Com
lcrtrut. " ho was doubtless selected l,r that post
hq In p5r,ldel ofthc convention, from his union
of /, raj emln, nee with distinguished and !tctary
"a .qnrof cuts and rIls rlntemnn bad, III the Corr
eresa winch met at New lorl, III l1G5, d,uwnup
report on the subject Of Amacan ilehls N relation
70 tb,se cry points Of taxation and regulation Of
uadct N which very report tins distinction was
sulngly marked
Aef lomy mind it seems Plum that such men
must o. oou,ae have intended To use these phases
IL the very tnc 5catc, (nelther wider nor narrow
~ winch fifteen years of discussion had given
thfn IN England ond America. they were iain-
lar Win tie Vci-sctllcd distinction III principle be
tWrcn Inc Io4 of taxation or revenue which they
deued the tothcr country, and that for laying
dulci lurcol iIclcul regulation which they allow
I'd, whilst thoy complained Gifts oppressive use. At
the same time knowing from experience that il WIS
practically difficult sometimes 10 draw the precise
Inc heNe,n duties of regulation and dutiet
Tor revenue, ulcy meant TO confer both pow.
cla upon TIE new goy,mmrht Of their iorma
rou Ia the trondcst latitude and thus TO cut
III III doubt This, therefore, they designed
10 90. IL. by implication construction, lut ly
words Ia Whch common use had then affixed the
ceae#st sensc.
Tbly gave to Congress the authorityto regulate
commerce To ,l' ,' 'A','' :, '"l '", s .H,n
o' '''' lp,'o" "''y - u'o "'' ",
,.'' ,'l' ''' u ,',, :, ,';,1
anu - IN Nio r.,,
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