Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-11-30

forms oil Tree Government, we should favss
me sp'"toi adespo'ic one. This view Of Tie
! SUBJECT We should deem perfectly conclusive
even 1t IL could not be slew n that the na,v.r =,
| qnesii"p so lar from heiue granted, was pur-
p"seiy wi'hted from the Federal Government.
hy the Trainers of tho Constitution aud that
| there are several provisions OF the CoDs,,,utjon
from which u may be fairly inferred, that il " as
Expressly intended to be- reserved To the States
! respectively. Ii appears fran the history of
the proceedings az the Convention which fran,eth
the Constitution. that the subject at The pr,,tc-
non of manufactures, was veral time. brous IN,
| uistinriIy tn the view of that body; aud That
'hey DID not see fl grant tn The Federal Cow
er""e ot the power in question. 10 the orig nai
proposition to confer on Congress the power to-
,'npose "ufes. inpos,s an'i cxcises,' was 'em-
or"co" PToh,6utOns and reStraihis" which
10y wen ne supposed to lie nien,Ich to embrace
me protection Of manufacturers ; bur il is re,nar-
~ao'e, thai These words were omitted i'm the Re.
rortoi the COMMITTEES on thai .,,,se On IN, 18Th
'" NuS"stm m"'ion was nude "to establish re- :.
wnrhs and nnuntics, for the promotion of aa rj-
| culture, commerce, trades. and manufacture ~
bnt tins pr osiion also failed. o., n subseu,ent
d'y II was n"v' Il that there should he o Serreta-
ry or domestic Atf,irs, &c, whose duty i, should
"o I" attend To matters Of general police, tho
state o' agriculture and nau,itac lures the opeu-
i"g OF roads aud navis ation aud 4, citauur Of
Intercourse through the Unted States; and that
Tue shaii, iron Tune to time. recommend such
measures and establishments As may tend To
promote those oljcc,s." This proposition like
wise failed, tho Constitution cont,iuina M ,ro
vision in conformity herewith.
Now, as 1t Is utterly impossible, TINT these &C.
Verai propositions, embracing imports duties
prohibitions nnd restraints, and the encouraoe
nen' OF manufactures could have heen ,li,posed
o. without bringing the whole question of In
hes''c manufactures fully into view-it must ful-
iow' thnt, us no power was gwen to CONGRESS
over manufactures, while the power 10 reuurats
eo'''herre Is expressly conferred, il was not the
'"'ehti"h oil The trainers OF the Constellation. To-
. wv. '''s power TO Congress. Although res
stailtiy refused IL; and the Constellation M final
~ rathed, cuhtains no provision, whatever unou
| the subject. In tho Report OF Luther Marin a
delegate from Maryland, made tn the Lcg:sis
lure "f l's State, an explanation is given al tho
proceedings of the Convention, in relation tn
this matter, which removes every shallow of
dIuht, with regard Ia the l. ne meaning aud in
tent OF the trainers Of The Constitutions in rein.
f'"u To The protection Of manufactures. Ii ar
pears from this statement, thar as the encour
agement vi manufactures had been refused 70
DC Conferred upon the Federal Government ~
was The desire OF Mr.. Martin and others to re-.
serve tn the States all the means which they
supposed 10 be necessary for nffording effec,uai
| announcement to manufactures within their
own limits Among those it was presumed
: mat there might he cases in which it would
DO proper Tor the purpose of encouraging man.
uiactureS Tn lay duties To prohibit the expor,a-
non VI raw materials and in addition To-
the duties laid by Congress on Imports for the
sake of revenue TO lay duty TO discourage the
importation vi particular articles INFO State
Or TO enable The manufacturer here to supuIy liz
on AS good terms could be obtained from a.
foreign market" Here il will be seen that il
is positively stated Ivy MIR. Martin that the now.
er given to Congress TO impose duties upon i'm
ports was given expressly for The sake of re-
renue," and was not considered as extending to,
any duty 10 discourage the importation of par
ticular articles, for the purpose of encouraging
manufacturers and that IL considered that I'm.
less The several States should possess this power.
as we'll MS that of prohibiting the eXportatiou of
certain raw materials. they would not be enabled
to extend that complete protection TO their own
manufacturers which might be deemed indispen-
SABLE 10 their success. " Tie most, however,
says MIR. Martin, (which we could obtain, was,
that his.power might he exercised by The States.
by and with the consent of Congress, and sulect
u" MS control Thus, then, it maDifesly ap-.
pears. That IN relation 20 manufactures, ,ic fr,-
mers OF the Constitution posifiveiy refused tps
confer upon The Federal Governments auy pow.
err whatever; -tnat the power 10 lay duties &C.
was conferred for the sake Of revenue alone
and was not intended to embrace the power to-
lay duties to discourage the impor, a lion Of par
tcular articles to enable the manufacturers here
10 supply US on As good terms as could he OBJ.
ta'hed from foreIgn inaikeI;' aud finally, that
The " hole subject was left in the hands Of tho
several States, with The restrictom " that no
IS.
any imPost or duties on imports or exports, ex-
cept what may he absolutely necessary for exc
cutting their inspection laws which power, it
appears. was expressly inserted for the purpose
OF en- bling the STATES to protect their own ma
nuiactures, and that this was the only provision
which the friends of domestic industry conld
obtain. lt IS vain TO alledge that the powers re-
tanned by the States on tins subject, are made
quate To the effectnal mpslimeut of the OBJ
jecf, III this were so, il would only shew the ne
cesshy Of some farther provision on this subjec,
but surely it will not be pretended that ir
would Justify the usnrpation by Congress, Of a
power, not granted by the Constitutions but pur-
poscly withheld. We think, however that This
exposition of Tho Constitution places The protec-
lion of manufactures on the true foundat ZION, on
which II should stand in such a Government az
ours. Nothing can be more INDUSTRIOUS Than that
the industry of one or more States 10 this con-
fcderacy, should lie made profitable at the ex-
pens; OF others, and this must he the inevitable
result OF any scheme of legislation ny The Gen-
eral Government, calculated 10 prouDots manu-
inctures Ivy restrictions upon Commerce or AgFiI
culture.
Whereas, by leaving manufactures where AgfSsuI-
ture and other domestic pursuits have been wisely
lett by the ConStitutiOn-wth the several Siates,-
ample security furnished that preference will be-
deemed advisable in any particular State, to extend
encouTagen ent to manufactures either by direct APP.
preparations of money, i'll the way pointed out in,
the Article of the Constitution above quoted that this
will be done not the expense of the rest of the
nIoD but of the particular State whose citizens ars