The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1841-02-26

III hC lllS NAiStSbNS vi pOht I Ill AOll-
gress from the following considerations.
LIST. 1t is impossible that the wise and
benevolent men who framed the Consttl-
| ton could have forgotten OF neglected so
important a matter rs this, especially as
they had Just emerged from a war during
which there had been one continued series
of arrangements and disorders in the sup
ply of meats, so that even the American
army were at sometimes totally destitute.
They were also reminded, during their
deliberations, every day at dinner, of the
absolute necessity of meats for the sup
port Of legislation.
3D. But there is no need of relying up
on this argument The trainers Of the
Constitution did not fail TO place in that
instrument the requisite power. They
gave TO Congress the power TO CIRCULATE
commerce among the several States and
what we propose is only the regulation Of
a portion of that commerce. The power
to % fix the standard of weights and meas
ures,' includes what we contend for by
the most natural and necessary inference.
| No one will doubt that these weights
were designed to weigh meat, but in or
der that meat should be weighed, meat
must be had and national butchery is the
only sure way of securing this end. A
law, therefore, for this purpose, would
come under the authority to "make all
laws which shall be necessary and proper
for carrying into execution the foregoing
powers.
As to the plan and structure of the Ma
tional Butchery, we would make it Just
like National Bank. There should be
a mother butchery in the city of New
Y ork, with branches in all the states and
we would copy from the laws Of New
York the plan of Commissioners, whose
business it should be to examine, once a
year, at least, and rs much oftencr as they
please, each branch butchery and each
flock of cattle. There should be subor-
dnate commissioners who should extend
the system in its perfection over all the
states, SO that a complete record should be
kept of every calf, lamb, pig, chicken
and gosing, which should be added to the
stock, which returns, being all brought
together at the mother butchcry and then
published every month, would constitute
a basis Of circulation, like the statements
of specie in the bank vaults. The growth
and supply of meats under such system,
would be something tangible. Cattle
would then be more evenly distributed
than they are at present; for the reports
of the branches would always be sure
guide in this respect.
In order to establish this system in is
most extended benefits, it would be obv-
ously proper TO prohibit all private slaugh-
ter houses; for we cannot too earnestly
urge upon our readers the great danger
there is, Of fraud and deception, when
trusts so important are left to be eXercis-
ed by private and irresponsible individu-
ais. We shall never have a well regula-
ted meat market throughout the country,
until our plan is adopted. This is the
newest American system, and certainly
the most important of all measures of this
class for in its benign operation, it will
distribute good beef, good mutton, good
turkeys, good every thing, in fact, through
all the garrets and cellars of poverty as
we'll as in the palaces of the rich. The
details of the matter will furnish an cX-
haustless fund for reports and speeches in
Congress and the state legislatures
Parties will be formed under its banner,
which will shake the nation to its center,
and make us President of the L. States.
But for this we care not a rush,-our OBJ
ject being solely the good of the people in
all the largest sense of that term.
Every body will see what we mean by
this rigmarole. 1t is not to throw dcris-
ION on the opinion that regulation is ne
cessary in currency. Yet in all sober
ness, we have no doubt that regulation is
quite as much wanted in meats as in mo-
ney, and that if only we had been brought,
up under system Of regulation respect
ing food, we should have thought the argu-
ments used above quite conclusive in the
case, and should have been more afraid
to trust free trade for beef than we now
are for currency. In either case great
regulating establishments would produce
endless mischief, and as the effort at regu.
laion is utterly wrong and pernlcious, it
can never itself be regulated or modified
SO as to possess any other character.
| ApV.r,s mo No,.s.z q.