Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-12-03

F0R F.NQEIRFG.
.ya,;oaal GanL in liz district If CslnmLia-.Jr. Htss
Pos.'i0n, 81.
To col. 4. ". t:nOIII.
For what purpose was the Dtstflc; 81 %! 'nihia ccdeh
10 the Federal Governments And has Congress the
constitutional authority 10 establish u .Naftoial BahH
therein:
The Indispensable necessity Of exclusive power, on
the part Of Congress, nj the seat Of Government, must
be apparent 10 every rejecting mind. Every L"gisla-
;ure in the Union exercises the power, and those who
framed the Federal Constitution were too sensible OF
It's importance, 10 omit II in their enumeration Of the
mowers delegated t. the Federal Government. with.
ont this mower, Congress might b. lnsnlted, and - DE-
lbera,lnns he interrupted with impnn!ty-Ni 'h"ni 4,
the public archives might be III danger oil violation or
destruction. and the members Of The Federal Govern.
men, become Dope nient on tie State auinori'Its i"r
protection in the discharge Of their iuarii1ns. 1he
District was coded, III order that these serious evils
might be obyIaied.
Al the very close or the Revolutionary war, the
Congress, then sitting al Fhiladrlphia, was surrounded
and lnsultpd by a small, but lnsolent body OF mn,inrrrs
of The Continental army. Congress applied to the TX
cutiyc authority Of Pennsylvania tor defence; pGt, IN
der the then existing Constitution "i the sta'"' 'he eS'
rcu;iye p1war was vested IN a council OF - members
and they possessed or exhibited 50 little energy aud such
intimidation. that Congress Indignantly removed 10 y
Jersey, whose inhabitants welcomed them WIN pro-
misses of defence. Congress remained al Princeton
sometime witliou, being again insultcd, till, Tor the
sake of greater convenience, they adjourned to Anna
| polls, The general DISSATISFACTION WIN tHt .H'S''a
inps Of Pennsylvania, and the degrading spectacle VI
a fur,iye Congress, were sufficiently striking 10 pro-
duce this remedy.
The Constitution confers upon Congress The power
"to exercise trclusire legislation in all cases whatsoever
over such District, not exceeding ten miles square, a.
NAV. nv cessiun Of particular States, and the acceptance
of CONGRESS-, become the scat IF the G"rernmcnt oil The
United States ; and TO exercise like authority over all
plqcps purchased By the consent ot the Legislature Of
the State, in which the same shall br, Tor The erection
of forts, magazines, arscnals, and other neediui build
inrs'
Nome of the advocates Of National Bank have ever
maintained. that tile Constitution conferred uppn Con.
eress any express power to incorporate suca an ihs'''"'
lion. Some Of them have contcnGcd, that the power
was incident to the power 10 la aud collect taxes
sone. that il was implied in thn power 10 regulate com
merce-and Others, that IL resulted rom the power 70
mss all avs necessary and proper TO carry INTO ckccn
lion those powers. IA Mr. Clay sand IN ISL, the
power has been considered a "vagrant onc' even py
lis friends. Very few of our Statesmen have ever
claimed the right as flowing from The power granted
TO the Federal Government o:er the District OF 70
lumbia. -.Lo
Mr. Madison in his unanswered and unanswcrao'e
sppech Of 1891, said, che we'll recollected that a po"f,,
10 gran, charters Of Incorporation had been proposed
!, The General Convention and rJsctsd.' In the course
of his speech, he said, " the only clauses amer "he"
,hr mower to establish a Bank could be Prese"aea' was
either .....
"Firsi. The power 10 lay and collect taxes TO pay 'F
debts and provide Tor lie common defence ano Ee"''''
welfare or \. .rea,
"Secona. The power to borrow money en- tue c'sa'
Of the U s.; or