Lexington union. (Lexington, Miss.) 1838-18??, 1841-01-30
REPORT

n me Oetect Committee 10 ohom rlS nc |
ferred so much ofh Gorernor's message
as relates 70 communications from other
STATES, (irish The accompanying docu
ments.)
Mr.. SPEAKER: The Select Committee
10 whom was referred so much of The Gov
enor's message as relates TO communIca-
tons from other States, with the accom-.
panying documcnis,) have had under con-
sdera,ion the communication from the
State of Connecticut, relating The protec.
ton Of domestic industry by The General
Government, and the communication from
the Stale of Alabama, responsive thereto,
and have instructed me To report the &C.
companying preamble and resolutions, the
adoption Of which your committee res.
pectlully recommend.
Your committee have preferred n brief
illustration Of the doctrines asserted i'll the
accompanying resolutions, 10 an elaborate
argument in defence Of them. The propo.
sitions are believed to be sel(.evideui. II
they are not so; i(your committee miscon'
Constitution upon the question involved,
and have mistaken what is due TO Justice,
and to the wants and Interests of different
portions Of This Union, they cannot hope
10 foTtly their positions by any reasoning
Or facts which are not familiar to the lie.
yislature and the people. The subject
matter Of these resolutions, has engaged
the attention, and called forth the energies
Of the best minds of tho country, for the
last half century; and the discussion and
action upon it, has excited the most thrill
ing interest in all parts Of our onion, since
The adoption Of the tariff Of 1916.
II is a matter Of deep regret that the
action of the Federal legislation this sab.
ec;, has been essentially effected by TEN
porary causes, and controlled by motives
Of interest and expediency- The heavy
debt enlailed upon our Governmen. by the
war of the revolution, enhanced by our Sc,
cond contest with Great Britain, as we'll
as the Inconvenience residing during
The latter period, from want Of fabrics
heretofore principally imported; and
which could during the continuance u
the war, be neither manufactured at home
hnor obtained from abroad, as well as q
spirit Of mistaken and disastrous liberai,y
towards those, who, when our ports were
closed and our commerce destroyed, had
invested portion of their capital in Go
nestle manufactures, conspired TO CLOG
the subject Of revenue and protection with
unnatural embarrassments, and to prevent
their settlement upon the true principle.
of the constitution of wisdom justice anc
sound policy.
Your committee can find apology for
the Introduction, and to some extent, the
sanction ofthe protective system, only il
the circums anoes above recied. For at
that period, as well as at present, we fad
The advocates ofdscl iminating duties, TN.
der the sanction Of constitutional authority
vested in the Federal Government, "to
regulate commerce" carrying The nciden.
tai beyond the primary power; while those
who based their reasoning upon the express
power "to lay and collect taxes, duties,
Imports and excuses" seem utterly 10 have
disregarded the general spirit Of tho Con
stislutlon, to have overlooked the condition
Of the country at the time its formation, and
TO have been ready to trumple upon the
unvarying equality of right, which is the
pervading and Distinguishing Characters,
TIC otthat Instrument. Aud all experience
has shown that written as we'll as any
other constitution, may, by forced and in
crested construction Of lis terms, be made
1roao enough 10 cover any scheme, which
he caprice or the interest Of legislative
majority may dictate.
Had the question Of tho power Of Con
gress 10 impose discriminating duties upon
tnporiarious, for the en- enlargement or
protection Of domestic manufactures, been
brought forward for settlement, Invested OF
extrinsic, and embarrassing, but tempoa'
ry circumstances, and coald that question
have been subjected to no other scrutiny
than tina. OF reason your Committee think
they may, without unjustly impugning the
integrity or the patriotism OF those to
whose action it was submmilted, hazard
the assertion, that different cons liuional
views would have prevailed, aud a more
wise, Just and salutary policy would have
been established.
Many ofour wisest statesmen, who, in
1916, yielded in the arrangement Of q
tariff, primarily Tor revenue, to the dis
eliminating and protective principle, as
an incident, have lived TO discover and
avow their error; and since the embarrass
unenls of foreign debt are overcome, and
the subject1divested of extrinsic cousldela
tons, are acting upon those principles Of
Just and strict construction Of the consti,u.
ton which should never have yielded to
expediencv or temporary interest.