The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1842-02-08

any other natIon let's opportunity OF protecting
her commerce and her industry pass unImproved.
This she does 10y fostering her commerce, and
by restricting that of other nations Look at her
/ restrictions upon the commerce of The United .
States While export fish to the amount of
$S00,000 annually, she prohibits its Importation
into the United Kingdom, and, at the time,
admits the products of her fisheries free of du
ty. The whale fisheries constitute ineonsider-
able portion of our commerce; and how does she
meet US in this case With free trade: No sir;
she imposes duty of s26 la per upon our
oil, and admits the article the product of her
own fisheries, a duty of Is. per tun, making a
discrimination of &26 lis. against the United
States. Whaiebone is another considerable article
of our commerce.. but this is nearly excluded from
the English market by her onerous exactions She
imposes u duty of s95 per upon American
whalehone, and admits the article from her
7 provinces duty of EI per We exported
to Great Britain last year tobacco 20 the amount o.
So OF 000 and she meets this article worth from
six to ten cents per ID. with the enormous duty "a
IS. sterling per Id and thereby raises revenue,
on third OF exported tobacco, equal at least
to the entire Of the United States. The
corn laws Of gland we'll understood TO re-
quIre comment; they amount 10 prohibition ia or
binary cases. I will stop here TO inquire
whether such rigid restrictions wise unwise;
it is sufficient nv purpose TO know Thar such -
the policy of Great Britain, and that it operates
oppressiveiy upon commerce. Now, I'M
der these circumstances, who will say thai The
power TO regulate commerce. does NOT necessarily
imply the power TO pass countervaiIIHg duties
This seems Indispensable 10 the wise regulation
and almost to the existence Of our commerce
But the gentleman from s c. dispatches his Al
once, by saying that to regulate Is not 10 destroy
Does the gentleman to iusiuua,e that com
merce cannot under the restraint OF discTIim
mating duties; Our commerce has always been
under this restraint; and has gone increus-
ing: Under the power regulate commerce., Con-
gress may suspend it, or if he gentleman pieases,
may destroy il for the time being What was the
embargo but a destruction OF commerce for Il linn
ted periodS What the uon-ntercourse laws, but a
restriction much greater than any friend Of proiec
ton proposesf And the consriiionality of
these laws will not this day be denied. That
question has been settled the most solemn man.
ner The term commerce is general, and includes
every article which goes into cur foreign trade;
and il perfectly competent for Congress 10 pro-
hihir the Importation OF any article, under the
: power 10 regulate commerce. The foreign slave
trade was considered Ey the raners OF the Consti-
of commerce; aud sensible all parties that
This commercial power gave Congress right to
prohibit the slave trade that States refused to
adopt the Constitution until the provision IN
{ corporated therein, that this power should be
= I exercised till 1895
But SIR, there is another ciause in the Consltu>
ton, which seems perfectly decisive this sub
iect. Congress shall have power, SAYS that sacred
instrument, lay and collect taxes, duties, i'm
posts, and excuses Here is full power to lsy du
ties upon imports, at any time, and to any extent
The grant Of power is absolute and unlimited; at
tended with no restrictions whateye save that the
: duties shall be uniform throughout the United
States This would be sufficient of Itself 10 de
eide the question; hnt the context makes the sub
iect still more clear Alter giving unlimited pow
er lay duties, the objects for which duties may
he levied, expressly snumeraIed-'to pay the
81 debts and provds for the de fence and gen
eral welfare OF the United States.
Yes sis; duties may be imposed for the two fold
object for paying the debts Of Tue nation and OF
providing for the common defence and geuern
welfare OF the people. Il is narrow view of the
j whole subjec: suppose that the defence here
spoken Of be military defence. Con
gress has much power 10 defend our citizens
against The commercial policy of any foreign ia
ton, against her military operaiions-as clear
right TO protect against the pauper aborers OF
Great Britain, against her hired soldiers. We
r bdIld ships protect commerce; and c1a we
not protect it by wise enactmeuts! 1t is absurd to
r saw that we may erect forts on the seaboard and
send our ships upon The ocean, our prop
/ ertv and guard commerce., but have no consul
turonal power the end by counter
vailing laws and discriminating duties. Congress
only has the right, but is bound provide Tor
the general welfare; and our government would be
wanting in duty-nay,i it would fail in securing the
t object Tor which it was created-if it did NOT en-
courage domestic industry, and 20 labor Its
Just reward, by protecting it against the restrictive
! uoIicv and pauper tabor ct the old world
u Bur the gentleman from s. c disPoses of this in
u a manner equally summary. He maintains that if
/ il were once allowed that Congress might discrm
mate in favor of nactures, then IT would follow
4 that the whole subject of taxation absolutely