Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-09-22


| Lie, US take few leading articles:
Imported from England. Rate of duty.
Value. Per cent.
Cloths and cassimeres, S3Sl5 S53 40
Cotton goods colored 7,ll7,30l 43i
Cotton goods, uncopd, 1861 62 Al
| Iron, &C., 3730407
Articles in the most common use, viz:
Wood screws, 60
! Spikes, cut or wrought lGS
1 Chain cables, 81
! Other chains, l0l
/ Hoop iron, us
/ Band IRON &c, 20
/ Bar, manufactured by rolling, IS
| have not had time 10 make an average for
Great Britain; but can safely say il is much
higher than The general average oil IS per cent
And, in this connection, il is proper 10 mention
that We lake much smaller amount OF our free
articles from Great Britain than any other ma
| lion, in proportion 10 our aggregate imports. We
! imported from Great Britain last year S44 $751;
$50 OF which only 81 ,G2l sol were of free a.ti-
Giles; and, excluding gold, silver and copper, only
! Si15 319 were OF free articles out Of an entire
import of S22, $40 OF free articles, or only
LILLE above Two per cent. We exported to Great
Britain last year S4G, 1885, lis, and imported from
her ga, 6S7,s of which hut little more than
Two per cent were free articles. have already
shown The exports and imports 10 and from Bra
the latter. From this statement The Committee
can see how every thing like a Legitimate reeula-
ton Of commerce is discarded in the tariff OF
1912.
Sir there is no Disgusting or dsputing the fact,
that The tariff OF 1912 was not designed as com.
mercial law. But if so, every correct principle
OF commercial legislation is lost sight Of. No,
sir, il was enacted for the purpose oil encourag-
ing manufactures. And deny that you have
any power 10 do that under the power ITO regu-
late commerce" cannot conceive by what pro-
cess of reasoning manufactures are made an in
eide nj 10 commerce. il is a distinct branch OF
business, as much 50 as commerce ITSELF The
three great branches Of Industry are agriculture,
manufactures and commerce. BY an express
provision OF the Constitution, jurisdiction is gil
ven 10 Congress over The last, hnl not over The
two first. And when you see the power over
commerce expressly delegated, you cannot cen
cludc that i, is designed 10 lie conferred over The
others by implication. On the contrary, the rules
OF construction 10 which have advered are i'd
lal 10 any such conclusion. And sir, il was not
by accident or inadverenoe that The power over
commerce was delegated and that over agricul-
lure and manufactures was reserved. Il was By
design; and The reason is obvious.
In the division Of powers between The General
Government and the States, all such as relate 10
The external relations OF the States are delegated
10 The former, and all such rs relate 10 their do
mcs,ic concerns are reserved 10 themselves. Com
;nerce with foreign nations and between The States
belonging 10 the first class hence jurisdiction over
i, is delegated 10 the General Government. Ag-
ricullure and manufactures belong 10 the last, and
hence jurisdiction over Them is reserved 10 the
States.
On The 20ih OF August, Goaverneur Morris,
who was one OF The most eminent men in The con-
vcn,ion which framed the Constitution, and the
member who gave The finish 10 the style and ar
rangement oil it, submitted, seconded BY MIR.
Pincknev, another eminent member, series OF
propositions, by which il was proposed 10 consli-
lule several public officers viz:
ID The Secretary Of Domestic Affairs VINO
shall be appointed by The President, and hold his
office during pleasure. II shall be his duty 10 al
tend 10 matters Of general police, Inc state 81 az
rtcultnyc and maauf0efnJes The opening n '"ads
ami parigafion md He fart'i.0fang conimnatca-
to,s Hr0ugi tic E,ufcd States; and he shall from
time 10 Time recommend such measures ana es-
Establishments as E:ay tend 10 promote those OBJ
jec;s.
IS. The Secretary o! Commerce AM Finance,
who shall be appointed hy the President during
stsIs rea Saa Il be be hS G%y ("
and report plans OF revenue, and tor The reeula-
ton oil expenditure, and also 10 recommend such
things as may, in his judgment, promote The COM
! lnercIal interests oil the u nlleu oldleS.
81. The Secretary oi Foreign Affairs, whose
duty it shall be 10 correspond with foreign mi
nis,ers, prepare plans OF treaties. &c.
IS. The Secretary of War, whose duty shall
be 10 supeIintend everything relating 10 the de-
parlment Of war; &c.
Sc The Secretary Of Marine, whose duty IL
shall be 10 superGlcnd The public ships, dock
yards, naval stores, &c"
These several propositions, thus mposinsly
ha iiea NJ
tail; ard we find in the Constitution, as il came
from the committee, OF which the mover OF the
propositions was the lea ing member, express
power is conferred upon Congress over each OF
The subjects referred TO in them, except those in
the second As have already said, this omis
sion was not accidental. The men who COM
posed that Convention were not The men 10 be
guilty OF inadvertence OF that sort. II is true the
Constitution did not provide for the organization
OF these departments, hui il conferred authority
upon Congress over the subjects, and Lett it 10
Congress 10 organize The departments 10 take
charge oil them.
From these proceedings, il appears that the
leading members oi the convention considered the
several subjects referred 10 in these propositions
as equals in point Of impoItance-as subjects
'cjnSdem aeneris"-ot the same class. And when
ii is evident that they So regarded them, AMI con-
lerred authority upon Congress over all Of them
principle OF construction infer that they meant to
confer il over the others by mere implication 7 1t
is impossible. And in confirmation Of this view,
We find that when the first Congress came TO or
ganze The departments, they substantially adopted
the suggestions Of Mr. Morris, with the exception
ol the second, which shows that they did not sup
pose that jurisdiction over The subject referred 10
in il was confdcd 10 Congress Otherwise how
can you account for the omission to organize such
department
To show that the wise men of the convention
did no, understand that power was conferred up
on The General Government 10 protect manuac-
lures, either expressly, under the power 10 lay
impost, or as an incident 10 any other power
refer 10 proceeding OF the convention, which is
very significant. On The 18th OF September, only
three legislative days before the adjournment,
when The business OF the convention was through,
in convention Col. Mason said:
'He had moved, without success, for power
TO make sumpuary regulations. He had not yet
lost sight oil his objects. After dcscanling on The
extravaganza Of our manners, The excessive con-
sumption Of foreign superhuilies, on The necessi-
~ of restricting il, as we'll with economical as re-
publican views he moved that committee be
appointed to report articles Of association Tor En-
couraging, bp The adUice, The influence and the en-
ample Of The members oithe convention, economy,
fruaaliry, aud Amcrican manufacturer
Gan awning DC more CUHClusFC iHiS -
Had so wise man as COL Mason thought that
The power was vested in The General Government
for this purpose, he would certainly have looked
10 lesislation, rather than The voluntary assocIa-
lion of gentlemen, 10 effect il. Lis movement
was obviously The last effort of gentleman reluc-
tant 10 abandon a cherished object. To all this,
the protectioniss can only reply, that if the pow
er to lay protective duties is not vested in The
United States, it is so lrammeed in The States as
10 be in fact extinguished; and that the rs reve-
nue. bill imposing duties on imports recognised
in its preamble the right of the General Govern
ment TO levy them for The purpose Of protection.
In answer 10 this, all can say is, that mink
have shown that the power to levy imposis Tor
The purposes OF protection does not exist any
where except in The States under the restriction OF
The Constitution. Blu, The levying Of imposs is
not The only mode BY which manufactures can be
encouraged. 1t may be done by bounties. !! may
be done in variety oil other ways. all within The
legislative competency of the States. Ose OF The
first and most effec,ual laws passed in Great Bfi-