New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-12-06


sity for keeping up high protective tariff The eject
Of th. policy va. 10 in,erpo.e artificial restrictions
upon the natural course Of the business ard frsd Of the
country and o. advance the interests o. large csrr
add riarorosts ~ the expense Of the great mass Of
the people who were taxed % Increase their wealth
Another branch of fr.s sysfau vas romp- eherslre
sctH.- .f l-frra. improvements. rspstll VI Indefinite
o. argareu. and sufficient to swallow W % many OF E.
lions annually "a could be- exac,ed from tle ore.gn
commerce Of the country. Ih.s Vasa convenient AZ q
nccessa~y 40 unc oi the protective TART. % was p b.
The great ch-0r1fnt % any su-pus ~hcn night ~ any
fr. ltc 1 iha treasury and o The take -re q
ru ,fe people rot r necessarr revenue purpose h-i
for fe asoHfi object ci atorlug protection % the 3D.
frr-d classes
Aux .ry o. the zane end if i was n0t IN essential
part q he sy.tem it-ef was the scheme Which ~
-t~r period obtained for cirr5ufn- the proceeds I'd
t-e sales 81 the puhc lands among the states O-her
expedrrfs d.vred % take money out ~ ire t~ea
ury and prevent is coming n from any other source
than the protective arH The authors and supporters
ri ;te syftcm the advocates u the largest exper
61res whether i0r necessary or useful purposes or
not harsrse ne larger the expen ltures The greater
the protest for hgh taxes IN the form % protective
duties
These several measures were sustained By popular
names and plausible a-gumonts By which tn0usau ds
were deiri-d The bank vas represented % Be al n-
spentaslo fiscal s1ent for the government was %
cqus 20 exchange. and O. reg1 ate and furnish q
sound currency Al ~sys and everywhere ~ uniform
value The protective tariff gss % give employment
to American labor ~ advanced prices was - pro-
fccf home Industry. and furnish steady market f1r
th. f.rnrr Internal improvements we're o. bring
trade intl every negho0rhood and enhance the value
9 every mani. property The distribution Of the land
money was % enrich the staios finish their public
work.. plant schools throughout their borders and Re-
av- norn from taxation BIT the fact that for every
dollar taken out oi the treasury for these objects
much larger sum was transferred from the pockets of
t1c people % Toe favored classes was carefully con-
ceard ss was also the tendency 10 not the ultimate
de. IN of the system % build up aristocracy of
Of ~rN f+lfar ma fF M
lie the political power OF the country.
The several branches Of this system were 90 int
mate.y blended together that IN their operation each
sustained and strengthened the others The ONT oper
alton was g. add new burdens Of taxation and .
courage largely increased and wasteful expenditure
NJ public money Il tho interest Of the bank tha
fhc revenue collected and the disbursements made By
fhe government should be large because being the de-
yosit0ry of the public money the larger the amount
fhc greater would be- the bank profits by ts use i
the interest a the favored classes who were en-
che1 by the protective tar % have the rates OF that
protection high 81 possible for the higher those
rates the greeer would be their advantage 10 was the
interest of the people 0i at those sections and localities
Who pectcd g. De benefited by expenditures for inter
nal improvements that the amount collected should be-
large az possible % the end that the sum dis5ursed
no ght also be- the larger
The states being the benefciares 10 the distribution
of lard money had an interest in having the rates Of
tax imposed by the protective tsrf large enough 20
Weld su Gent revenue from that source o meet the
wsnts OF the government without disturbing or taking
from them the land fund that each Of the branches
constituting the system had a common interest In
swelling The public expenditures. They mad direct
interest in maintaining the public debt unpaid, and In
creasins its amount because this would produce an
.uuua increased drain upon the treasury. o. the
amount of the interest and render augmented tax
cs necessary The operation and necessary effect ui
the whole system were 20 encourage large and extrar
aesnt Expenditures and thereby 10 increase the public
patronage and maintain rich and splendid government
~ the eX pen.e Of q taxed and impoverished people
Il s nantes, that this scheme of enlarged taxation
aud expenditures had II continued 20 prevail must soon
have converted the government OF the Union intended
by IL, trainers % be plain cheap and simple conied
Grafton Of states united together Tor common proiec
lion and charged with a few specific duties. relating
chiefly % our foreign affairs, into consolidated EN-
pre depnying the States Of their reserved rights and
he people OF their lust power and control IN the 40
ministrafon of their government In this manner me
whole form Of government would be changed, not by
an amendment Of the constitution but by resoting to
an unwsrrantsbe and unauthorized construction oftha
instrument
The Indirect mode Of oyying the taxes By duty on
imports prevents the Of the people from readily
perccving the amount they pay and has enabled me
lew who are thus enriched and who seek 20 weld the
political power of the country 10 deceive and deiude
them Wore the taxes collected bf direct levy upon
the people is the case IA the states TINS could not
occur
The whole system resisted from is inception By
many of our ablest statesmen. some of whom doubted
he cousttutonaty and it, cxpcdiency, while others
believed 10 was IN oil It's branches hagran and dan
eerous inirsction OF the constitution.
That national bank protective tariff levied no, %
raise the revenue needed but for protection merely
internal improvements and the distribution of the pro
ceeds OF the sales Of the public lands, are measures
without the of the constitution, would upon
the naturcst consideration. seem % be clear IS re-
that no one of these measures involving such
De- "''siss-'-af Nv express
-rart of power in the constitution No oil mem
incident to- being necessary and proper Tor the cN
ccution Of the specific powers granted by the cons'
tuition The authority under which has been attempt
"a 10 Justify each of them is derived from nierences
aud constructions of the constitution Whlcn us letter
aud its whole object and design do not warrant.
Is il 20 be- conceived that such immense powers
would have been left by the trainers OF the constitution
70 mere inferences and doubtful constructions HAD
been intended 10 confer them on the iedefh govern
incnt IL is reasonable - conclude that II would have
been done by plain and unequivoca grants. This wa'
no, done but the whole structure OF which the Anne
dean system consisted was reared on no other OF
better foundation than forced implications and nieren
ces OF power which its authors assumed might be de
duced By construction from the constitution
But it has been urged that the national bank, which
constituted essential branch OF this combined sys
tenn of measures was not new measure and that u,
consttutionality had been previously sanctioned be
cause bank had been chartered IN 1921, aud hsd re
ceived the official signature OF President washington
few facts viii show the lust weight 70 which thi'
precedent should be entitled As bearing upon tnc ques
ton Of consiilutiOuality.
Great division Of opinion upon the subject existed i
Congress 10 Is well known that PRESIDENT "ashlh-
ton rtaned doubts uOth AZ 70 the cu7ll
touaity and expediency OF the measure and WhAetl
BIN was before him for his official approval or dsap
urova 50 great were his doubts that he required me
opinion in writing OF the members OF his cabinet 20 ana
him In arriving al decision His cabinet gave thei
opinion. and divided upon the suoJect-GeneI a
Hamilton being in favor Of and Mr. Jefferson and Mr.
Randolph being opposed 10 the consututonaty and ex
podicncy OF the bank.
IL il well known. also that President Washington re-
tanned the bin from Monday. the fourteenth, when i
was presented 20 him. until Friday the twenty mn
of Februsry-being the last moment permitted him ol
the constitution 10 deliberate when he nnally yielded
to il bis reluctant assent and gave his signature
Is ccrtsin that that lsie a. the twenty third o
February-beng the ninth day after the biI was pre-
sented 70 him-he had arrived Al no satisfactory con
cusion for on that day he addressed note 70 Gen
Hamilton in which ne informs him that this bill wa
presented 10 me by the joint committee OF Congress
IL o'clock on Monday the fourteenth instant and h
requested his Cpuion b what precise period oy ega
interpretation OF the constitution. can the President re
tain il ia his possession before becomes law by IN
lapse of ten days -
II the proper construction was that the day on "hcl
the bill was presented to the President and the day OF
which his sction had upon Il, were ooin 70 %
counted inclusive then the time allowed him. wthli
which II would be competent for him 70 return u 70 IN
House 10 which IL originated with his Objection "oai'
expire on Thursday the twenty fourth Of February -
Gen Hamilton on the same day returned an answer u
which he states " give Il as my opinion that yn'
have ten DAYS exclusive Of that on which the OIL VA