North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-02-08

erty of any of its citizens You go farther, and ad
nit that you do want for reyenue for you append
a condition upon which contingency you make void
the duty or tax.
Such then being your object, we respectfully sub
nit whether it does not come within the perview and
meaning of the clause in question, which to some
small extent circumscrbes the range of your legis-
lative discretion. We have said that the clause had
latent meaning, and that parts of it is per-
fecty inexplicable without giving it the nterpreta-
ton which we have placed upon IT. The hidden
meaning, far least as provides tor the manufac-
turing interests of the States, by State laws them
Selves may be seen by the concurrent history, which
we shall now give; and that our views are correct
we defy any other rational Interpretation.
+ The piece of history alluded to is extract from
speech made by Luther Martin, of the delegates
of the federal convention. The speech was made In
1888, before the Maryland Legislature. Mr. Martin,
in common with the other delegates from that State,
called upon by the Legislature to give them In
formation in regard to the proceedings OF the late
convention.
| HBy this same section,'' says Mr.. Martin, aud-
ing to the constitutional clause, every State pro-
hibired from laying any mposts or duties on imports
or exports, without the permission of the general
government 1t was urged by US. that as almost all
the sources of taxation were given to Congress 1t
would be but reasonable to leave to the States the
power of bringing revenue into their treasures by
laying duty exports if they should think proper,
which might be SO light not to injure or discour-
age industry, and yet might be productive OF consd-
cradle revenue. Also, that there might be cases in
aging manufactures to lay duties TO prohibit the ex-
portation of the raw MATERIAL and even in addition to
the duties laid by Congress imports for revenue
to lay duty to discourage the importation of partic-
uar articles into State, to enable the manufactu-
rer here to supply good terms as they could
be obtained from foreign market. However, the
most we could obtain that this power might be
exercised by the States with and only with the con-
sent of Congress and subject to its control, &C."
Here, then, that portion of the delegates
in convention asked simply for the poor privilege of
taxing mainly their own people to promote their own
industry (for we all know that a tax upon imports
falls mostly upon the consumer,) and that privilege
was withheld, without the limitations alluded to.
Was the protection of the manufacturing ind ustry
of the States by the States themselves such suci-
dial policy in the estimation of the trainers of the
federal Constitution that Congress should first
wise, and then get the nett proceeds in the bargain
Certainly not Whence then could such a watchful
and distrustful vigilance have originated! From no
other source than well founded apprehension thai
odious Determinations might be made, whose ten
dency to ALLEVIATE the feelings of the citizens OF
State from another, and thus estranged that they
would to be what they started out to be-a band
of brothers. PEDEE.