New-York daily tribune., 1863-10-28
Legislature. Of tho States copd do this and not have the

I LeClbidtUr00
power Of doing the thing ITSELF of could not
grant IN Others powers it did not itself possess On this
clause coming up for final consideration ii was amended
by making the prohibition upon the State Legs'aturcs
peremptOry and absolute the stands In the
frst subdivision section No. 10 Of artice first The
fact that the Convention made the prohibition positive
upon the States docs moi initiate a, o aSanst the ar
sument derived from the conceded admission. that
somethirg else than specie could be made tender for
the payment Of debts with the consent OF Congress.
This seems an eppIopra'e pace TO ooniner the legs
ation Of Congress under the powers conferred upon II
10 coin money regulate tie rnue thereof and Of foreign
coins 1t is to be borne in mind that no express power
Is given by the CONSTITUTION 70 CoDress 10 eS's2nsn, or
make an ythng legal tender in payment OF cep,s
neither as has been already observed, s there any pro
hibtion contained in the Constitution ioDduihg eyis
ton BIZ Con res on the tonic or declaring "nat shgli
ar shaIl pot make lcea tender The ramcEs Of the
Constitution could not hove been ignorant. that the
power to declare what sha OF shan n0t tehae
or In other words lawful money OF country Wss q
necessary incident Of gnty end Lad ever Deeh
exercised by the sovereign power III alei'!~ei atioIs
They were equally cogDiznt OF the iact tnht t1e coo
MES had invariably exercised tlns powe. anu .nn Wv
States on the application OF the Continental toEgres
an, pr,r1rt 70 It's reccmmondato- nad nide tAc ltSte
o' paper by tic Continental Congress ior tle purpose
Of carrying on the Of the Ecyoluion' leg tehoei
IL pay .leLt q debts. This ee.slnIon Dy the o'at.s
invoked because that Congress had 10 power % e
slate or cry subject and such legislation could oHy DC
bad through the insruinenality OF the s'stes. Suc9
weakness end defect in the powers OF the tcntnehoi
Congress VI ere oDg tie controlling icaso-S Or tae
ormstion Of tho new system brought into beng W TIE
! Constitution.
we find TINT the firs. Of Congress relating TO legal
tender is that Of April l7s2 establishing the mint
tor striking and coming gold aud silver cors; ara oy
l6 it enacted. that all the gct AID silver coins
which shall hao been Issued from sold nlnt shan te
lawful tender il all payments whotsosyer IAe irst
issue Of SILVER dollars IRON thc n.nt was no De9le r
and tho whole arnount OF metallic money Issued nom
1893 to l,95 Was Only S463 20 IN value. IopToyito
lcgsl medium of commerce. en act wa passed On tko
ct OF February 1923 declaring that from ard aite. the
first dsy ot July l793 foreign gold ard sTer coins
should pass current as money within tie OiteL States
and te legal tender for tho payment oi ell otDls wa
demands at the several aud respective rates therein
mentioned and prescribed. This act embraced tie
coins of Great Britain aud Portugal ard OF France and
Syain and of the dominions OF Spain,
RI practically the fret egcl tender act oVeE NNsea
On the fourth OF August, l7oo al oct passed By
Congress 10 provide for the collection OF drtics Wnlch
declared the. certain foreign coins therein enuIneraied
should be received in payment OF duties at PRESCRIBED
rates Of vare. tut did not declare t1e sane sEoud
Otherwise be legal tender. This proyison oi the SCI
{ the g,peal 10 take effect July ]. 1879
Subeeueny oher ects haze been passed Oy Congress
from Ee 10 tine, ehang The valne Of ceI;tin ioregn
ca.ns and making them legal tender. for the payment
of a debts ana oeIacnds sometimes nv welg,, ena -
,ncn again By ;ole Aet VI April 90 l-O6 act OF March
Srtle i-rs sc Il a5.ii June is5i declaring certain
oIegu silver coins be VI the legal value ana to ~
cursat as money within the United states by tale ior
By To ac, of June ps 1894 foreign gold coins were
States and Io receivable In al payments ~ WosA' o
the Gneress aad 4 tho rates therein mentioned y iAI
act 81 JDLa ls leo the steLcard Tor bfi1 gO!l ILu
r. ser coins of the United States was thereafter to bs
.cf thst of one thousand parts by weight nine hundred
shoa De- Of plTe metal and one hunGrcd oil alo anc
fc alloy Of ihc silver coins should be of copper aad rs
alloy Of tie gold coins should be OF copper ara sTer
pToydcd la; tie silver do net exceed oneAaH oi ~
, aAole nloy Tie weight Of the gold end fAycs COM
, vas prescribed and they were declared 70 "a lcGa
lenders o. payment according 20 ther noiAni VeAsc
AID IL v6a further provided IN ard ly said set iat ",
ver c,irs Heretofore issued at the in o. tie nec
s..,es and the gold coins issued since Jaly lsaA
should cOrtinue ~ be- legal tenders az payment o tac
loaina vsue Oh the same terms as tLey "''e o. 90
. coinage O.. tl3t set.
b tie Of .1.h February. ls3J tho WEIGHT O.. ~
E.idoiar vas r,drced from .vt fiMis tc ~ ~ .s
a4 - ttc cons 81 lesser ccnquiro rne n o.fo0
a.l thcy crc made legal tenders IL Payment q. C-1E
n. all suIs not exceeding i've docE5 We tlr5 sc
that Cooggcss since the oIgrnlration =. the noYeF-
ilcuf cormenc4ng AZ TIE Frequency a " NAAl.hs.1n
.as exercised penafy power ard eonro oyer tie e-o
ccr 81 currency ana legal te-der iaN5-t hes eslr
she'd tie value ~ certain fore coins at one tc aLt
changed l. at another hrs nade tlcm tender al pay
meai G. sD dcLts low by weight and then serA >.
tale repealed such laws and euAced tlea Ig. i9Ilc
D. tnes making srch coins legal tender N pay'ent
ali debts AID - o.ho. limos Limiting them 20 me pa,
aclt or pa.o aadg ~ or duties end tlxe' ESQ ii'k
ng to evidences u the public deOt OF socA ot q.
r Urred States legal tender N payment ios pub-s
5 lands. Csce act oi March g. ls97)
We also 'hat congrcss has changed ron ,ine ic
time fle standarl o yaluc Of TIE ccAa struck ty OH
own o. mt Gebasel tlca by altering iho iEeAcss and
Wcgl. ie relative ve.uc oi tie gold eni stef nnc
nt.ue Tie atl lseu coins. III os those oi ~ e!
ral.e .ot det,scO, equally legal tender ioT Nc pay
meli of AL debts puOc and private ~ tAeL F,slee1
non mol st.ios.
A. Las been before Observed there is 10 zlress gran
of power - Congress make cu0 slC sierO. y.lna
atendeF ia 10, mcat OF debts public orprIvete IL i
C conceded lbs. Colgress may properly say wlat We
United States aoy receive N payment and discharge o
u fshH - f.faV = II 4 H
IN .hat currency metals OF things pe! ment may h
-, O.! th m Admitting this. u Is cont lccd iAG- u
q a.. t IL oW that Congress ans ne power to s'y VIA
sh.u be tender sn. - oIge OF 4s.t ulo Lon OF,
rtlvGur 81 another Uu. rN'sW ol tAe b's"t1A o.
Courscss hes ea0wa cs i'a., LH".f tle e.A-ic o. w
{. IolsttLtru alihor1'ng to coin col' - .-S.I.
iae value thereof Congress has uA0g..ly GesA.AS ,-I
.ho money so cllucd. aad The yaiue oi Which Las 80,
booa rcguin should be received a. legal tcndor N
payment 4 al deb.s equally whether drt 70 the Coy
crIlent 20 private indIydGi aud that undcg TIE
powrs TO reyaiate t'e yflag oi yltsn COM, - Haf ,.
om !iup tD tine requested alG pitscil1cI t.ei ta.l'
ard made them legal tender IN payment q al dep;s
Il lss mad, coas u unequal iairisic ra1e ara Ale
ness equally tender an pa!me1i o. debts Z, u, -
Al .hsse posoFs haze been thus oxorc scd ~ Con.
erls l!Om Ile foundation OF Olr Government oiN SD
ias O.. ny hreansalons have 'naoied NE 80 say tloy
have ltCn unclallcAreG. We ere lot iArasAcd with
rny where they have heer QucouCd ~ the ccgTs
.id what inference sloh uni Oln course a. eg station
c.egesccl r - tlc CONT onl by hc oogan.. should
Lava vot y 5ss. % be vel, cataVlshcj Ine goltrsi
'e ol atuc.ior which has been sanctioned, IS. AGt
ootcmpo0rcoas and legislative exposition reTa. 1.rg
nOWcF furnishes s.TOIg plo0i T.! he c-lg4cc G.! such
power
Judge Story says IN reference to question Of nrs.
y dielloA oi Tie supreme Court
fhI vtir, OF coen;7'rneoas exposition b. sl racs.
.L acquesccnce onlfl-ned State ed thess Judi
c.a dttionf The sup-rr Court yrerrA 40 i@ug period
i ,n place tue go. tr.Ae mon iouroe1n of author.
- voA cannes tr s.4.t without del.,cIg tc sub
s.tio psr.usi li 4enis4ii0o doat'' ,-!a''.a Hun
.e.. 1 \. lest, s.lb
\ In CoAcrs Virginia g Wheat ial) Chei JGs,ico
! Marshall observed thet
us concurrence of staicsmen of lcgsc;s ard cf gise-,
n tir fs.e construction o Ae tOnsatuUru W ''y i.
ANNE ,clfdauc- that ,su.truriar