Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-04-08
The Transportation Bill.

The bill which recently passed the lower
House Of Congress, to regulate commerce
by railroad in the several States, relates to
most delicate and difficult subject, and
elicts widely differing comments, even in
the same localities. That there are grave
evils existing in this direction, and which
this bill seeks to remedy, no one will deny.
The only question is-Ilas Congress the con.
stitutional right to legislate to correct these
evils, and if so, is the measure in question
the best adapted to secure the end sought
OF the existing evils, all must be aware.
Our Vermont farmers, many Of them, pay
higher price on their freights to Boston
than are paid on the same articles from
Chicago to Boston. Therefore, if the
freighis can be equalized aud made fair, it
will be manifestly for their benefit, because
their own rates will be greatly reduced
Commerce between Vermont aud Boston,
let it be remembered is Interstate com.
merce, and just as much covered 10y the bill
in question as that from Chicago to B)s-
toni SO on the -four aud corn we import
from the West, and the manufactures we
send there it is just as much Tor our inter-
est to have cheap freights as forth The
long through ireights are cheap enough now
The real trouble is, that the railroad. dis
criminate against their local business, cs-
pecially at points which are not competing
This injustice the bill in question seeks
to remedy, aud If it does good at all, il will
be 10 that direction. Probably no one ex-
poets to cure an evil SO widespread and
deep-seated by single stroke of legisla.
ton but it must have a wholesome effect
upon the railroads themselves, to know that
Congress is feeling after its remedial rights
in the matter, and will speedily bring them
into requisition, unless the grievance is VOL
UNFAIRLY removed.
Unquestionably the abest arguments upon
this bill were made by Mr.. McCrary, of
Michigan, the father Of the bill, in its favor,
and by Mr.. Willard, of our District, in op.
position. We hope to publish extracts
from each Of them hereafter.
The friends of the bill, in seeking to es.
tablsh the constitutional right of Congress
to legislate upon the subject, lay great stress
upon the opinions Of Hon. Isaac +. Red.
field, who is not only regarded as good au-
thority in Vermont, but has attained a high
position throughout the civilized world as es-
pecially learned in the law relating to rail.
roads. He is quoted as follows:
The powerof Congress in regard to interstate
commerce-that is, commerce between different
States, whether two or more-is most uplim
tied, by the very terms OF the National Consti-
tuition. II extends MS far as the national soye-
reignty extends. In regard to the regulation
oi lares and ireights upon existing railways,
Congress has the same power 10 regulate com
merce among the States, whether upon land or
water, and 10 the same extent that any national
Legislature has to regulate upon its railways
or It's vessels or SHIPS OF any KIND. This will
become very apparent by the consideration that
this power resided, to its full extent exclu-
sively in the States before the adoption Of the
national Constitution, and that it was trans
erred entire to the national government by
enumerating among the exclusive powers del
egated to the national government the power
to regulate commerce with foreign nations and
among the several States.
One of the many amusing things we have
noticed in connection with this subject is an
article in the Middlebury Register, in which
the bill is denounced as manfestly in the
interest of the Western producers as against
the Eastern; and in the same connection
be condemns Judge Poland as having
voted for it to make himself popular ="
Popular tohere, good friend ?