The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-01-08
H SUNDAY, JAM AIRY $, 1905 80 II IL

SUNDAY, JAN AIRY 100. v.
Regulation Of C Commerce and the
Adoption Of the Constitution
The regulation OF railroad Il rates v b y
Congress is a question that Is now oc g Y
%pylng conspicuous place In the minds
of The business men OF the country, who.
either from their sensitive Int N rail-
Il roads, Or from their ideas Of the ceii-
trailing tendency Of the eXer ise8 Of su "
Il & power b. Congress, have become les
" Il armed at the prospect Of as control by
MI cons gross Of tho railroad IRA les In or
state commerce. 81 u. IL RI n 3 $is
5S Ii is ans teresting fact that this pa r
81 Observation-Disclosures control OF commerce.
both. foreign and Interstate the prllntl-,
# cfpal influence that drew tho thirteen soy
creign and independent States OF the old ti5
Y confederation into the closer and more
perfect union created by the Constitution
40 Il the United States. The story Of how.
e it, came to pass is worth telling,
Under the old articles of Confedera tton,,
S3 id opted in#1T77, 1t was provided In Article
sI Isttat each State should retain it's SOW
8ereiEnty, freedom and Independence and
every power, jurisdiction and right not ct
BY the confederation EXPIRE sly: delegated
sto the United States in Congress assem-
S&blcd. # " t " 55sl
Article nv provided that the people
$sof each state should have free ingress:s
ana egrcss to and from any OF er States
ana should enjoy therein I'LL the privi--Si
F55 res zoe trade and commerce. subject Il to
HI i 10 same duties, 5imposl tions and restrlc-
tions as the inhabitants thereof respect
as4st jEely g s q Provided also that no inns
rositions. duties or restrictions shal be
laid bys any, state on the property Of
tie United States or either Of them. " 81
53 Article " provided among other things
that 1'no state should lay any imposts
or duties which might Interfere
with any stipulations in treaties entered
"a into BY the United States IN Congress
"a 81 ifi III BID
Article VIII provided that tho revenues
II OF the United States were to be supplied
by the several States In proportion to the
value of all land within each State, and
u he taxes for paying hat proportion
should be left by the authority Of tho
Legislature In the several States :"
s858S33 Under this condition Of the confodera-
ton the Revolutionary War was fought
G out to successful finish and peace made
\ II was on April 3d. 1854, that Congress
took UP d report Of dlconln4ttee OF which
Mr.. jefferson wasfa men, Der, and adopt
cd series OF resolutions which contained
M the following: sa}a
# UNLESS the United States, in Congress-
assembled, shall be vested with power
81 competent to tho protection Of commerce.,
a they can never command reciprocal adj
pantages In trade, Z 50
~ Il ence 1T is necessary that the States
should be explicit and fix on some effect
,ial mode by which foreigns commerce not
# founded on principles Of equality be
restrained. "A III Il
THAT the United States may be cna bled
q TO secure such terms, $500 II be and
4 hereby is recommended to the Leglslu-
lures Of the several States to vest tho
United States III Congress assembled for
The term Of fifteen years with power to
prohibit any goods. wares or merchant
a disc from being imported into or exported
8s from any of tho States In vessels be-
# longing to or nnvigated by the subjects
of any power with whom these States
&5 shall not have formed treaties OF COM
S merge, etc. HI s
The resolutions OF which these were a
Z part were sent to each State and on
March 81. 1855. nearly two years after
wards, The matter was again taken uE
X by Congress, and the committee, OF which
# Mr.. Grayson, of Virginia., was n mem
8ber reported that In examining the law
passed By the States in consequence OF
tho act Of April 80, 1854, they found that
II Tour States, namely, Massachusetts, New
H FORK. New Jersey and Virginia had en-
acted la VS. conforming to the recommends
ATOMS contained In the act, but had res
strained their operation until the other
States should have substantially COM
pied, and that three States. namely,
Connecticut. Pennsylvania and Mary
land had passed the law conforming Ia
-t7 he same. but fixed several times at which
the act was to begin to take effect: that
"a New Hampshire passed the enabling act
but with srspending proyiso while
Rhode Island granted the power for 4
term OF twenty-five years. hut Also
N tfo REGULATE 4tADE BETYyF 't,,.,
THE RESPECTIVE STATES. Norti
f Garolipa passed an act similar to that
Il ,ot Rhode Island. but also clogged Will
I a provisional clause, and The three other
states, namely, Delaware. South Caro-
Ind passed no law at all.' s