The writings of James Madison, comprising his public papers and his private correspondence, including numerous letters and documents now for the first time printed. |
FRIDAY MARCH 7. |
The writings of James Madison, | ||
FRIDAY MARCH 7.
Printed copies of the Report above-mentioned were delivered
to each member, as follows, viz.
"Resolved, that it be recommended to the several States,
as indispensably necessary to the restoration of public credit, and
the punctual & honorable discharge of the public debts, to vest
in the U. S. in Congs. assemd. a power to levy for the use of the
U. S. a duty of 5 Per Ct. ad valorem, at the time and place of importation,
upon all goods, wares & merchandizes of foreign growth
& manufactures, which may be imported into any of the said
States, from any foreign port, island or plantation, except arms,
ammunition, clothing, and other articles imported on account of398
the U. States or any of them; and except wool cards, cotton
cards, & wire for making them; and also except Salt during the
war:Also a like duty of 5 Per Ct. ad valorem, on all prizes
& prize goods condemned in the Court of Admiralty of any of
these United States as lawful prize:Also to levy a duty of 1/8 of a dollar per bushel on all salt
imported as aforesaid after the war; 1/15 of a dollar per gallon on
all wines, 1/30 of a dollar per gallon on all rum and brandy; 2/3 of
a dollar per 112 Ibs on all brown sugars, 1 dollar per 112 Ibs on
all powdered, lump and clayed sugars other than loaf sugars,
1 1/3d°. per 112 Ibs on all loaf sugars; 1/30 of a dollar per pound on
all Bohea Tea, and 1/15 of a dollar per Ib on all finer India teas,
imported as aforesaid, after—, in addition to
the five per Ct. above-mentioned:Provided that none of the said duties shall be applied to
any other purpose than the discharge of the interest or principal
of the debts which shall have been contracted on the faith of the
U. S. for supporting the present war, nor be continued for a
longer term than 25 years: and provided that the collectors of
the said duties shall be appointed by the States within which their
offices are to be respectively exercised, but when so appointed,
shall be amenable to & removable by the U. S. Congs. assd. alone;
and in case any State shall not make such appointment within
—, after notice given for that purpose, the appointment
may then be made by the U. S. in Congs. assd.That it be further recommended to the several States to
establish for a like term not exceeding 25 years, and to appropriate
to the discharge of the interest & principal of the debts
which shall have been contracted on the faith of the U. S., for
supporting the present war, substantial and effectual revenues of
such a nature as they may respectively judge most convenient, to
the amount of—, and in the proportion
following viz.The said revenues to be collected by persons appointed as aforesaid,
but to be carried to the separate credit of the States within
which they shall be collected and be liquidated and adjusted399
among the States according to the quotas which may from time
to time be allotted to them.That an annual account of the proceeds and application
of the aforementioned revenues shall be made out & transmitted
to the several States, distinguishing the proceeds of each of the
specified articles, and the amount of the whole revenue received
from each State.That none of the preceding resolutions shall take effect
untill all of them shall be acceded to by every State, after which
accession however, they shall be considered as forming a mutual
compact among all the States, and shall be irrevocable by any
one or more of them without the concurrence of the whole, or a
majority, of the United States in Congs. assembled:That, as a further means, as well of hastening the extinguishment
of the debts, as of establishing the harmony of the
U. States, it be recommended to the States which have passed no
acts towards complying with the resolutions of Congress of the
6th. of Sepr. and the 10th. of Octr., 1870, relative to territorial cessions,
to make the liberal cessions therein recommended, & to the States
which may have passed acts complying with the said resolutions
in part only, to revise & complete such compliance.That, in order to remove all objections against a retrospective
application of the constitutional rule of apportioning to
the several States the charges & expenses which shall have been
supplied for the common defence or general welfare, it be recommended
to them to enable Congress to make such equitable exceptions
and abatements as the particular circumstances of the
States from time to time, during the war, may be found to require:That conformably to the liberal principles on which
these recommendations are founded, and with a view to a more
amicable and complete adjustment of all accounts between the
U. S. and individual States, all reasonable expenses which shall
have been incurred by the States without the sanction of Congs. ,
in their defence agst. or attacks upon British or Savage enemies,
either by sea or by land, and which shall be supported by satisfactory
proofs, shall be considered as part of the common charges
incident to the present war, and be allowed as such:That as a more convenient and certain rule of ascertaining
the proportions to be supplied by the States respectively
to the common Treasury, the following alteration in the articles
of confederation and perpetual union between these States, be
and the same is hereby, agreed to in Congress, & the several
States are advised to authorize their respective delegates to subscribe
and ratify the same, as part of the said instrument of Union,
in the words following, to wit."So much of the 8th. of the Articles of Confederation &
perpetual Union between the thirteen States of America as is contained
in the words following to wit' All charges of war &c (to
the end of the paragraph)—[and all other expenses that shall be
incurred for the common defence or general welfare, and allowed
by the United States in Congress assembled, shall be defrayed
out of a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the several
States, in proportion to the value of all land within each State
granted to, or surveyed for, any person, as such land, and the
buildings and improvements thereon, shall be estimated according
to such mode as the United States in Congress assembled
shall, from time to time, direct and appoint,]'—is hereby revoked
and made void, and in place thereof, it is declared and Concluded,
the same having been agreed to in a Congress of the
United States, that all charges of war, and all other expenses that
shall be incurred for the common defence or general welfare and
allowed by the U. S. in Congress assembled shall be defrayed out
of a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the several
States in proportion to the number of inhabitants of every age,
sex & condition, except Indians not paying taxes in each State;
which number shall be triennially taken & transmitted to the U.
S. in Congs. assembled, in such mode as they shall direct and appoint;
provided always that in such numeration no persons shall
be included who are bound to servitude for life, according to the
laws of the State to which they belong, other than such as may be
between the ages of [65] —years."
(1.)
(2.)
(3.)
(4.)
(5.)
(6.)
(7.)
(8.)
(9.)
(10.)
(11.)
(12)
In the draught as laid before the Come. by—the (7) paragraph
was placed last of all, so as to render the plan individual. In the (10) paragraph
the word "reasonable" before the word "expenses," was not inserted
but to the paragraph was added "provided that this allowance shall not be extended
to any expenses which shall be declared by nine votes in Congress to be
manifestly unreasonable." In other respects the original draught was unaltered,
except that a former resolution of Congress in the words of the (6) paragraph
was incorporated by the Secy. before it went to the press. [Note in MS.]
The writings of James Madison, | ||