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Show 92 'l'll~ l!'EJ>EHAI..~ CONY E:'\'l'lON. ditl 11ot think South Carolina would stop her importalious of shLvcs in any .. horl time ; but only stop them occasionally, ns she now uoes. lie moved to commit the clause, that :laves might b, mnc1e liable to an equal tax with other imporL ; which he thought right, and which would remove one difficnlty that had been stated. :Mr. Rulledg·e. If the Convention thinks that North Cnroliua, South Carolina, and Georgia, will ever agree to the plan, unless th eir right to import slaves Le untouched, the expectation is vaiu. rrhe people of those States will 11ever be such fools as to give up so important an interest. He was ugain. t triking out the ser.tion, and seconded the motion of Gcnerul Pinckney for a commitment. :.Mr. Gouverneur ~Morris wi:hed the whole snuject to be committed, including the clan. cs relating to taxes on exports and to a navigation act. 'rhcse things may form a bargain amonrr tho Norlhrrn and Southern States. Mr. Buller dec1nrecl, that he uever would agree to tlw power of taxing export .. Mr. SlJerman said it was bettor to let the Southern Stales import slaves than to part with them, if they made that a ,c.;ine qua uon. lie was opposed to a tax on slaves imported as making the matter worse, because it implied they were prope1·ty. Ile acknovvle<lged that, if the power of prohibiting the importation should be given to the genernl government, it would be exercised. lie thought it would be its duly to exercise the power. Mr. Read was for ihe commitment, provided tho clause concerning taxes on exports could also ue committed. Mr. Sherman observed, that that clause had been agreed to, and therefore could not be committed. Mr. Randolph wns for committing, in order that some middle ground might, if poRsible, be fonnd. He could never agree to the clause a~ it stands. lie would sooner risk the coustituliou. lie dwelt on tho dilemma to which 'l'IIE F lU>Ji~ I~A L CON V 11~ N'l'l 0 :N. 93 tho Convention was expos d. By agreeing to tho clause, it woulu revolt U1e Qttttken,;, the J\1 ct hodi ~ts, and many others in the States ha. vin~,. 110 slaYe:. On the other hand, two States mi ght be lo~t to the uniou. Let us then, he su.id, try tllC chances of a con1mitmcnt. On the qncsliou fur commiLling the remai ning part of sections 4 nnd 5 of nrtielo 7,-Connectieut, New Jersey, M1trylu.nu, Virginia, NorLh Caroliua, South Carolina, Georgia., Aye, 7 ; New liam psh ire, Penn ·yl van ia, Dclu.wure, No, 3; Ma:::; ·achuscLLs absent. :Mr. Williamson slated the law of North Cn.rolina on the subj ect, to wit, that it did not directly prohibit the importation of slaves. It impot>cd a duty of five paunch; on each slave imported from Africa; ten pounds on each from elsewhere, n.nd fifty pannus on ench from a State Jicensing manumtss1on. lie thought the Southern Stales could uot be members of the uni on, if the clnusc should be rrjccted, and that it was wrong to force any thing down not abso) uLcly necessary, and which any tate must di1-in.gree to. Mr. King thought the sul>jcet should be con. itlcrc(l in a political light only. H two States will not agree io the constitution, as stated 011 one side, he could af.imn with equal belieF, on the other, that great and equal opposition would be experienced from the other tales. lie remarked that the exemption of slaves from duty, whilst. every other imparL was subject to it, was un inequal ity that could Hot filii to strike the commercinl sagacity of the Northern anu Middle Stales. Mr. Langdon was strenuons for giving tl1e power to the general government. IIe could not, with n. good conscience, leave it with the States, who coulu then go on with the traffic without being reslrn.incd by the opinions here given, that they will themselves cease to import slaves. Mr. Ruiledge, from the committee to whom wns referred the propositions of Mr. Madison nnd Mr. Pinckney on the It''• lfi •• , 'I |
