OCR Text |
Show 1-!2 'I'Ll}!; ::>'l'A'l'l!.: CONVEN'£IONS. are carried bnck to the clause giving that dr·cadful power, for the general w lfare. J>ardon me, if I remind you of the true slate of that husi ness. I up peal to tltc candor of the honorab lo gentleman and if he thinks it an improper appeal, I a k the I gentlemen here, uhethwr there be a genfral,· indPfinite power of providing for the general welfare ? 'l'he power is, " to lay und collect taxes, dntics, imposts, and excise, to pay tho debts, and provide for the common defense and general welfare;" so thnt they en n only raise money by these means, in order to provide for the general welfare. No man who read it ean ~ay it is general, as tho honorable gentl eman represents it. Yon mn, t violate every rulo of construction and common sense, if you sever it from the power of raising mo11 cy, an<l rtnnex. it t~._) any thing else, in or·der to make it that formidable po.,vcr which it is represented to be. EXTRACTS FROM THE DEBATES IN THE CONVEN· TION OF NORTH CAROLINA. July 24, 17 8. Mr. Goudy. 1\'Ir. Chairman : This clause of taxation will give an aclvuntngc to :ome States over the others. It will be opprc si ve to the Sou thorn Slates. Taxes arc equal lo onr rcprcscutntiun. 'l'o augment our taxes, and increase onr burdens, our nccrrocs arc to be rcprc. 'llted. If a State has fifty thousand nfgroes, she is to send one representati vc for them. I wish not to bo represented with negroes, especially if it increases my burdens. Mr. Davie. Mr. Chairman: I will endenvor to obviate what the gentleman last up said. I wonder to sec gcnllernen so precipitate and hn. ty on a subject of awful importalice. It otwht to be consi<lcred, that some of us are low of apprehen~ion, or not having those quick conceptions ~llld lunlinons um1crslandincrs of whieh other gentlemen 01 may Lc possessed. The gentleman '' d(H'~ not wi.·;h to ht• ''"]We. cnted with TilE srl'ATE CONVEN1'IONS. 14.3 negroes." This, sir, is an unhappy species of population ; but we cannot at pre. cnt alter their situation. 'l'ho Eastern States had great jealousies on this subject. They insi ted that their cows and horses were equally eutiLled to representation ; that the one was p'rope'rty as well ns the oth er. It became our duty, on the other hand, to acquire as much weight as possible in the legislation of the Union; and, as the Northern Sta.les were more populous in whites, this only coul<l be done by insi. ting that a certain proportion of our slaves should make a part of the computed population. It was attorn pled to form a rule of rep resentation from a compoun<l ratio of wealth and population; but, on consideration, it was foun<l impracticable to determine the comparative value of lan (ls, and other property, in • so extensive a territory, with any degree of accuracy; and population alone was adopted as the only practicniJie rule ot· criterion of rept·e~cntation. It was urged by the dcp11 tic5 of the Eastern Statrs, that a representation of two-fifths would be of little utility, and tl1at their entire representation \\·ould be unequal and bu rdensome- that, in a time of war, slaves rendcre<l a country more vulnerable, while its defense devolved upon its free inhabitants. On the other hand, \ve insisle<l that, in time of peace, they coutribnted, by their labor, to the general wealth, as well as other meml.Jcrs of the community-tbat, as rational beings, they had a right of roprcscutatiou, antl, in some instances, might be highly u ·eful in war. On these princi pies, the Eastern State · gave the matter np, and consented to the regulation as it has been read. I hope these rca ons will appear satL fa ctory. It is the same rule or principle which wu proposed some years ngo by Cu11gres , and as. en ted to by twel vc of the tat rs. 1t muy wound. the <l el icacy of the gentle rnau from G uilfonl, (Mr. Goudy,) hnt I hope he will ('tll1cavor to nccommoclnte |