RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION Tuesday MADISON August Mr. Langdon suggested a prohibition on the States from tax- ing the produce of other States exported from their harbours. Mr. Dickenson. The power of taxing exports ma 7 be inconvenient at present; but it must be of dangerous conse- quence to prohibit it with respect to all articles and for ever. He thought it would be better to except particular articles from the power. Mr. Sherman-- It is best to prohibit the National legls- lature in all cases. The States will never give up all power over trade. An enumeration of particular articles would be ditticult invidious and improper. Mr M(adison) As we ought to be governed by national and permanent views, it is a sufficient argument for giving ye power over exports that a tax, tho' it may not be expedient at present, may be so hereafter. ?�roper regulation of exports may & probably will be necessary hereafter, and for the same purposes as the regulation of--imports; viz, for revenue-- domestic manufactures ?7 -- and procuring equit- able regulations from other nations. An Embargo may be of absolute necessity, and can alone be effectuated by the Genl. authority. The regulation of trade between State and State can not effect more than indirectly to hinder a State from taxing its own exports; by authorizing its Citizens to carry their commodities freely into a neighbourlng State which might decline taxing exports in order to draw into its channel the trade of its neighbouts- As to the fear of dispropor- tionate burdens on the more exporting States, it might be remarked that it was agreed on all hands that the revenue wd. principally be drawn from trade, and as only a given revenue would be needed, it was not material whether all should be drawn wholly from imports- or half from those, and half from exports- The imports and exports must be pretty nearly equal in every State- and relativel 7 the same among the different States. Mr Elseworth did not conceive an embargo by the Con- gress interdicted by this section. Crossed out: "for the general good of the Unlon". See Appendix A, CCCLXIV, CCCXC.
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