Essays on the Constitution of the United States / Published during its Discussion by the People, 1787-1788

by Unknown

Sect. 7 provides that all bills for raising revenues shall originate in the house of representatives. Here again must the anti-federalists appear weak and contemptible in their assertions that the senate will have it in their power to establish themselves a complete aristocratick body; for this clause fully evinces that if their inclinations were ever so great to effect such an establishment, it would answer no end, for being unable to levy taxes, or collect a revenue, is a sufficient check upon every attempt of such a nature.

The 7th section further provides, That every bill which passes the house of representatives and the senate, before it becomes a law, shall be presented to the president of the United States; if he objects to it the sense of both houses will be again taken on the subject, and if two-thirds of the members are in favour of the bill, it passes into a law.

Much clamour has been made about the power of the president; it has been asserted that his influence would be such as to enable him to continue in office during life.

Such insinuations are founded on a very slender basis. If the president opposes the sense of both houses, without sufficient reasons for his conduct, he will soon become obnoxious, and his influence vanish like the fleeting smoke; and his objection to anything which the house and senate may think calculated for the promotion of the publick good, will be of no effect.

Sect. 8 provides, That Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, excises, &c.—to pay debts, to provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States—that all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the Union—they shall have power to coin money, and to fix the value thereof, &c.—The impotency of the present Congress sufficiently indicates the necessity of granting greater powers to a federal head; and it is highly requisite such a head [pg 035] should be enabled to establish a fund adequate to the exigencies of the Union.

The propriety of all duties and imposts being uniform throughout the states, cannot be disputed. It is also highly requisite that Congress should be enabled to establish a coin which shall circulate the same throughout all the states. The necessity of such arrangements is certainly very obvious. For other particulars contained in the 8th section, I must refer my readers to the Constitution, and am confident they will find it replete with nothing more than what is absolutely necessary should be vested in the guardians of a free country.

Can, then, those murmuring sycophants, who oppose the plan of federal government, wish for anything more liberal than what is contained in the aforementioned section? If the powers of a federal head were to be established on as weak a frame as that on which the present confederation is founded, what effect would any constitution have in giving energy to measures designed to promote the glory of the Union, and for establishing its honour and credit? One great object of the federal Convention was, to give more power to future Assemblies of the States. In this they have done liberally, without partiallity to the interests of the states individually; and their intentions were known before the honourable body was dissolved. And now that a form of government, every way adequate to the purposes of the Union, has been proposed by them, in which proper powers are to be vested in the supreme head, a hue and cry is raised by the sons of sedition and dishonesty, as though an army of uncircumcised Philistines were upon us!

They are bellowing about, that tyranny will inevitably follow the adoption of the proposed constitution. It is, however, an old saying, that the greatest rogue is apt to cry rogue first. This we may rely upon, that if we follow perfidious counsels, as those are, I dare affirm, of the anti-federalists, every evil which that sapp brood anticipates, will befall us. Besides, foreign creditors will not be cheated out of their property; nor will the creditors of our own country be tame spectators of the sacrifice of their interest at the shrine of villainy.

Section 9th says, The writ of habeus corpus shall not be suspended, unless in case of rebellion, or the invasion of the publick safety may require it. It has been asserted by some, that a person accused of a crime, would be obliged to ruin himself, in order to prove his innocence; as he would be obliged to repair to the seat of federal government, in order to have his cause tried before a federal court, and be liable to pay all expenses which might be incurred in the undertaking. But the section beforementioned proves that assertion to be futile and false, as it expressly provides for securing the right of the subjects, in regard to his being tried in his own state.

The 9th section further provides, that a regular statement and account of the receipts and expenditures of all publick monies, shall be published from time to time. Thus the people will have it in their power to examine the appropriations made of the revenues and taxes collected by Congress; and if they are not satisfied in regard to the conduct of their rulers in this respect, they will be able to effect a change agreeable to their wishes.