390
CONSTITUTION OF THE U. STATES.
[BOOK III.
Congress is authorized to lay and collect taxes, &c. to pay the debts, and provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States. This does not interfere with the power of the states to tax for the support of their own governments; nor is the exercise of that power by the states an exercise of any portion of the power, that is granted to the United States. In imposing taxes for state purposes, they are not doing, what congress is empowered to do. Congress is not empowered to tax for those purposes, which are within the exclusive province of the states. When, then, each government is exercising the power of taxation, neither is exercising the power of the other.
§ 925. The view thus taken of this clause of the constitution will receive some confirmation, (if it should be thought by any person necessary,) by an historical examination of the proceedings of the convention.
- ↑ See cases referred to in President Monroe's Message, 4th of May, 1822; 1 Kent's Comm. Lect. p. 250, 251; 4 Elliot's Deb. 226, 243, 244, 279 to 282; Id. 291, 292; 2 United States Law Journal, April, 1826, p. 263 to 280; Webster's Speeches, 389 to 401, 411, 412, 426.
- ↑ 9 Wheat. R. 1, 199.
- ↑ 1 Kent's Comm. Lect. p. 251; Sergeant on Const. Law, ch. 28, p. 311 to 315; Rawle on the Constitution, ch. 9, p. 104; 2 United States Law Journal, April, 1826, p. 251 to 282.