Introduction to the Constitutional Law of the United States

Separation of functions not complete . .

. 173

President's legislative power; his veto . . . . 174-177

His legislative function inferior. . . . . . . . 175

Legislative power of the British Crown; more theoretical than real 176

President's legislative power more substantial . . . . . 177

President need not assent to proposed amendments . . . . 178

His power to make treaties . . . . . . . . 179

Other instances of interchange of functions . . . . . 180, 181

Tendency of one department to'encroach upon the others . . 182

The legislature the most powerful . . . . . . 183-187

Example of British Parliament . . . . . . . 184

Congress has greater inclination to amplify its powers . . . . 185

Effect of Congress acquiring all governmental power . . 186, 187

SECTION II.- THE SEPARATION OF THE LEGISLATURE INTO TWO CO-ORDINATE

BRANCHES.

Senate and House of Representatives ; constitutional provisions . . 188

Example of British Parliament

. . 189

Organization and nature of the Senate; principle of local self-gov-

ernment . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Organization and nature of the House; principle of centralization. 191

Number of members of House determined by population of the states . 192

Population how reckoned ; constitutional provision . . . 193

Advantages resulting to Southern states . . . . . . 194

Increase of this advantage from abolishing slavery. .

195

Remedies proposed . . . . . . . . . . 196

SECTION III. — METHOD OF CHOOSING OFFICIAL PERSONS.

General features; fewness of popular elections provided for. . 197

President and Vice-President, how chosen . . . . . 198–203

Constitutional provisions . . . . .

. . . 198

How electors appointed . . . . . . . . . 199

Original design of these methods . . . . . . 200-202

Change in this design . . . . . . . . . . 203

The Senate, how chosen . . . . . . . . . 204

The House of Representatives, how chosen . . . . 205–215

SECTION

205

Constitutional provisions . . . . . . . .

Powers of states to determine qualifications of electors . . 206-209
Power of Congress to guarantee a republican form of government;

its meaning and extent . . . . . . . 210

The United States should control the qualifications of Congressional

electors . . . . . . . . . . . 211

Proposed XIVth amendment, considered . . . . . 212

This amendment opposed to ideas of local self-government . . . 213

Another amendment suggested giving Congress the control of this

subject. . . . . . . . . . 214, 215

Other officers . . . . . . . . . .

SECTION IV.-SOME RULES RESPECTING THE QUALIFICATIONS OF OFFICERS, AND

THE ORGANIZATION OF THE HOUSES OF CONGRESS, AND THE CONDUCT OF

BUSINESS THEREBY.

Qualifications in respect to age, citizenship, and inhabitancy; terms

of office . . . . . . . . . . . 217

Rules relating to the organization of Congress, and of each House . 218

Each House a judge of the election of its members . . . . 219

Rules of order . . . . . . . . .

. 220

The journal; demand for the yeas and nays. . . . . 221

Revenue bills originate in the House of Representatives .

.222

Rules applicable to the members individually . . . . 223, 224

CHAPTER III.

GENERAL LIMITATIONS UPON THE POWERS OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

Objects of this chapter

. . .

. . 225

Government of the United States limited . . . . . 226

SECTION I. — EXPRESS LIMITATIONS UPON THE WHOLE GOVERNMENT.

Express limitations, some upon the whole government, some upon

one department . . . . . . . . . . 227

General statement and nature of these limitations . .

228-230

The Constitution originally contained few . .

· 228

Provisions of first eight amendments .

. . . 229

These provisions generally found in state constitutions . . 230

To whom are these negative provisions addressed . . . 231-234

They restrain the United States government and not the

states . . . . . . . . . . 232–234

Barron v. Mayor of Baltimore . . . . . . . 233

Murphy o. The People ; Barker v. The People; James v. The

Commonwealth. . . . . . . . . 234

This rule an unfortunate one; citizens may be exposed to state

injustice, and not sufficiently protected by the United States

government; illustrations

Proposed XIVth amendment as a remedy ,

237

The limitations are addressed to all departments and execute

themselves . . . . . . .

. 238

Examination and discussion of these limitations . . . . 239

1. Right to keep and bear arms; a militia . .

2. Quartering soldiers upon private citizens . . . . 240

3. Unreasonable seizures and searches forbidden ; general war-

rants . . . . . . . . . . 241

4. Course of proceeding in criminal prosecutions regulated : 242

Exception of persons in military service . . . . . 243

5. No person to be twice put in jeopardy for the same offence. 244

6. “ “ “ “ deprived of life, etc., without due process of

law . . . . . . . . . 245–250

Provision in Magna Charta . . . . . . . 245

What is due process of law . . . . . . . 246

Porter v. Taylor . . . . . . . . . 247

Wynehammer v. The People; Murray's Lessee v. Hoboken

Land Co. . . . . . . .

. 249

7. Private property not to be taken for public use without com-

pensation . . . . . . . . . 251–256

Right of eminent domain, its nature . . . . 251-253

Whether private property may ever be taken for military

purposes, without compensation : Mitchell v. Harmony 254–256

Importance of these restrictive clauses . . . . 257

May they ever be disregarded in an internal war . . . 258

SECTION II.- IMPLIED LIMITATIONS.

The United States government one of limited powers . . . 259

Within the scope of its functions it is absolute; Congress has an un-

limited choice of means which conduce to a lawful end . . 260, 261

Examples of the practice of Congress under this rule . . . 262

Examples of the decisions of the Supreme Court asserting this rule:

Fisher v. Blight; Martin v. Hunter's Lessee; McCulloch v. Ma-

ryland ; Gibbons v. Ogden . . . . . . . 263–268

General principles established by judicial decision and legislative

practice . . . . . . . . . . . 269

CHAPTER IV.

THE LEGISLATIVE POWERS OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

SECTION I. — THE POWER OF TAXING.

Provisions of the Constitution . . . . .

Divisions of the subject . .

. . .

SEOTION

First. What Powers of Taration are held by Congress !

I The Purposes for which Taxes may be Laid and Collected.

General purposes ; payment of debts, the common defence,

the general welfare . . . . . . . 273, 274

General discretion of Congress as to measures . . . 275

II. The Various kinds of Tarcs.

Different kinds of taxes defined . . . . . . 276

Direct and indirect taxes . . . . . . . 277

III. The Means and Methods of Enforcing the Tacing Power.

Constitutional provisions ; apportionment and uniformity . . 278

Direct taxes apportioned . . . . . . . 279

Indirect taxes uniform . . . . . . . 280

What are direct, and what indirect, taxes: Hylton v. United

States . . . . . .

. . 281, 282

Tax on articles exported . . . . . . . . 283

Measures included within the taxing power . . . . 284

IV. Extent of the Tazing Power.

The power unlimited : Providence Bank v. Billings; McCul-

loch v. Maryland . . . . . . . 285-287

Stamp duties on private agreements . .. . .288

“ “ “ judicial proceedings . . . . 289-293

These stamps are taxes on property . . . . 290, 291

For what purposes may revenue be raised . . . 294, 295

Second. What Powers of Taxation are held by the Several States ?

I. Implied Limitations upon the Power of the States to Tar.

States have the taxing power; but it is subordinate; must

be used second to that of the United States; cannot be

exercised upon property or means of the United States . 297

Cases illustrating this principle . . . . 298–304

Taxing United States Bank : McCulloch v. Maryland ; Osborn

v. Bank of United States . . . . . 298

4 salary of United States officers : Dobbins v. Commis

sioners . .

ini · : 299

“ United States securities by name : Weston v. City

Council . . . .

. . . 300

6. United States securities as a part of tax-payer's gen-

eral property: Bank of Commerce v. City of

New York; Bank Tax Cases . . . . 301, 302

“ stockholders of national banks : Van Allen v. Assess-

ors ; People v. Commissioners : : : : 304

General conclusions . . . . . . . . . 305

Effect of United States revenue license : McGuire v. The

Commonwealth. . . . . . . . . 306

SECTION

II. Express Limitations upon the Power of the States to Tax.

Constitutional provisions: duties on imports and exports ; in- .

spection laws . . . . . . . . . 307

What are inspection laws .

. . 308

Cases illustrating these provisions : Brown v. Maryland; Li-

cense cases; Passenger cases; Cooley v. Port Wardens ;

Almy v. California . . . . . . . 309–312

SECTION II. — THE POWER TO BORROW MONEY.

Constitutional provisions ; general discretion of Congress . . 313

Methods of borrowing money which may be used . . . . 314

Power to charter United States or national banks, as one method:

McCulloch v. Maryland ; Osborn v. Bank of United States 315

Issuing treasury notes ; power to declare them legal tender: Metro-
politan Bank v. Van Dyck . .

. 316, 317

Power of the states to borrow; forbidden to emit bills of credit 318, 319

What are bills of credit: Craig v. Missouri; Briscoe ». The Bank 320, 321

SECTION III.- THE POWER TO REGULATE COMMERCE.
Constitutional provisions

. . .

Reasons for these provisions; division of the subject . .

First. Nature of the Power.

Whether the power is exclusive in Congress : three theories 323, 324

What is commerce . . . . . . . . . . 325

Power of Congress extends only to foreign and inter-state commerce 326

General objects of this grant of power . . . . 327, 328

Rules of interpretation : police powers of states: regulations of

commerce . . . . . . . . . 329–331

Gibbons v. Ogden. . . . . . . . . 333-337

Rules established by this case . . . . . . . . 338

Brown v. Maryland . . . . .

. . 339-343
Wilson v. Blackbird Creek

344-346

New York v. Miln . . . . . . . . 347–350

The License cases . . . . . . . . . 351-357

The Passenger cases .

358-360
Cooley v. The Port Wardens . . .

. . . 361, 362

Wheeling Bridge case . . . . . . . . 363-366

Smith v. Maryland . . . . .

. . . 367

Sinnot v. Davenport . . . . . . . . . 368

Philadelphia Bridge case . . . . . . . 369-372

Power of states to construct bridges . . . . . . 373

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