Article I Section VIII (C) To regulate Commerce

[DennisLeeWilson]

From: DennisLeeWilson-Ariz-Wyo  (Original Message) Sent: 2/11/2003 5:45 PM

The Constitution of the Confederate States of America.

In framing the Constitution of the Confederate States, the authors adopted, with numerous elisions and additions, the language of the Constitution of the United States, and followed the same order of arrangement of articles and sections. The changes made in this adaptation of the old Constitution are here shown. The parts stricken out are enclosed in [ ] brackets, and the new matter added in framing the Confederate Constitution is printed in italics.

Article I

SECTION VIII.

The Congress shall have Power

(C)  To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; but neither this, nor any other clause contained in this Constitution, shall ever be construed to delegate the power to Congress to appropriate money for any internal improvement intended to facilitate commerce; except for the purpose of furnishing lights, beacons, and buoys, and other aids to navigation upon the coasts, and the improvement of harbors, and the removing of obstructions in river navigation; in all such cases such duties shall be laid on the navigation facilitated thereby, as may be necessary to pay the costs and expenses thereof;
 

[DennisLeeWilson]

From: DennisLeeWilson-Ariz-Wyo Sent: 2/11/2003 7:07 PM

It is interesting to note the attempt by the Confederate States to limit the subsidizing of some "internal improvements" by specifying others as exceptions.
 
However, from an 21st Century, Objectivist viewpoint, this entire sub section should be removed and converted into a prohibition, such as: "Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of production and trade …" which comes straight from the closing pages of Atlas Shrugged.
 
Congress is prohibited from regulating Commerce of any kind. This has the consequence of making unnecessary the imposition of duties to pay the costs and expenses.
 
The purpose of Congress is the protection of individual rights to life, liberty and property. Railroads, harbors, river navigation and all such items are entirely the responsibility of individual people.