Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/218

 212 RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION Teday McHENRY lugust 7 we could not. If we relinquished any of the rights or powers of our government to the U.S. of America, we could no otherwise agree to that relinquishment than in the mode our constitution prescribed for making changes or alterations in it. Mr. Carrol said he had felt his doubts respecting the pro- priety of this article as it respected Maryland; but he hoped we should be able to get over this difficulty. Mr. Jenifer now came in to whom Mr. Carroll repeated what we had said upon my propositions and our determina- tions. Mr. Jenifer agreed to act in unison with us but seemed to have vague ideas of the mischiefs of the system as it stood in the report. I wished to impress him with the necessity to support us, and touched upon some popular points. I suggested to him the unfavorable impression it would make upon the people on account of its expence- An army and navy was to be raised and supported, expensive courts of judicature to be maintained, and a princely president to be provided for etc--That it was plain that the revenue for these purposes was to be chiefly drawn from commerce. That Maryland in this case would have this resource taken from her, without the expences of her own government being lessened. --That what would be raised from her commerce and by' indirect taxation would far exceed the proportion she would be called upon to pay under the present confederation. An increase of taxes, and a decrease in the objects of taxa- tion as they respected a revenue for the State would not prove very palatable to our people, who might think that the whole objects of taxation were hardly sufficient to discharge the States obligations. Mr. Mercer came in, and said he would go with the depu- tation on the points in question. He would wish it to be under- stood however, that he did not like the system, that it was weak- That he would produce a better one since the con- vention had undertaken to go radically to work, that perhaps he would not be supported by any one, but if he was not, he would go with the stream-

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