make these laws. The dissimilar and conflicting laws of the
different states, and the entire want of them in others, had caused
great inconvenience. A debtor, though discharged from debt by the laws
of one state, was liable to be prosecuted on removing into another
state. Important as such laws were deemed, there is no existing law on
the subject. A bankrupt law was passed in April, 1800, and repealed in
December, 1803. Another was passed in 1841, which was of still shorter
duration.

Sec.7. The next power mentioned is the power "to coin money and regulate
the value thereof." As a consequence of giving this power to Congress,
we have a uniform currency throughout the union. We have also, instead
of the awkward system of reckoning by pounds, shillings, and pence, the
more convenient decimal mode of calculation by dollars and cents. The
old system was rendered the more inconvenient by the difference in the
value of a pound, shilling, and penny in the different states. A
merchant in a New England state, buying goods in New York or
Philadelphia, must, in order to put prices upon them, reduce the
currency of the state in which he bought them to New England currency.
Thus, the cost of an article being in New York two shillings and four
pence a pound, would be in Connecticut one shilling and nine pence. One
shilling and six pence in New York would be in any New England state
one shilling and a penny and a half.

Sec.8. The place where money is coined is called _mint_. The principal mint
in the United States, and the first that was established in this
country, is at Philadelphia. The business of coining is under the
superintendence of a director. Under him are a treasurer, an assayer, a
chief coiner, an engraver, and a melter and refiner. The gold and
silver, before it is coined, is called _bullion_. There is a branch mint
in New Orleans, one at Charlotte, in North Carolina, one at Dahlonega,
in Georgia, one in California, and one in the city of New York. At the
place last mentioned, gold is assayed, but not coined.

Sec.9. The clause containing the power last quoted, gives power also to
"fix the standard of weights and measures." For the convenience of trade
between the states, the standard of weights and measures should be the
same in all the states. Without such uniformity, commerce among the
states would meet with embarrassments scarcely less than those
experienced from the want of a uniform currency. To effect the desire