ern
States agst. an emancipation of slaves, and taxes on exports, he
shd. be bound by duty to his State to vote agst. their
Report--The appt. of a Come. as moved by Mr. Gerry, Agd. to nem.
con.[559]

The Committee of Detail, therefore, reported:

2 no prohibitions or (such) (ye) Importations of such inhabitants
(or people as the sevl. States think proper to admit)

No Tax or Duty shall be laid by the Legislature, on Articles
exported from any State; nor on the emigration or importation of
such Persons as the several States shall think proper to admit;
nor shall such emigration or importation be prohibited.

No Capitation Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the
Census herein before directed to be taken.

The draft of the constitution reported on August 6 carried:[32]

Sect. 4. No tax or duty shall be laid by the Legislature on
articles exported from any State; nor on the migration or
importation of such persons as the several States shall think
proper to admit; nor shall such migration or importation be
prohibited.

On the eighth of August, King remarked:[560]

Mr. King wished to know what influence the vote just passed was
meant have on the succeeding part of the Report, concerning the
admission of slaves into the rule of Representation. He could not
reconcile his mind to the article if it was to prevent objections
to the latter part. The admission of slaves was a most grating
circumstance to his mind, & he believed would be so to a great
part of the people of America. He had not made a strenuous
opposition to it heretofore because he had hoped that this
concession would have produced a readiness which had not been
manifested, to strengthen the Genl. Govt. and to mark a full
confidence in it. The Report under consideration had by the tenor
of it, put an end to all these hopes. In two great points the
hands of the Legislature were absolutely tied. The importation of
slaves could not be prohibited--exports could not be taxed. Is
this reasonable? What are the great objects of the Genl. System?
1. defence agst. foreign invasion. 2 agst. internal sedition.
Shall all the States then be bound to defend each; & shall each
be at liberty to introduce a weakness which will render defence
more difficult? Shall one part of the U. S. be bou