“If Congress can apply money indefinitely to the
general welfare, and are the sole and supreme judges of the general
welfare, they may take the care of religion into their own hands; they may
establish teachers in every State, county, and parish, and pay them out of the
public Treasury; they may take into their own hands the education of children,
establishing in like manner schools throughout the Union; they may undertake
the regulation of all roads other than post roads. In short, everything,
from the highest object of State legislation, down to the most minute object of
police, would be thrown under the power of Congress; for every object I have
mentioned would admit the application of money, and might be called, if
Congress pleased, provisions for the general welfare.” James Madison, 1792 Cod
Fishing Debate.
The first clause in Article 1 Section
8 is known as the General Welfare Clause. According to James Madison, the
clause authorized Congress to spend money but only to carry out the powers as
enumerated in the following clauses of Article 1, not to meet the seemingly
endless needs of the general welfare. That is a power reserved to the States in
the 10th Amendment.
It seems that Madison was prescient;
knowing a bunch of idiots would think they deserved a bunch of free stuff and a
MORON that would give it to them.
Further
discussion:
See Madison’s Notes on the
Constitutional Convention: http://consource.org/document/james-madisons-notes-of-the-constitutional-convention-1787-9-17/
These include the daily Notes from May
25, 1787 through September 17, in total. Also are Records of the Proceedings by
the various delegates.
Summary
of the balance of Sect 8:
Borrow
money
Regulate
Commerce
Establish
a Rule of Naturalization
Establish
a Uniform Rule on Bankruptcies
To
Coin money & regulate the value
Fix
the Standard of Weights and Measures
Provide
the punishment for counterfeiting
Establish
Post Offices and Post Roads
Provide
for Copywriting
Establish
Tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court
Define
and punish piracies on the high seas
Declare
War
Raise
and support Armies for 2 year intervals
Provide
and maintain a Navy
Make
Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces
Provide
for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress
Insurrections and repel Invasions
Provide
for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia
Exercise
exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over the District [of Columbia]
and exercise authority over all federal military installations
Make
all Laws necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing
Each
of the foregoing would be categorized under the aegis of the 3 Powers:
Provide
for the Common Defense
Insure
Domestic Tranquility
Promote
the General Welfare
As
follows:
Provide
for the Common Defense—
Establish
Tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court
Define
and punish piracies on the high seas
Declare
War
Raise
and support Armies for 2 year intervals
Provide
and maintain a Navy
Make
Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces
Insure
Domestic Tranquility—
Provide
for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress
Insurrections and repel Invasions
Provide
for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia
Exercise
exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over the District [of Columbia]
and exercise authority over all federal military installations
Promote
the General Welfare—
Borrow
money
Regulate
Commerce--See Commerce Clause
Establish
a Rule of Naturalization
Establish
a Uniform Rule on Bankruptcies
To
Coin money & regulate the value
Fix
the Standard of Weights and Measures
Provide
the punishment for counterfeiting
Establish
Post Offices and Post Roads
Provide
for Copywriting
All
else is reserved to the States and to the People
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