Mr. President, I think the apprehensions of the honorable Senfrom Ohio in regard to the action of Pennsylvania in this behalf are entirely unfounded. It is true that she has one great railroad, and has been very careful of it and very liberal toward it, and would he very unwillin to bring it in competition with another betore the propertime; but when the time comes that the trade and travel of the country demand another out let, it will be made and be made promptly. I am opposed to this bill, Mr. Presjdent, because 1 think it is clearly a usurpation of power on the part of the General Government which it does not possess. If we can enlar the chartered powers of a railroad lying within a State, we can diminish those powers. If we have any power over them whatever, we have all; or, at least, I know nowhere where there is tube found any limit. But there is a mischief, and a mise hief which existed at the framing of the Constitution, and which was provided for, not affirmatively, by clothing this Government with the power to charter railroads, hut in a negative way. What is the mise hief alleged here? it is that certain States levy taxes to put into their State treasury through the medium of their railroads, and they levy these taxes upon the interState travel and tra" e. That is the mise hief, as I understand, which is complained of. I am not certain that the mischief has risen to that height which would remder it properthat we should interfere, but I am rather inclined to think that I would vote for a bill which would prevent a State from committin that mise hief. 0 Under the original Articles of Confederation the citizens of all the States were only in the several States to be subjected to such burdens, themselves and their trade and travel, as the citizens of the State within which they were at the time were subjected to. That was found to be mise hievous, because the citizens of a Stateling, as Pennsylvania does, across the line O principal travel from the East to the West, or ling, as the State of Maryland or the State of cw Jersey does, between the northern and southern travel, might well afford to pay this tax, provided all the strangers who passed through their State were obliged topay it too; and I think it was the defective nature of that provision which gave rise to the present power of the Constitution given to the general Eovermnentto ulate commerce. But certainl that power oes not extend so far as to enable Congress, in des ite of the States and aeainst their will, to made ways of commerce. owever much it might operate a on common carriers and upon the right of the States to impose improperburdensupon trade and travel, it cannot extend to the chartered powers of turnpike and railway companies, because to say that it does is to say that the whole is vested in as; and, Mr. President, I know of no greater mise hief that could happen this country than to bring all the railroad companies in the country here to have their charters either enlarged or diminished. I do not know anythingwhich would be more likely to undermine the virtue of Congress and sap the very foundations of our institutions than to bring all the ca ital of the country here to bu special privileges from as and combine together to get them.