18 The Compact of 1785 The citizens of either state having lands in the other, shall have full liberty to transport to their own state the produce of such lands, or to remove their effects, free from any duty, tax, or charge whatsoever, for the liberty to remove such produce or effects. The Defendant here was claiming, of course, that the slaves were "effects." The Court held against the defend ant's contention, saying that The compact only prohibited the imposition of duties by Maryland, on the goods of citizens of Virginia, brought from Virginia, or vice versa, but did not pro hibit Maryland from prohibiting her own citizens from importing slaves, or any other property, belong ing to them. C. Georgetown v. Alexandria Canal Company (1838). This case was decided by the Supreme Court of the United States (12 Pet. 95) . It was brought by the Mayor and Aldermen of Georgetown, D. C., against a canal company which had been authorized by Congress to construct a canal between the C. & O. Canal (which lay on the Mary land side of the river) and the town of Alexandria, in Virginia. The authorization was to construct a canal and such other "works" as might be necessary for that purpose. The Canal company began the construction of an aque duct, to cross the Potomac River and to serve as the canal. The plaintiffs charged that in the construction work, and by the aqueduct itself, the navigability of the river was being impaired, and they sought an injunction. Among other arguments, they cited the Compact of 1785, and claimed that it had secured to all persons residing thereon the free use of the river for navigation. On the applicability of the Compact to this situation, the Supreme Court said The Compact made in the year 1785, between Mary land and Virginia, was made by the two states, in their character as states. The citizens, individually, of both commonwealths, were subject to all the obliga tions imposed, and entitled to all the benefits con- |
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