Commerce

From their first foundation, the colonies of New Nether land and New England were engaged to an important extent in commerce, while the chartered colonizing companies, like the Virginia Company, were largely intended for that pursuit. The Navigation Acts of 1646, 1651, 1660 and 1663 aimed to restrict colonial commerce for the benefit of the mother country; and similar restrictions were, beginning in 1673, laid on intercolonial commerce. But all these acts were constantly evaded. The efforts finally made to enforce them more strictly were among the chief causes of the Revolution. By 1789 the tonnage of American ve els engaged in foreign trade was about 325,000, tons, of that engaged in the coasting trade 125,000 more, while that of foreign ve els trading with the United States was about 250,000, chiefly British. At that time two-thirds of the imports were from England, and half the exports went to that country. Trade with the East Indies was then just beginning. New England and New York were the chief commercial regions at that time. From that date American commerce has been too various to summarize, Committees, It is the universal custom of American legislative bodies to transact their busine through standing committees, each of which is charged with a special branch of the busine of the body. This is not the present English custom, but is neverthele not an American invention. The House of Commons developed the rudiments of such a system in Queen Elizabeth’s time, and it was in full operation during the Commonwealth. During the latter part of the seventeenth and the beginning of the eighteenth centuries Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York and North Carolina adopted this system from England, with nearly the same names of committees as those of the House of Commons (in which this system has since become obsolete beeause of cabinet government). Therefore it was readily adopted as the mode of transacting busine by the Continental Congre , though it was not used in the legislatures of the New England colonies. In the Congre es under the Constitution, beginning in 1789, but few committees were at first used, but the number gradually increased. By Speaker Clay's time the system of standing committees had reached fnll development. The Senate had followed, a little more slowly. Committees of the Senate have always been appointed by the Senate. In the House a similar practice was occasionally followed at first, but soon their appointment was given to the Speaker, which is the foundation of his power in the U. S. Government. 169