In Congress April 30. 1784 The following Report was agreed to, viz. The Trust reposed in Congress renders it their Duty to be attentive to the Conduct of foreign Nations, and to present or restrain as far may be, all such Proceedings as might prove injurious to the United States. The Situation of Commerce at this time claims the Attention of the several states,    Objects of great Importance      themselves to their Notice. The Forteen of every Citizen is interested in the Success thereof; for it is the cu   of health and     to Industry; and the Virtue of our     and our Land must ever rise or fall in Proportion to the prosperous or adverse State of Trade.

Already has Great Britain adopted Regulations destructive of our Commerce with her West India Islands. There was Reason to expect that Measures so unequal and so little calculated to promote Mercantile Intercourse would not be persevered in by an inlightened Nation. But these Measures are growing into System. It would be the Duty of Congress, as it is their Wish, to meet the Attempts of Great Britain with similar Restrictions on her Commerce; but their Powers on this head are not explicit, and the Propositions made by the Legislatures of the several States render it necessary to take the general S   of the Union on this Subject.

Unless the United States in Congress assembled   be vested with Powers competent to the Protection of Commerce, they can commence reciprocal Advantages in Trade; and without these our foreign Commerce must decline and eventually be annihilated. Hence it is necessary that the States should be explicit and fix on some effectual Mode by which foreign Commerce not founded on principles of Equality may be restrained.

That the United States may be enabled to secure such Terms they have,

Resolved, That it be and it hereby is recommended to the Legislatures of the several States to vest the United States in Congress assembled, for the Term of fifteen Years, with Power to prohibit any Goods Wares or Merchandize from being imported into or exported from any of the States in Vessels belonging to or Navigated by the subjects of any Power with whom these States shall not have formed Treaties of Commerce.

Resolved, That it be and it hereby is recommended to the Legislatures of the several States to vest the United States in Congress assembled, for the Term of fifteen Years, with the Power of prohibiting the Subjects of any foreign State, Kingdom, Empire, unless authorised by Treaty, for importing into the United States, any Goods, Wares Merchandize, which are not the Produce or Manufacture of the Dominions of the Sovereign whose Subjects they are.