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<br />.
<br />
<br />HISTORY OF
<br />THE P.REFERENCE
<br />CLAUSE
<br />
<br />The prert..'rcllcc clause hils il~ fOOl.'-I ill lhe Ik"l'l'l'linll Ihat .l\IIICli~i.I''''
<br />walerway~ present grc.1l pOlcnlial fm L'ClHlllllliL dl..'\c1nplllt.'I1I. Ir~ldc and
<br />C<.lnHnUnlciilion al\lt that these potential h~lh.Jics :-.IH\utd be mal.k a....ail-
<br />able (0 (he general public. l;roll1 Iht' l.'arlic...,1 t..:ultHlial d..IY-;. it \\'a~ rCL'llg~
<br />nil.f:d Ihal conlrol over Il:l\'igulioll ~.hllllld hl.' (,:.\cn.:i"'l.'d hy lhe !!.1)\'I..'rll-
<br />menl ill a fashion Ihal would hendil lhc I'lIhli,. I'cll\'rally. Thc C\\I\\II~
<br />01" Wc~1 Jcr~ey ordered lhe dCSlnlL'linn of ;j pn\"illL' dalll ill Ihl' !'lL'Ven..
<br />Iccnlh century, when if was fnllllJ It) IlL' illlL'rrcrill~ \\'ilh puhli4.... Ilaviga-
<br />lion. The Federal government ~h.h)l'll'd a ~imit.\r p(J~,lur\,.' \\\ 17X7. whco
<br />Congress passed the NOrlhwe,t Ordillll'''.C Ilf .I Illy 1.1, 17H7, I St.lI. 511,
<br />whieh declarcd thai Ihe navigahle w,lIcrs kading illt,. the Miss,,,ip!,i
<br />and lh~ SL Lawrence ,,',:ere \0 hI.: rllrl'\'..:r frcl' (.1f la.x....:~. impu:-'h i.UlU
<br />duties.' In lhe pO.>I-Civil War peli'lu, il ,.arricd Ihis concept Olle step
<br />further, by prohibiting the conslruClioll h~ private ;lIlcrcsls or all danls
<br />which interfercd "ith navigation.
<br />In audilionlo laking action (l) prCSl'I"\"L' IhL' wall'r\\"a~'.~ fin Pllbli.... LIse,
<br />the early governmenls also look all aClivL' illkrL'st ill thL" dc\'L'lllpnh.:1l1 ~I"
<br />their economic pnlcntial. The Colony or f'"t;\'.)~adl\\\....:tt'... crl.':\ll'd ih ll\\'1\
<br />sawmill in 1638. The Federal gO\ernmclltlol1k over sOIllC piers ill Phila-
<br />delphia fromlh,' Commonwcalth of I'clIllsyhalliil in 17H7, alld within
<br />ano,h~r twenty y..::ars had embarked 01\ an i.\ll\htlillll~ puhli...: \\'or"!>. 1'l"\l-
<br />gram which ind"ded the developmcIII llr call;lh.' When, ill IH2.J, thc
<br />Suprl.:lllc Cour! ddcrmillcd thai the "LtlllllllcrL'c" dall"(' uf fhe l"nnsli.
<br />\utiolllndudcd navigation, ~ (Iv..' C{l\l~r(:..:,'. bl..'~~~H\ ma\-.illg rHl\d~ ;\\'ailahk
<br />for the private i.."lHlSlflH.:lioll of callal" illld till' ch:.lling of ri\I'r l.'haJl>
<br />nds.J
<br />Thc fir'll statute which gralll~l\;lll ;lllllill rllcf':J"l'IH:': in thl' lli...lrlbu-
<br />lion alld lISC of j>ubli.: rl.'..,oun.:l.'~ \\'a~ till' Ik...crl 1.<Ind ACll)!" r\.L.llch J,
<br />IH77, I') Stal. 377, which provided th"t "" pills rcdllll"ti')1I "",,tc. ,,,,d
<br />OIlier Ilon.navigahk ",aiel" nn public I,\lhb shnlll"i hl' lldd !"Dr Pllhlic
<br />lise, for irrigalioll. milling ;tlld 1I1;lIll1r"~:I'lIillf. -I he "prL'kll.'IlCI.:
<br />daLJsc," like Ihal of olher cionly ReLlalllOllllHl AL'h, ,..as uJaflcJ lo givc
<br />priori\)' In ~('r\ain l)'pcs ()f PUf))\bl...., \\'hkll \\".:n: \kll.:l"Il\\I\\.'''' \\\ h\.'I\.:h\
<br />Ihe gClIl,;'ral publil..', rathl'( than 10 hl'lIl'fil p,lrlicular da'i"es l)f lI'1cr..;.'
<br />IfowcvL'r, the Congrc...s also rccllglli/L:d ~ll all L'illl)' dall..' Ihallhe llhjcL'-
<br />\l\.'C 01' c1\:-;\Iring. \hc t\i\tr,huti\)\\ uf h.:d.....l.al 1\:""\I\H\.:e~ to lhe g..:'I\I.:ral
<br />pllblic could bcst be achieved hy large.illg particlllar cla.sscs of IIscrs
<br />rather thall by limiting the p\lrpos~s to which Ihc ".sources could be
<br />
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<br />
<br />'Thi.. ..lIlHald hI,.' (tlllll"d..il:ll \\ilh Illl'
<br />.',llllilll,'1I IOUlld ill (il~rlll.Ill\. Wh~'Il; 1l0hk~
<br />,"lltlOlh.'d i..IllJlI~ li\'t.:r.. \lldl .1'> I Ill' Rhin~
<br />t.:\lra..h'l1 "lllllll~~ III "';t.\l"" 1111111 h\l;lh
<br />I'IYIIl!-= I Ill' Iih" ill pa\IlIl'11I 1111
<br />p,'! lIIillill~ III"I!" ra.....aL:l'.
<br />
<br />: '\,:1,>1 1\1.lldl 2. 1/oj07.
<br />
<br />'( 1I/lII"'l\ ,'. (l~dl'lr. !2 ll.:",. \ {l~:}_.II.
<br />
<br />'''\\'.l!cl 1~1'''"IIII''l'.., :llnll',nh'/." '\11. I,
<br />1I -,l, la;.'- I 'lid' Hqltllt ld Iii!..'
<br />l-llIllllli.....tHI 1111 f )1~;\I11/.tllnrl 1111111'
<br />1.~.L".IIII\L' 1I1;lIh:ll.lllIl1h.IIIIIl...rllll'l....'1
<br />
<br />'111\' 111WII Sill.... :\11111'\1\\\" Ik,dllPllll'lll
<br />Ad 1)II\plill~, PX)t" \4 '"il.ll. 111I.lli,
<br />(llll\llkd il pr..:fL'rl.'lh:c 1111 "lIl1lllil'lp.11
<br />ptlrpo..,n."
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