"
"The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts
and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and
general Welfare of the United States. . . ."
Article I, Section 8
The
lack of a stable source of revenue had plagued the Confederation
Congress, which was forced to rely on requisitions on the states to meet
the government's needs. The new Constitution granted Congress the
authority to lay and collect several forms of revenue and to appropriate
this revenue for the operation of the government. Most members agreed
that the Congress must act quickly to start the flow of revenue into the
federal coffers.
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