Bushrod Washington

“ But he insists, that under a just construction of the 11th section of the judiciary act, concerning the jurisdiction of the federal courts, these bills ought to be considered and treated as inland. The argument is, that the mischief intended to be remedied by the provisions in the latter part of that section, by the assignment of promissory notes and other choses in action, is the same in relation to bills of exchange of the character under consideration.
We are of a different opinion. ”

“ The policy which probably dictated this provision in the above section, was to prevent frauds upon the jurisdiction of those courts by pretended assignments of bonds, notes, and bills of exchange strictly inland; and as these evidences of debt generally concern the internal negotiations of the inhabitants of the same state, and would seldom find their way fairly into the hands of persons residing in another state ”

“ Applying this definition to the political character of the several states of this union in relation to each other, we are all clearly of opinion, that bills drawn in one of these states, upon persons living in any other of them, partake of the character of foreign bills, and ought so to be treated. For all national purposes embraced by the federal constitution, the states and the citizens thereof are one, united under the same sovereign authority, and governed by the same laws. In all other respects, the states are necessarily foreign to, and independent of each other. ”