487 



Now a corporation is a local domestic creation under some 

 State law, with strictly prescribed functions, powers and 

 liabilities; and therefore not entitled to privileges accruing 

 to ordinary individuals composing the population of the 

 country; and because such are artificial persons created by 

 the legislature, and possessing only those attributes which 

 the legislature has prescribed, "they can have no legal 

 existence beyond the limits of the sovereign State where 

 created. The recognition of existence of a corporation, 

 even by other States, and the enforcement of its contracts 

 made therein, depend purely upon the comity of those 

 States." 1 The Commonwealth (whatever its powers may 

 be) cannot compel a State to admit a company satisfactorily 

 operating under Commonwealth power (if this be even 

 possible) except on terms equally satisfactory to that State. 

 If the State has no power of internal restriction, then "the 

 principal business of every State would, in fact, be con- 

 trolled by corporations created either by other States," or by 

 foreign companies acting under Commonwealth authority, 

 to the possible detriment of the residents of such State, 

 as has been pointed out in decided cases in the United 

 States. The State has always an inalienable police right 

 of protecting its own people, for instance, against dishonest 

 practices on the part of either individuals or corporations 

 operating within i ts borders; the Commonwealth cannot 

 interfere with,— whatever may be its power to aid in,— the 

 efficient discharge of these police duties. In the High 

 Court decision in the " Woodworkers' case," 2 the Chief 

 Justice held that the part of the Constitution governing 

 the matter before the Court " is to be construed having 

 regard to the rest of the Constitution, and particularly with 

 regard to the doctrine repeatedly laid down by this Court, 



