use ▁ 2 ) ▁states ▁that : ▁ ▁The ▁Com merce ▁Cla use ▁( Art icle ▁I , ▁Section ▁ 8 , ▁Cla use ▁ 3 ) ▁states ▁that : ▁ ▁Both ▁the ▁City ▁Court ▁of ▁Baltimore ▁and , ▁on ▁appeal , ▁the ▁Court ▁of ▁App e als ▁of ▁Maryland ▁u ph eld ▁the ▁charges ▁against ▁Brown ▁for ▁viol ating ▁an ▁act ▁of ▁the ▁Maryland ▁legisl ature . ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁accepted ▁the ▁case ▁to ▁determine ▁" wh ether ▁the ▁legisl ature ▁of ▁a ▁state ▁can ▁constitution ally ▁require ▁the ▁im porter ▁of ▁foreign ▁articles ▁to ▁take ▁out ▁a ▁license ▁from ▁the ▁state ▁before ▁he ▁shall ▁be ▁permitted ▁to ▁sell ▁a ▁b ale ▁or ▁package ▁so ▁imported ." ▁ ▁Court ' s ▁opinion ▁ ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁John ▁Marshall ▁delivered ▁the ▁majority ▁opinion . ▁He ▁summar ized ▁the ▁question ▁at ▁issue ▁by ▁stating ▁that ▁the ▁case ▁" dep ends ▁entirely ▁on ▁the ▁question ▁whether ▁the ▁legisl ature ▁of ▁a ▁state ▁can ▁constitution ally ▁require ▁the ▁im porter ▁of ▁foreign ▁articles ▁to ▁take ▁out ▁a ▁license ▁from ▁the ▁state ▁before ▁he ▁shall ▁be ▁permitted ▁to ▁sell ▁a ▁b ale ▁or ▁package ▁so ▁imported ." ▁ ▁Import - Export ▁Cla use ▁The ▁Import - Export ▁Cla use ▁had ▁not ▁previously ▁been ▁constru ed ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Supreme ▁Court . ▁Marshall ▁began ▁with ▁a ▁lex ic ographical ▁analysis ▁of ▁the ▁Import - Export ▁Cla use : ▁ ▁The ▁Import - Export ▁Cla use ▁has ▁an ▁exception ▁for ▁state ▁ins pection