"All these rights exist in the United States for constitutional purposes, and without a special cession of jurisdiction; though it is admitted that other powers over the property and persons on such lands will, of course, remain in the States, till such a cession is made. Nothing passes without such a cession, except what is an incident to the title and purpose of the General Government."[77] [77] Ibid., 83. The Supreme Court give great eminence to the sovereign right of taxation in the States, saying:-- "Taxation is a sacred right, essential to the existence of Government,--an incident of sovereignty. The right of legislation is coextensive with the incident, to attach it upon all persons and property within the jurisdiction of a State."[78] And again, the Court say in another case:-- "However absolute the right of an individual may be, it is still in the nature of that right that it must bear a portion of the public burdens, and that portion must be determined by the Legislature."[79] [78] Dobbins _v._ Commissioners of Erie Co., 16 Peters, 447. [79] Providence Bank _v._ Billings and Pittman, 4 Peters, 563. In the same case, the Court, after declaring "that the taxing power is of vital importance,--that it is essential to the existence of Government,--that the relinquishment of such a power is never to be assumed," add, cautiously, that they "will not say that a State may not relinquish it,--_that a consideration sufficiently valuable to induce a partial release of it may not exist_."[80] [80] Providence Bank _v._ Billings and Pittman, 4 Peters, 561. While thus upholding the right of taxation as one of the precious attributes belonging to the States, the Court, under the Constitution of the United States, properly exempt instruments and means of government; but they limit the exemption to these instruments and means. Thus it is expressly decided in a celebrated case,[81] that, while the Bank of the United States, being one of the necessary _instruments and means_ to execute the sovereign powers of the nation, is not liable to taxation, yet the real property of the Bank is thus liable, in common with other real property in a particular State. [81] McCulloch _v._ The State of Maryland, 4 Wheaton, 316.