eurity of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, and bound themselves to affift each other, against all force, offered to, or attacks that might be made upon all, or any of them, on account of religion fovereignty, commerce, or any other pretence whatever. But for the more convenient management of the general interefts of the United States, it was determined, that Delegates fhould be annually appointed, in fuch manner as the Legislature of each State fhould direct, to meet in Congrefs the first Monday in November of every year; with a power referved to each State to recall its delegates, or any of them, at any time within the year, and to fend others in their ftead for the remainder of the year. No State was to be reprefented in Congrefs by less than two, or more than seven members; and no perfon could be a delegate for more than three years, in any term of fix years, nor was any perfon, being a delegate, capable of holding any office under the United States, for which he, or any other for his benefit, should receive any falary, fees, or emolument of any kind. In determining queftions in Congrefs, each State was to have one vote. Every State was bound to abide by the determinations of Congrefs in all queftions which were fubmitted to them by the confederation. The articles of confederation were to be invariably obferved by every State, and the Union to be perpetual: nor was any alteration at any time afterwards to be made in any of the articles, unJefs fuch alterations were agreed to in Congress, and afterwards confirmed by the legislatures of every State. The articles of confederation were ratified by Congrefs, July 9th, 1778.

Thefe articles of confederation being found inadequate to the purpofes of a federal government, for reasons hereafter mentioned, delegates were chosen in each of the United States, to meet and fix upon the necessary amendments. They accordingly met in convention at Philadelphia, in the fummer of 1787, and agreed to propofe the following conftitution for the confideration of their conftituents:

CONSTITUTION.

WE, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish juftice, infure domeftic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and fecure the bleffings of liberty to ourselves and our pofterity, do ordain and eftablifh, this Conftitution for the United States of America.

ARTICLE I.

SECT. I. ALL legislative powers herein granted fhall be vefted in a Congrefs of the United States, which shall confift of a Senate and House of Reprefentatives.

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SECT. II. The Houfe of Reprefentatives fhall be compofed of mem-! bers chofen every fecond year by the people of the feveral states, and the electors in each state fhall have the qualifications requifite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature.

No perfon fhall be a reprefentative who fhall not have attained to the age of twenty-five years, and been feven years a citizen of the United States, and who fhall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that ftate in which he fhall be chofen.

Representatives and direct taxes, fhall be apportioned among the several ftates which may be included within this Union, according to their refpective numbers, which fhall be determined by adding to the whole number of free perfons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other perfons. The actual enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congrefs of the United States, and within every fubfequent term of ten years, in fuch manner as they fhall by law direct. The number of reprefentatives fhall not exceed one for every thirty thousand, but each state shall have at least one reprefentative; and until fuch enumeration fhall be made, the state of New-Hampshire shall be entitled to choose three, Maffachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York fix, New-Jerfey four, Penfylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland fix, Virginia ten, North-Carolina five, South-Carolina five, and Georgia three.

When vacancies happen in the reprefentation of any state, the executive authority thereof, fhall iffue writs of election to fill fuch vacancies. The House of Reprefentatives fhall choose their Speaker and other officers; and fhall have the fole power of impeachment.

SECT. III. The Senate of the United States fhall be composed of two fenators from each state, chofen by the legiflature thereof, for fix years and each fenator fhall have one vote.

Immediately after they shall be affembled, in confequence of the first election, they fhall be divided as equally as may be into three claffes. The feats of the senators of the first class fhall be vacated at the expiration of the fecond year; of the fecond clafs at the expiration of the fourth year; and of the third clafs at the expiration of the fixth year, fo that one third may be chofen every second year; and if vacancies happen by refignation, or otherwise, during the recefs of the legiflature of any ftate, the executive power thereof may make temporary appointments until the next meeting of the legislature, which fhall then fill fuch vacancies.

No perfon fhall be a fenator who fhall not have attained to the

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of

age thirty

thirty years, and been nine years a citizen of the United States, and whe shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that ftate for which he shall be chofen.

The vice-prefident of the United States fhall be president of the fenate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided.

The fenate fhall choose their other officers, and alfo a prefident pro tempore, in the abfence of the vice-prefident, or when he fhall exercise the office of prefident of the United States.

The fenate shall have the fole power to try all impeachments. When fitting for that purpose, they fhall be on oath or affirmation. When the prefident of the United States is tried, the chief juftice shall prefide: And no perfon fhall be convicted, without the concurrence of two-thirds of the members present.

Judgment in cafes of impeachment, fhall not extend further than to removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honour, truft, or profit under the United States; but the party, convicted fhall nevertheless be liable and fubject to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment according to law.

SECT. IV. The times, places, and manner of holding elections for fenators and reprefentatives, fhall be fubfcribed in each state by the legislature thereof; but the Congrefs may at any time by law, make or alter fuch regulations, except as to the places of choofing fenators.

The Congress shall affemble at least once in every year, and fuch meeting shall be on the firft Monday in December, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.

SECT. V. Each houfe fhall be the judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own members, and a majority of each fhall conftitute a quorum to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorised to compel the attendance of abfent members, in fuch manner, and under fuch penalties as each house may provide.

Each house may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for diforderly behaviour, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member.

Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and from time to time publish the fame, excepting fuch parts as may in their judgment require fecrecy; and the yeas and nays of the members of either house, on any question, shall at the defire of one fifth of thofe prefent, be entered on the journal.

Neither house, during the feffion of Congrefs, fhall, without the con

fent

fent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two houses shall be fitting.

SECT. VI, The Senators and Reprefentatives fhall receive a compenfation for their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the treafury of the United States. They fhall, in all cafes, except treafon, felony, and breach of the peace, be privileged from arreft during their attendance at the feffion of their refpective houses, and in going to and returning from the fame; and for any speech or debate in either houfe, they shall not be queftioned in any other place.

No fenator or reprefentative fhall, during the time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil office under the authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof fhall have been increased during fuch time; and no perfon holding any office under the United States, fhall be a member of either Houfe during his continuance in office.

SECT. VII. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propofe or concur with amendments, as on other bills.

Every bill which shall have paffed the House of Representatives and the Senate, fhall, before it becomes a law, be prefented to the President of the United States; if he approve, he fhall fign it, but if not, he shall return it, with his objections, to that house in which it originated, whe fhall enter the objections at large on their journal, and proceed to reconfider it. If, after fuch re-confideration, two thirds of that house fhall agree to pass the bill, it shall be fent, together with the objections, to the other houfe, by which it fhall likewife be re-confidered, and if approved by two thirds of that houfe, it fhall become a law. But in all such cases the votes of both houses shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the perfons voting for and against the bill fhall be entered on the journal of each house respectively. If any bill shall not be returned by the Prefident within ten days, Sundays excepted, after it shall have been presented to him, the fame fhall be a law, in like manner as if he had figned it, unless the Congrefs, by their adjournment, prevent its return, in which cafe it fhall not be a law.

Every order, refolution, or vote, to which the concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be neceffary (except on a queftion of adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the United States; and before the fame shall take effect, fhall be approved by him, or, being disapproved by him, shall be re-paffed by two thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the rules and limitations prescribed in the cafe of a bill.

SECT. VIII.

SECT. VIII. The Congress shall hove power,

To lay and colt taxes, duties, impofts, and excifes; to pay the lebts and provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, impofts, and excifes fhall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the feveral States, and with the Indian tribes;

To establish an uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws OF the fubject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the ftandard of weights and meafures;

To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the fecurities and current coin of the United States;

To establish poft offices and poft roads;

To promote the progrefs of science and ufeful arts, by fecuring for limited times, to authors and inventors, the exclufive right to their re fpective writings and discoveries;

To constitute tribunals inferior to the fupreme court;

To define and punifh piracies and felonics committed on the high feas, and offences against the law of nations;

To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprifal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;

To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use fhall be for a longer term than two years;

To provide and maintain a navy ;

To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;

To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, fupprefs infurrections, and repel invafions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and difciplining the militia, and for governing fuch part of them as may be employed in the fervice of the United States, referving to the States refpectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the difcipline prescribed by Congrefs;

To exercise exclufive legislation in all cafes whatsoever, over fuck district, not exceeding ten miles fquare, as may by ceffion of particular States, and the acceptance of Congrefs, become the feat of government of the United States; and to exercife like authority over all places pur chafed by the consent of the legislature of the State in which the fame

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fhall