curity 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 lefs than two, or more than feven 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, fhould 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 Congress in all questions which were submitted to them by the confederation. The articles of confederation were to be invaria、 bly 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, unless such 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 reafons hereafter mentioned, delegates were chofen in each of the United States, to meet and fix upon the neceffary 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 constituents:

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 establish, this Conftitution for the United States of America.

ARTICLE I.

SECT. I. ALL legislative powers herein granted shall be vefted in a Congress of the United States, which shall confit of a Senate and Houfe of Reprefentatives.

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SFCT. 11. The Houfe of Representatives fhall be compofed of members chofen every fecond year by the people of the feveral ftates, and the electors in each state shall have the qualifications requifite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature.

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

Representatives and direct taxes, shall 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 thofe bound to fervice for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other perfons. The actual enumeration fhall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every fubfequent term of ten years, in fuch manner as they shall 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 shall be made, the state of New-Hampshire fhall be entitled to choose three, Massachusetts 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 ftate, the executive authority thereof, fhall issue writs of election to fill fuch vacancies. The House of Reprefentatives fhall choofe their Speaker and other officers; and fhall have the fole power of impeachment.

SECT. III. The Senate of the United States fhall be compofed of two fenators from each ftate, chofen by the legislature thereof, for fix years; and each fenator fhall have one vote.

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

No perfon fhall be a fenator who shall not have attained to the age of thirty.

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

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

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

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

Judgment in cafes of impeachment, fhall not extend further than to removal from office, and difqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honour, truft, or profit under the United States; but the party convicted shall 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 representatives, fhall be fubfcribed in each ftate 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 assemble at least once in every year, and fuch meeting fhall be on the firft Monday in December, unless they fhall by law appoint a different day.

SECT. V. Each house shall be the judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own members, and a majority of each fhall conftitute a quorum to do bufinefs; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorifed 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 such 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 those present, be entered on the journal.

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

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

SECT. VI. The Senators and Representatives fhall receive a com→→ penfation for their fervices, to be afcertained by law, and paid out of the treasury of the United States. They fhall, in all cafes, except treason, felony, and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the feffion of their respective houses, and in going to and returning from the fame; and for any fpeech 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 fhall have been created, or the emoluments whereof shall have been increafed during fuch time; and no perfon holding any office under the United States, shall be a member of either House during his continuance in office.

SECT. VII. All bills for raifing 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 presented to the Prefident of the United States; if he approve, he shall fign it, but if not, he shall return it, with his objections, to that houfe in which it originated, who 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 pafs the bill, it fhall be fent, together with the objections, to the other houfe, by which it fhall likewise be re-confidered, and if approved by two thirds of that houfe, it fhall become a law. But in all fuch 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 shall 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 shall 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 fhall take effect, fhall be approved by him, or, being difapproved by him, fhall be re-paffed by two thirds of the Senate and House of Reprefentatives, according to the rules and limitations prescribed in the cafe of a bill.

SECT, VIII.

SECT. VIII. The Congress shall ve power,

To lay and collect taxes, duties, impofts, and excifes; to pay the debts 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 on the fubject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;

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 progress of fcience and useful arts, by fecuring for limited times, to authors and inventors, the exclufive right to their refpective writings and difcoveries; .

To conftitute tribunals inferior to the fupreme court;

To define and punish piracies and felonies 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 raife and fupport 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 service 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 such 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 purchafed by the consent of the legislature of the State in which the fame fhall

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