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be required as a qualification to any office or public truft under the United States.

ARTICLE SEVENTH. [VII.]

68. The ratification of the conventions of nine ftates fhall be fufficient for the establishment of this conftitution between the states so ratifying the fame.-Done in convention, by the unanimous confent of the states prefent, the feventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-feven, and of the independence of the United States of America the twelfth.

In witness whereof, &c.

GEO. WASHINGTON, president. 69. New-Hampshire, John Langdon, Nicholas Gilman. Maffachusetts, Nathaniel Gorham, Rufus King. Connecticut, William Samuel Johnfon, Roger Sherman. New-York,

Alexander Hamilton. New-Jerfey, William Livingston, David Brearly, William Patterson, Jonathan Dayton. Pennsylvania, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Mifflin, Robert Morris, George Clymer, Thomas Fitzfimons, Jared Ingerfoll, James Wilson, Gouverneur Morris.

70. Delaware, George Reed, Gunning Bedford jun. John Dickinson, Richard Baffet, Jacob Broom. Maryland, James 'M'Henry, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, Daniel Carrol. Virginia, John Blair, James Madison jun. NorthCarolina, William Blount, Richard Dobbs Spaight, Hugh Williamfon, South-Carolina, John Rutledge, Charles Cotefworth Pinkney, Charles Pinkney, Pierce Butler. Georgia, William Few, Abraham Baldwin.

Atteft, WILLIAM JACKSON, fec'y.

RESOLVE OF CONVENTION.

IN CONVENTION, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER SEVENTEENTH, ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-SEVEN.

[Sept. 17, 1787.]

Prefent-the fates of New-Hampshire, Maffachusetts, Connecticut, Mr. Hamilton from New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina and Georgia:

1. RESOLVED, that the preceding conftitution be laid before the United States in congress assembled, and that

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it is the opinion of this convention, that it should afterwards be fubmitted to a convention of delegates, chofen in each ftate by the people thereof, under the recommendation of its legislature, for their afsent and ratification; and that each convention affenting to, and ratifying the fame, fhould give notice thereof to the United States, in congrefs affembled.

2. Refolved, that it is the opinion of this convention, that as foon as the conventiors of nine ftates fhall have ratified this conftitution, the United States in congress affembled fhould fix a day on which electors fhould be appointed by the states which fhall have ratified the fame, and a day on which the electors fhould affemble to vote for the prefident, and the time and place for commencing proceedings under this conftitution.

3. That after fuch publication, the electors fhould be appointed, and the fenators and reprefentatives elected : that the electors fhould meet on the day fixed for the election of the prefident, and fhould tranfmit their votes certified, figned, fealed and directed, as the constitution requires, to the fecretary of the United States in congrefs affembled.

4. That the fenators and reprefentatives fhould convene at the time and place affigned: that the fenators fhould appoint a prefident of the fenate, for the fole purpose of receiving, opening and counting the votes for president; and that after he fhall be chofen, the congrefs, together with the prefident, should without delay proceed to execute this conftitution. By the unanimous order of the convention.

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GEORGE WASHINGTON, prefident.

WILLIAM JACKSON, fecretary.

LETTER OF CONVENTION.

IN CONVENTION, SEPTEMBER SEVENTEENTH,

ONE THOUS

AND SEVEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-SEVEN.

[Sept. 17, 1787.]

1. SIR....We have now the honor to fubmit to the confideration of the United States in congrefs affembled, that conftitution which has appeared to us the most advisable. The friends of our country have long feen and defired, that

the power of making war, peace and treaties, that of levying money and regulating commerce, and the correspondent executive and judicial authorities, thould be fully and effectually vefted in the general government of the Union; but the impropriety of delegating fuch extenfive trufts to one body of men is evident-Hence refults the neceffity of a different organization.

2. It is obviously impracticable in the federal government of these states, to fecure all rights of independent fovereignty to each, and yet provide for the interest and fafety of all-individuals entering into fociety, must give up a fhare of liberty to preferve the reft. The magnitude of the facrifice must depend as well on fituation and circumftance, as on the object to be obtained.

3. It is at all times difficult to draw with precifion, the line between those rights which must be furrendered, and those which may be referved; and on the prefent occafion, this difficulty was increased by a difference among the feveral states as to their fituation, extent, habits, and particular interefts.

4. In all our deliberations on this fubject, we kept steadily in our view, that which appears to us the greatest interest of every true American, the confolidation of our union, in which is involved our profperity, felicity, fafety, perhaps our national existence.

5. This important confideration, feriously and deeply impressed on our minds, led each state in the convention to be lefs rigid on points of inferior magnitude than might have been otherwise expected; and thus the constitution which we now present, is the result of a spirit of amity, and of that mutual deference and conceffion which the peculiarity of our political fituation rendered indispensable.

6. That it will meet the full and entire approbation of every state is not, perhaps, to be expected; but each will doubtlefs confider, that had her interefts been alone confulted, the confequences might have been particularly disagreeable or injurious to others; that it is liable to as few exceptions as could reasonably have been expected, we hope and believe ; that it may promote the lafting welfare of that country fo dear to us all, and fecure her freedom and happiness, is our most ardent wish..

7. With great respect, we have the honor to be, fir, your excellency's moft obedient, and humble servants.

GEORGE WASHINGTON, prefident.

By the unanimous order of the convention. His excellency the prefident of congrefs.

RESOLVE OF CONGRESS.

UNITED STATES IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED,

FRIDAY, SER

TEMBER TWENTY-EIGHT, ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-SEVEN. [Sept, 28, 1787.] Prefent-New-Hampshire, Maffachusetts, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, and from Maryland, Mr. Rofs.

CONGRESS having received the report of the conven tion lately affembled in Philadelphia, RESOLVED, unanimoufly, That the faid report, with the refolutions and letter accompanying the fame, be transmitted to the feveral legif - latures, in order to be fubmitted to a convention of delegates chofen in each state by the people thereof, in confor mity to the refolves of the convention made and provided in that cafe.

1.

CHARLES THOMSON, fecretary,

AMENDMENTS OF THE CONSTITUTION.

CONGRESS of the United States, begun and held at the city of New-York, on Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand feven hundred and eighty-nine. The convention of a number of the states having, at the time of their adopting the conflitution, expreffed a defire, in order to prevent mifconftructions or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and reftrictive claufes fhould be addedand as extending the ground of public confidence in the gov, ernment will beft infure the beneficent ends of its inftitution

2. Refolved, by the fenate and house of reprefentatives of the United States of America, in congrefs affembled,

two thirds of both houfes concurring, That the following articles be proposed to the legiflatures of the feveral states, as amendments to the conftitution of the United States, all, or any of which articles, when ratified by three-fourths of the faid legiflatures, to be valid, to all intents and purposes, as part of the faid conftitution :

3. Articles, in addition to, and amendment of the conftitution of the United States of America, proposed by congrefs, and ratified by the legislatures of the feveral states, pursuant to the fifth article of the original constitution.

4. After the first enumeration, required by the first article of the conftitution, there fhall be one reprefentative for every thirty thousand, till the number fhall amount to one hundred; after which, the proportion fhall be fo regulated by congrefs, that there fhall be not lefs than one hundred representatives, nor lefs than one representative for every forty thoufand perfons, till the number of representatives fhall amount to two hundred ; after which, the proportion fhall be fo regulated by congrefs, that there fhall not be less than two hundred reprefentatives, nor more than one reprefentative for every fifty thousand perfons.

5. No law, varying the compenfation for the fervices of the fenators and reprefentatives, fhall take effect, till an election of representatives fhall have intervened. Congrefs fhall make no law refpecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of fpeech, or of the prefs; or the right of the people peaceably to affemble, and to petition the government for a re-drefs of grievances.

6. A well regulated militia being neceffary to the fecurity of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms fhall not be infringed. No foldier fhall, in time of peace, be quartered in any houfe, without the confent of the owner; nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prefcri-bed by law.

7. The right of the people to be fecure in their perfons, houfes, papers, and effects, against unreasonable fearches and feizures, fhall not be violated: and no warrants shall iffue, but on probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly defcribing the place to be fearched, and the perfons or things to be feized.

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