Powers of congress. Taxes. Loans. Commerce. Naturalization. Bankrupt. cies. Coin, SECTION 8. The congress shall have power 1. To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises; to pay the debts and provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts, and excises, shall be uniform throughout the United States: 2. To borrow money on the credit of the United States: 3. To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes: 4. To establish an uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States: 5. To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, weights and and fix the standard of weights and measures: measures. Punish coun. terfeiting. Post offices, &c. Science and arts. Courts. 6. To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States: 7. To establish post-offices and post-roads : 8. To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing, for limited times, to authors and inventors, the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries: 9. To constitute tribunals inferior to the supreme court: To define Punish pira- and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and of fences against the law of nations: cies, &c. 10. To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water: 11. To raise and support armies; but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years: 12. To provide and maintain a navy : 13. To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces: 14. To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions: 15. To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by congress: 16. To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such district (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of congress, become the seat of government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased, by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings:-and, 17. To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof. Importation SECTION 9. 1. The migration or importation of such persons as any of the states of slaves af- now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the congress prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight, ter 1808. but a tax or duty may be imposed on such importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each person. 2. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspend- Habeas cored, unless when, in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety pus. may require it. 3. No bill of attainder, or ex post facto law, shall be passed. Attainder. tion duty. 4. No capitation or other direct tax shall be laid, unless in propor- Tax. tion to the census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken. 5. No tax or duty shall be laid on articles exported from any state. No exportaNo preference shall be given by any regulation of commerce or revenue to the ports of one state over those of another: nor shall vessels bound to or from one state, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay duties in another. drawn. 6. No money shall be drawn from the treasury, but in consequence Money, how of appropriations made by law: and a regular statement and account of the receipts and expenditures of all public money shall be published from time to time. bility not al 7. No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States, and no Titles of noperson holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without lowed. the consent of the congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state. SECTION 10. of the powers 1. No state shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation: Limitations grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money; emit bills of credit; of the indivimake any thing but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts; dual states. pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts; or grant any title of nobility. 2. No state shall, without the consent of the congress, lay any imposts or duties on imports or exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing its inspection laws; and the net produce of all duties and imposts, laid by any state on imports or exports, shall be for the use of the treasury of the United States, and all such laws shall be subject to the revision and control of the congress. No state shall, without the consent of congress, lay any duty of tonnage, keep troops or ships of war in time of peace, enter into any agreement or compact with another state, or with a foreign power, or engage in war, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent danger as will not admit of delay. ARTICLE II.-SECTION 1. power. 1. The executive power shall be vested in a president of the United Executive States of America. He shall hold his office during the term of four years, and, together with the vice-president, chosen for the same term, be elected as follows: electing the sident. But 2. Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof Manner of may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of sena- president tors and representatives to which the state may be entitled in the con- and vice pregress; but no senator or representative, or person holding an office of see amend trust or profit under the United States, shall be appointed an elector. ments, arti3. The electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for two persons, of whom one at least shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves. And they shall make a list of all the C cle 12. persons voted for, and of the number of votes for each; which list they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the president of the senate. The president of the senate shall, in the presence of the senate and house of representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes shall then be counted. The person having the greatest number of votes shall be the president, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such majority, and have an equal number of votes, then the house of representatives shall immediately choose, by ballot, one of them for president; and if no person have a majority, then, from the five highest on the list, the said house shall, in like manner, choose the president. But, in choosing the president, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. In every case, after the choice of the president, the person having the greatest number of votes of the electors, shall be the vice-president. But if there should remain two or more who have equal votes, the senate shall choose from them, by ballot, the vice-president. 4. The congress may determine the time of choosing the electors, and the day on which they shall give their votes; which day shall be the same throughout the United States. Who may be 5. No person, except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the elected presi- United States at the time of the adoption of this constitution, shall be dent. eligible to the office of president, neither shall any person be eligible to that office, who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States. In what ca- 6. In case of the removal of the president from office, or of his ses the vice death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of act as presi- the said office, the same shall devolve on the vice-president, and the president to dent. congress may, by law, provide for the case of removal, death, resignation, or inability, both of the president and vice-president, declaring what officer shall then act as president, and such officer shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, or a president shall be elected. President's 7. The president shall, at stated times, receive for his services a compensa- compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States, or any of them. tion. His oath. 8. Before he enter on the execution of his office, he shall take the following oath or affirmation: 9. "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend, the constitution of the United States." SECTION 2. President U. ers. 1. The president shall be commander-in-chief of the army and navy States' pow of the United States, and of the militia of the several states, when called into the actual service of the United States; he may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices; and he shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeach ment. ties. cers. 2. He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Make trea senate, to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the senators present concur and he shall nominate, and, by and with the advice and con- Appoint offisent of the senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls, judges of the supreme court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by law. But the congress may, by law, vest the appointment of such inferior officers as they think proper, in the president alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments. 3. The president shall have power to fill up all vacancies that may Vacancies. happen during the recess of the senate, by granting commissions which shall expire at the end of their next session. SECTION 3. duties. 1. He shall, from time to time, give to the congress information of President's the state of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both houses, or either of them, and, in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper; he shall receive ambassadors and other public ministers; he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed; and shall commission all the officers of the United States. SECTION 4. movable by 1. The president, vice-president, and all civil officers of the United Officers reStates, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and convic- impeachtion of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. ment. ARTICLE III.-SECTION 1. tenure of 1. The judicial power of the United States shall be vested in one Judicial supreme court, and in such inferior courts as the congress may, from powers and time to time, ordain and establish. The judges, both of the supreme judges. and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behaviour; and shall, at stated times, receive for their services a compensation which shall not be diminished during their continuance in office. SECTION 2. 1. The judicial power shall extend to all cases in law and equity, Jurisdiction, arising under this constitution, the laws of the United States, and extent of treaties made, or which shall be made, under their authority: to all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls; to all cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction; to controversies to which the United States shall be a party; to controversies between two or more states, between a state and citizens of another state, between citizens of different states, between citizens of the same state Powers of congress. Taxes. Loans. Naturalization. Bankrupt cies. Coin. SECTION 8. The congress shall have power 1. To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises; to pay the debts and provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts, and excises, shall be uniform throughout the United States: 2. To borrow money on the credit of the United States: 3. To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes: 4. To establish an uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States: 5. To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, weights and and fix the standard of weights and measures: measures. Punish coun terfeiting. Post offices, &c. Science and arts. Courts. 6. To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States: 7. To establish post-offices and post-roads : 8. To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing, for limited times, to authors and inventors, the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries: 9. To constitute tribunals inferior to the supreme court: To define Punish pira- and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and of fences against the law of nations: cies, &c. 10. To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water: 11. To raise and support armies; but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years: 12. To provide and maintain a navy : 13. To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces: 14. To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions: 15. To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by congress: 16. To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such district (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of congress, become the seat of government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased, by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings:-and, 17. To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof. Importation SECTION 9. 1. The migration or importation of such persons as any of the states of slaves af- now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the congress prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight, ter 1808. |