State, or the citizens or subjects of such State, as a reparation for an injury committed by such State, its citizens or subjects. The word Marque signifies a license to pass the limits of a jurisdiction, or the boundary of a country for the purpose of making reprisals, while reprisal signifies the act of retaking or taking property from an enemy by way of retaliation or of indemnity. Without these Letters vessels engaged in such pursuits would be considered as pirates. Should vessels be captured sailing under Letters of Marque and Reprisal, those in charge of it are treated as prisoners of war, and are entitled to the protection of the Government, and if not so treated their Government would retaliate.

ARMY AND NAVY.

Congress has the power to raise and support Armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years. The army is raised by enlistments into the service of the United States for a term of five years. Various Acts have been passed regulating the subject, but it is not within the province of our work to set them forth.

Congress has power to provide and maintain a Navy. A well equiped Naval force is indispensable in time of war for the protection of the sea-board cities, and even in times of peace a Navy should be maintained in a country so situated as The entire number of war vessels belonging to a country is called its Navy.

ours.

After our Civil War our Navy was permitted to dwindle into insignificance, but the last session of Congress adopted measures with a view to revive the Navy and make it what it should be among the maritime powers of the world.

NATURALIZATION.

Congress having the power under the Constitution has provided that any Alien having arrived in the United States after the age of eighteen years may be admitted to the rights of citizenship, after a declaration upon his part on oath or affirmation before any Court of competent authority two years at least before his ad is his bona fide intention.

to become a citizen of the United States, and to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign Prince, Potentate. State, or Sovereignty whatsoever, and particularly by name that of which he is a subject, and if the Alien has borne any hereditary title or order of nobility, that too must be renounced.

The Alien must satisfy the Court by the oath of at least two citizens, that he has continuously resided within the United States five years at least, immediately preceding his naturalization, and also within the State or Territory wherein such Court is at the time held at least one year immediately previous to such naturalization, and that during such five years he has been of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States and well disposed toward the good order and happiness of the same. When admitted, the Alien must take an oath or affirm, that he will support the Constitution of the United States and renounce all allegiance to any foreign power.

The required declaration to become a citizen may be made at the end of two years residence in the United States, and in three years thereafter he may again appear in Court and take oath of allegiance, when the rights of citizenship will be secured.

If the Alien die after having filed his declaration of intentions to become a citizen and having taken the necessary oath or affirmation, his widow and children upon taking the necessary oath are entitled to the rights and privileges of citizens.

of

An Alien arriving in the United States under the age of eighteen years and who continues to reside therein may after the arriving at the age of twenty-one years, and having resided in the United States five years, including the three years minority, be admitted a citizen without making any formal declaration. At the time of his admission, he must however make such declaration.

He must satisfy the Court also, that for three years immediately preceding, it has been his bona fide intention to become a citizen of the United States.

When an Alien is naturalized. his children under twenty

one years of age, if residents of the United States at the time,

become citizens also.

GOVERNMENT OF THE TERRITORY OF THE UNITED STATES.

Since the formation of our Government we have acquired an immense territory: In 1803 we purchased from France the Louisiana Territory for fifteen million dollars. In 1519, from Spain, we purchased Florida.

In 1845 Texas was admitted into the Union.

In 1848 we received California from Mexico, and in 1867 we purchased Alaska from the Russian Government.

The Constitution gives Congress the power to dispose of, and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property of the United States. Under this provision it becomes the duty of Congress to make such rules and regulations as shall be necessary for the Government of this vast territory, until sufficient population is acquired, which entitles it to admission into the Union as States.

New States may be admitted into the Union by conferred power of Congress.

We have at present outside of State limits sufficient territory to make thirty or forty States equal to the State of New York in area.

FAILURE TO ELECT SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES.

It is necessary that all the States should be represented in the National Councils, and it is the duty of each State to elect their Senators and Representatives, and no State should neglect it. Should any State neglect this important duty, however, the Government might become embarrassed and legislation obstructed. To provide for such contingency the Constitution therefore vests Congress with power over the entire subject, save as to the places of choosing Senators.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS.

Congress is vested with power to determine the time of choosing the Presidential Electors, and the day on which they

shall give their votes, which day shall be the same throughout the United States. The Electors are chosen to meet on the second Monday in January next following their appointment: and the Electors shall give their votes the first Wednesday in December, after their election at their respective State Capitals.

PUBLIC ACTS, RECORDS, AND JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS OF STATES

The Constitution provides "that full faith and credit shall be given in each State to the public acts, records and judicial proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general laws, prescribe the manner in which such acts, records, and proceedings shall be proven and the effect thereof."

The meaning of this provision in the Constitution is that when a judgment is rendered in proper form by a Court in one State, having jurisdiction which has not been reversed, set aside, nor appealed from, that judgment is conclusive ever after between all parties thereto, and it will be received when offered as evidence in any other Court within the State. By virtue of this Constitutional provision, Congress has passed laws defining the manner in which judgments shall be exemplified and the effect to be given thereto, and declaring that such judgments shall be entitled to the same credit uniformly in all the Courts of the United States, as they are by law entitled to in the Courts of the State within which the judgments were rendered.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION.

There are two methods of amending the Constitution:

I. The Constitution provides, Article V, that Congress shall propose amendments to the Constitution whenever twothirds of both houses shall deem it necessary.

By this method the proposed amendment is drafted in due form under direction of Congress and submitted to the Legislatures of the several States for ratification or rejection. Or State Conventions may be called, when the matter may be submitted to them. Or,

II. On the application of the Legislatures of two-thirds of the several States, Congress shall call a Convention for propos

ing amendments, which in either case shall be valid to s intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the Legislatures of three-fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three-fourths of the States, as the one or the other made of ratification may be proposed by Congress Under the foregoing it becomes the duty of Congress to determine whether the proposed amendments shall be submitted to the State Legislatures or State Conventions, and this whether such amendments shall have been proposed by Congress, or by Conventions called to propose the same.

There have been fifteen amendments to the Constitution, all of which originated with Congress and were ratified by State Legislatures.

The Thirteenth and Fifteenth Amendments relate exclusively to the colored people. They are as follows:

XIII. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Congress shall have power to enforce this Article by appro priate legislation.

XV. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State, on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

The Congress shall have power to enforce this Article by appropriate legislation.

METHOD OF MAKING LAWS,

For the purpose of carrying the provisions of the Constitution into effect, Congress is clothed with a general law-making authority.

The Constitution provides, Congress shall assemble once in each year, on the first Monday in December, or on proper occasions the President may convene either or both Houses. Laws are usually introduced in Congress, first in the form of bills. A bill is a draft of a proposed law. After the meeting