sufficiently armed and accoutred, and shall provide and have constantly ready for use, in public stores, a due number of field pieces and tents, and a proper quantity of arms, ammunition and camp equipage. except in cases, to en nor grant armed ves No state shall engage in any war without the consent of the No state, United States in congress assembled, unless such state be actually certain invaded by enemies, or shall have received certain advice of a reso- gage in war, lution being formed by some nation of Indians to invade such state, commis and the danger is so imminent as not to admit of a delay till the sions to United States in congress assembled can be consulted; nor shall sels, &c. any state grant commissions to any ships or vessels of war, or letters of marque or reprisal, except it be after a declaration of war by the United States in congress assembled, and then only against the kingdom or state, and the subjects thereof, against which war has been so declared, and under such regulations as shall be established by the United States in congress assembled, unless such state be infested by pirates, in which case vessels of war may be fitted out for that occasion, and kept so long as the danger shall continue, or until the United States in congress assembled shall determine otherwise. cers of the to be ap ART. 7. When land forces are raised by any state for the common Certain offidefense, all officers of or under the rank of colonel, shall be appointed land forces by the legislature of each state respectively, by whom such forces pointed by shall be raised, or in such manner as such state shall direct; and each state. all vacancies shall be filled up by the state which first made the appointment. of war, &c., frayed out mon trea ART. 8. All charges of war, and all other expenses that shall be All charges incurred for the common defense or general welfare, and allowed by to be de the United States in congress assembled, shall be defrayed out of a of a comcommon treasury, which shall be supplied by the several states in sury. proportion to the value of all land within each state granted to or surveyed for any person, as such land and the buildings and improve- Treasury, ments thereon shall be estimated, according to such mode as the plied. United States in congress assembled shall from time to time direct and appoint. how sup levied by The taxes for paying that proportion shall be laid and levied by the Taxes to be authority and direction of the legislatures of the several states, within the states. the time agreed upon by the United States in congress assembled. the con ART. 9. The United States in congress assembled, shall have the Powers of sole and exclusive right and power of determining on peace and war, gress. except in the cases mentioned in the sixth article: of sending and receiving ambassadors: entering into treaties and alliances; provided, that no treaty of commerce shall be made whereby the legislative power of the respective states shall be restrained from imposing such imposts and duties on foreigners as their own people are subjected to, or from prohibiting the exportation or importation of any species of goods or commodities whatsoever: of establishing rules for deciding in all cases, what captures on land or water shall be legal, and in what manner prizes taken by land or naval forces in the service of the United States shall be divided or appropriated: of granting letters of marque and reprisal, in times of peace: appointing courts for the trial of piracies and felonies committed on the congress not Members of high seas, and establishing courts for receiving and determining to be judges finally appeals in all cases of captures; Provided, that no member of congress shall be appointed a judge of any of the said courts. of admiral ty courts. Congress to decide disputes between states. Mode of The United States in congress assembled shall also be the last resort on appeal in all disputes and differences now subsisting or that hereafter may arise between two or more states concering boundary, jurisdiction or any other cause whatever; which authority shall proceeding always be exercised in the manner following: whenever the legislative or executive authority or lawful agent of any state in controversy with another shall present a petition to congress, stating the matter in question, and praying for a hearing, notice thereof shall be given by order of congress to the legislative or executive authority of the other state in controversy, and a day assigned for the appearance of the parties, by their lawful agents, who shall then be directed to appoint by joint consent commissioners or judges to constitute a court for hearing and determining the matter in question; but if they cannot agree, congress shall name three persons out of each of the United States, and from the list of such persons each party shall alternately strike out one, the petitioners beginning, until the number shall be reduced to thirteen; and from that number not less than seven nor more than nine names, as congress shall ed by lot. direct, shall, in the presence of congress, be drawn out by lot; and the persons whose names shall be so drawn, or any five of them, shall be commissioners or judges, to hear and finally determine the Opinions of controversy, so always as a major part of the judges, who shall a majority to hear the cause, shall agree in the determination: and if either party prevail, &c. shall neglect to attend at the day appointed, without showing Judges to be appoint of judges to be final sive. reasons which congress shall judge sufficient, or being present shall refuse to strike, the congress shall proceed to nominate three persons out of each state, and the secretary of congress shall strike in Judgment behalf of such party absent or refusing; and the judgment and and conclu- sentence of the court, to be appointed in the manner before prescribed, shall be final and conclusive; and if any of the parties shall refuse to submit to the authority of such court, or to appear, or defend their claim or cause, the court shall nevertheless proceed to pronounce sentence or judgment, which shall in like manner be final and decisive, the judgment or sentence, and other proceedings being in either case transmitted to congress, and lodged among the acts of congress for the security of the parties concerned: Provided, that every commissioner, before he sits in judgment, shall take an oath, to be administered by one of the judges of the supreme or superior Oath to bo court of the state where the cause shall be tried, "well and truly the judges. to hear and determine the matter in question, according to the best of his judgment, without favor, affection or hope of reward;" Provided, also, that no state shall be deprived of territory for the benefit of the United States. Sentence and proceedings, where deposited. taken by Proviso. Congress also to determine controver sies concerning private rights of soil. All controversies concerning the private right of soil, claimed under different grants of two or more states, whose jurisdiction as they may respect such lands and the states which passed such grants are adjusted, the said grants or either of them being at the same time claimed to have originated antecedent to such settlement of jurisdiction, shall, on the petition of either party to the congress of the United States, be finally determined, as near as may be, in the same manner as is before prescribed for deciding disputes respecting territorial jurisdiction between different states. congress. The United States in congress assembled shall also have the sole Further and exclusive right and power of regulating the alloy and value of powers of coin struck by their own authority, or by that of the respective states: fixing the standard of weights and measures throughout the United States: regulating the trade and managing all affairs with the Indians not members of any of the states; Provided, that the legislative right of any state within its own limits be not infringed or violated: establishing and regulating post-offices from one state to another throughout all the United States, and exacting such postage on the papers passing through the same as may be requisite to defray the expenses of the said office: appointing all officers of the land forces in the service of the United States, excepting regimental officers: appointing all the officers of the naval forces, and commissioning all officers whatever in the service of the United States: making rules for the government and regulation of the said land and naval forces, and directing their operations. appoint a of the states powers of enumerated' The United States in congress assembled shall have authority to Congress to appoint a committee to sit in the recess of congress, to be denomi- committee nated "a committee of the states;" and to consist of one delegate from each state, and to appoint such other committees and civil Additional officers as may be necessary for managing the general affairs of the congress United States, under their direction: to appoint one of their number to preside, provided that no person be allowed to serve in the office of president more than one year in any term of three years: to ascertain the necessary sums of money to be raised for the service of the United States, and to appropriate and apply the same for defraying the public expenses: to borrow money or emit bills on the credit of the United States, transmitting every half year to the respective states an account of the sums of money so borrowed or emitted: to build and equip a navy: to agree upon the number of land forces, and to make requisitions from each state for its quota, in proportion to the number of white inhabitants in such state; which requisition shall be binding, and thereupon the legislature of each state shall appoint the regimental officers, raise the men, and clothe, arm and equip them in a soldier-like manner, at the expense of the United States; and the officers and men so clothed, armed and equipped, shall march to the place appointed, and within the time agreed on by the United States in congress assembled: but if the United States in congress assembled, shall, on consideration of circumstances, judge proper that any state should not raise men or should raise a smaller number than its quota, and that any other state should raise a greater number of men than the quota thereof, such extra number shall be raised, officered, clothed, armed and equipped, in the same manner as the quota of such state, unless the legislature of such state shall judge that such extra number cannot be safely spared out of the same; in which case they shall raise, officer, clothe, arm and equip, as many of such extra number as they judge can be safely spared. And the officers and men so clothed, armed and equipped shall march to the place appointed, and within the time agreed on by the United States in congress assembled. The United States in congress assembled shall never engage in a cise certain war, nor grant letters of marque and reprisal in time of Congress not to exer powers unless by nine states. peace, nor enter into any treaties or alliances, nor coin money, nor regulate the the votes of value thereof, nor ascertain the sums and expenses necessary for the defense and welfare of the United States or any of them, nor emit bills, nor borrow money on the credit of the United States, nor appropriate money, nor agree upon the number of vessels of war to be built or purchased, or the number of land or sea forces to be raised, nor appoint a commander-in-chief of the army or navy, unless nine states assent to the same; nor shall a question on any Questions, other point, except for adjourning from day to day, be determined, unless by the votes of a majority of the United States in congress assembled. how deci ded. Adjourn ment, and ceedings of congress. The congress of the United States shall have power to adjourn to other pro- any time within the year, and to any place within the United States, so that no period of adjournment be for a longer duration than the space of six months; and shall publish the journal of their proceedings monthly, except such parts thereof, relating to treaties, alliances or military operations, as in their judgment require secrecy; and the yeas and nays of the delegates of each state on any question shall be entered on the journal, when it is desired by any delegate; and the delegates of a state, or any of them, at his or their request, shall be furnished with a transcript of the said journal, except such parts as are above excepted, to lay before the legislatures of the several states. Committees of the states may be vested with certain powers. Canada may be into the ART. 10. The committee of the states, or any nine of them, shall be authorized to execute, in the recess of congress, such of the powers of congress as the United States in congress assembled, by the consent of nine states, shall, from time to time, think expedient to vest them with; Provided, that no power be delegated to the said committee, for the exercise of which, by the articles of confederation, the voice of nine states in the congress of the United States assembled is requisite. ART. 11. Canada, acceding to this confederation, and joining in admitted the measures of the United States, shall be admitted into, and enticonfederacy tled to, all the advantages of this union: but no other colony shall be admitted into the same unless such admission be agreed to by nine states. Payment of debts assumed. Obligations imposed federation. ART. 12. All bills of credit emitted, moneys borrowed and debts contracted, by or under the authority of congress, before the assembling of the United States, in pursuance of the present confederation, shall be deemed and considered as a charge against the United States, for payment and satisfaction whereof the said United States and the public faith are hereby solemnly pledged. ART. 13. Every state shall abide by the determination of the by the con- United States in congress assembled, on all questions which, by this confederation, are submitted to them. And the articles of this confederation shall be inviolably observed by every state, and the perpetual, union shall be perpetual; nor shall any alteration at any time hereafter be made in any of them, unless such alteration be agreed to Union &c. in a congress of the United States, and be afterwards confirmed by the legislature of every state. And whereas it has pleased the Great Governor of the world to Ratification incline the hearts of the legislatures we respectively represent in congress to approve of and to authorize us to ratify the said articles of confederation and perpetual union: KNOW YE, That we, the undersigned delegates, by virtue of the power and authority to us given for that purpose, do, by these presents, in the name and in behalf of our respective constituents, fully and entirely ratify and confirm each and every of the said articles of confederation and perpetual union, and all and singular the matters and things therein contained; and we do further solemnly plight and engage the faith of our respective constituents, that they shall abide by the determinations of the United States in congress assembled, on all questions which, by the said confederation, are submitted to them; and that the articles thereof shall be inviolably observed by the states we respectively represent; and that the union shall be perpetual. In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands, in congress. Done at Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania, the ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight, and in the third year of the independence of America. Josiah Bartlett, John Hancock, On the part and behalf of the State of New Hampshire. Signatures John Wentworth, Jun. August 8, 1778. to the act of On the part and behalf of the State of Massachusetts Bay. On the part and in behalf of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. confedera tion. |