OF Confederation and perpetual Union be- HE ftile of this confederacy fhall be "The United Stile of the "States of America.". ART. II. EACH ftate retains its fovereignty, freedom and independence, and every power, jurifdiction and right, which is not by this confederation exprefly delegated to the United States, in Congrefs affembled... ART. III. THE faid ftates hereby feverally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defence, the fecurity of their, liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themfelves to affift each other, against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any, of them, on account of religion, fovereignty, trade, or any other pretence whatever. ART. IV. THE better to fecure and perpetuate mutual friendship and Ir any perfon guilty of, or charged with treafon, felony, or other high FULL faith and credit fhall be given in each of these states to the records; ART. V. FOR the more convenient management of the general interefts of the United States, delegates fhall be annually appointed in fuch manner as the legislature of each ftate fhall direct, to meet in Congrefs on the first Monday in November, in every year, with a power referved to each state, to recal its delegates, or any of them, at any time within the year, and to send others in their stead, for the remainder of the year. No. Confederacy Sovereignty and Independence of the i respective States.. Defign of the Confederati on, as it remon fecurity. gards com Social and mutual inter course among the States. Manner of conftituting the Congrefs of the States, with the qua lifications & privileges of the Delegates Restraints upon the fee parate ftates. No ftate fhall be reprefented in congrefs by lefs than two, nor by more than feven members; and no perfon fhall be capable of being a delegate for more than three years, in any term of fix years; nor fhall any perfon being a delegate, be capable of holding any office under the united states for which he, or another for his benefit receives any falary, fees or emolument of any kind. EACA ftate fhall maintain its own delegates in a meeting of the states, and while they act as members of the committee of the ftates. In determining questions in the united states, in congress affembled, each ftate fhall have one vote. FREEDOM of speech and debate in congrefs fhall not be impeached or queftioned in any court, or place out of congrefs, and the members of congrefs fhall be protected in their perfons from arrefts and imprisonments, du ting the time of their going to and from, and attendance on congrefs, except for treafon, felony, or breach of the peace. ART. VI. No ftate without the confent of the united states in congrefs affembled, fhall fend any embaffy to, or receive any embaffy from, or enter into any conference, agreement, alliance or treaty with any king, prince or state; nor fhall any perfon holding any office of profit or truft under the united ftates or any of them, accept of any prefent, emolument, office or title of any kind whatever from any king, prince or foreign ftate; nor fhall the united states in congrels affembled, or any of them, grant any title of nobility. No two or more ftates fhall enter into any treaty, confederation or allic ance whatever between them, without the confent of the united states in congrets affembled, fpecifying accurately the purpofes for which the fame is to be entered into, and how long it fhall continue. No ftate fhall lay any imposts or duties, which may interfere with any ftipulations in treaties, entered into by the united states in congrefs affembled, with any king, prince or ftate, in pursuance of any treaties already propofed by congrefs, to the courts of France and Spain. No veffels of war fhall be kept up in time of peace by any ftate, except fuch number only, as fhall be deemed neceffary by the united states in congrefs affembled, for the defence of fuch ftate, or its trade; nor fhall any body of forces be kept up by any ftate, in time of peace, except fuch number only, as in the judgment of the united states, in congrefs affembled, fhall be deemed requifite to garrison the forts neceffary for the defence of fuch state; but every ftate fhall always keep up a well regulated and difciplined militia, fufficiently armed and accoutred, and fhall provide and conftantly have ready for ufe, în public ftores, a due number of field pieces and tents, and a proper quantity of arms, ammunition and camp equipage. No state shall engage in any war without the confent of the united states in congrefs affembled, unless fuch state be actually invaded by enemies, or Thall have received certain advice of a refolution being formed by 'fome nation of Indians to invade such state, and the danger is fo imminent as not to admit of a delay, till the united states in congrefs affembled can be confulted: nor fhall any ftate grant commiffions to any fhips or veffels of war, nor letters of marque or reprifal, except it be after a declaration of war by the united states in congress affembled, and then only against the kingdom or ftate and the fubjects thereof, against which war has been fo declared, and under fuch regulations as fhall be established by the united states in con grefs affembled, unless fuch frate be infefted by pirates, in which cafe veffels of war may be fitted out for that occafion, and kept fo long as the danger fhall fhall continue, or until the united states in congrefs affembled fhall deters mine otherwise. ART. VII. WHEN land-forces are raised by any ftate for the common defence, all officers of or under the rank of colonel, fhall be appointed by the legislature of each state refpectively, by whom fuch forces fhall be raifed, or in fuch manner as fuch ftate fhall direct, and all vacancies fhall be filled up by the state which firft, made the appointment. ART. VIII. ALL charges of war, and all other expences that fhall be incurred for the common defence or general welfare, and allowed by the united states in congrefs affembled, fhall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which fhall be fupplied by the feveral ftates, in proportion to the value of all land within each ftate, granted to or furveyed for any perfon, as fuch land and the buildings and improvements thereon thall be eftimated according to fuch mode as the united states in congrefs affembled, fhall from time to time direct and appoint. The taxes for paying that proportion fhall be laid and levied by the authority and direction of the legiflatures of the several states within the time agreed upon by the united states in congrefs affembled. of Congrefs Mixt Rights and the feparaté States. Manner of defraying public Ex pences. congrefs ART. IX. THE united ftates in congrefs affembled, fhall have the fole and exclufive right and power of determining on peace and war, except in Powers of the cafes mentioned in the fixth article-of fending and receiving ambaffadors-entering into treaties and alliances, provided that no treaty of commerce fhall be made whereby the legislative power of the respective states fhall be reftrained from impofing fuch impofts and duties on foreigners, as their own people are fubjected to, or from prohibiting the exportation of importation of any fpecies of goods or commodities whatfoever-of efta blishing rules for deciding in all cafes, what captures on land or water shall be legal, and in what manner prizes taken by land or naval forces in the fer vice of the united states fhall be divided or appropriated-of granting let ters of marque and reprifal in times of peace-appointing courts for the trial of piracies and felonies committed on the high feas, and establishing courts for receiving and determining finally appeals in all cafes of captures, provided that no member of congrefs fhall be appointed a judge of any of the faid courts, THE united states in congrefs affembled fhall alfo be the laft refort on appeal in all difputes and differences now fubfifting, or that hereafter may arife between two or more ftates concerning boundary, jurifdiction, or any other caufe whatever, which authority fhall always be exercifed in the manner following:-Whenever the legislative or executive authority or lawful agent of any state in controverfy with another shall prefent a petition to con grefs ftating the matter in queftion, and praying for a hearing, notice there off! be given, by order of congrefs, to the legiflative or executive autho rity of the other ftate in controverfy, and a day affigned for the appearance of the parties by their lawful agents, who shall then be directed to appoint by joint confent, commiffioners or judges to conftitute a court for hearing and determining the matter in queftion; but if they cannot agree, congrefs fhall name three perfons out of each of the united states, and from the lift of fuch perfons each party fhall alternately strike out one, the petitioners beginning, until the number shall be reduced to thirteen; and from that number not less than feven, nor more than nine names, as congrefs fhall direct, fhall, in the prefence of congrefs, be drawn out by lot, and the perfons whofe names fhall be fo drawn, or any five of them, fhall be commiffioners or judges, to hear and finally determine the controverty, fo always as a ma jor part of the judges who fhall hear the caufe fhall agree in the determination: And if either party fhall neglect to attend at the day appointed, without fhewing reafons, which congrefs fhall judge fufficient, or being prefent fhall refufe to ftrike, the congrefs fhall proceed to nominate three perfons Qut out of each state, and the fecretary of congress shall strike in behalf of fuch party ablent or refufing; and the judgment and fentence of the court to be appointed, in the manner before prefcribed, fhall be final and conclufive; and if any of the parties fhall refufe to fubmit to the authority of fuch court, or to appear or defend their claim or caufe, the court shall nevertheless proceed to pronounce fentence, or judgment, which fhall in like manner be final and decifive, the judgment or fentence and other proceedings being in either cafe tranfmitted to congrefs, and lodged among the acts of congrefs for the fecurity of the parties concerned provided that every commiffioner, before he fits in judgment, fhall take an oath to be adminiftred by one of the judges of the fupreme or fuperior coure of the state, where the caufe fhall be tried," well and truly to hear and determine the matter in queftion, according to the beft of his judgment, without favour, affection or hope of reward:" provided alfo that no ftate fhall be deprived of territory for the benefit of the united states. ALL controverfies concerning the private right of foil claimed under different grants of two or more ftates, whofe jurifdictions as they may refpect fuch lands, and the ftates which paffed fuch grants are adjusted, the faid grants or either of them being at the fame time claimed to have originated antecedent to fuch fettlement of jurifdiction, fhall on the petition of either party to the congrefs of the united states, be finally determined as near as may be in the fame manner as is before prefcribed for deciding difputes refpecting territorial juridiction between different ftates. THE united ftates in congress affembled fhall also have the fole and exclufive right and power of regulating the alloy and value of coin ftreck by their own authority, or by that of the refpective ftates-fixing the ftandard of weights and measures throughout the united ftates-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-eftablishing and regulating poft-offices from one ftate to another, throughout all the united ftates, and exacting fuch poftage on the papers paffing through the fame as may be requifite to defray the expences of the faid office-appointing all officers of the land forces, in the fervice of the united states, excepting regimental officers-appointing all the officers of the naval forces, and commiffioning all officers whatever in the fervice of the united states-making rules for the government and regulation of the faid land and naval forces, and directing their operations. THE united states in congrefs affembled fhall have authority to appoint a committee, to fit in the recefs of congrefs, to be denominated "A Committee of the States," and to confift of one delegate from each ftate and to appoint fuch other committees and civil officers as may be neceffary for managing the general affairs of the united states under their direction to appoint one of their number to prefide, provided that no perfon be allowed to ferve in the office of prefident more than one year in any term of three years; to afcertain the neceffary fums of money to be raised for the fervice of the united states, and to appropri ate and apply the fame for defraying the public expences-to borrow money, or emit bills on the credit of the united ftates, tranfmitting every half year to the refpective ftates an account of the fums of money fo borrowed or emitted to build and equip a navy-to agree upon the number of land forces, and to make requifitions from each ftate for its quota, in proportion to the number of white inhabitants in fuch ftate; which requifition fhall be binding, and thereupon the legiflature of each ftate fhall appoint the regimental officers, raife the men, and cloath, arm. and equip them in a foldier like manner, at the expence of the united states, and (5) and the officers and men fo cloathed, armed and equipped fhall march to the place appointed, and within the time agreed on by the united states in congrefs affembled: But if the united states in congrefs affembled fhall, on confideration of circumstances judge proper that any ftate fhould not raise men, or fhould raise a smaller number than its quota, and that any other ftate fhould raise a greater number of men than the quota thereof, fuch extra number shall be raised, officered, cloathed, armed and equipped in the fame manner as the quota of such state, unless the legiflature of such ftate fhall judge that fuch extra number cannot be safely spared out of the fame, in which case they fhall raife, officer, cloath, arm and equip as many of fuch extra number as they judge can be fafely fpared. And the officers and men to cloathed, armed and equipped, fhall march to the place appointed, and within the time agreed on by the united states in congrefs affembled. THE united states in congrefs affembled fhall never engage in a war, nor grant letters of marque and reprifal, in time of peace, nor enter into any treaties or alliances, nor coin money, nor regulate the value thereof, nor afcertain the fums and expences neceffary for the defence and welfare of the united states, or any of them, nor emit bills, nor borrow money on the credit of the united ftates, nor appropriate money, nor agree upon the number of veffels of war, to be built or purchased, or the number of land or fea forces to be raifed, nor appoint a commander in chief of the army or navy, unlefs nine ftates affent to the fame: nor fhall a question on any other point, except for adjourning from day to day be determined, unless by the votes of a majority of the united states in congrefs affembled. THE Congress of the united states fhall have power to adjourn to any time within the year, and to any place within the united states, fo that no period of adjournment be for a longer duration than the space of fix months, and fhall publish the journal of their proceedings monthly, except fuch parts thereof relating to treaties, alliances or military operations, as in their judgment require fecrefy; and the yeas and nays of the delegates of each ftate on any question fhall be entered on the journal, when it is defired by any delegate; and the delegates of a ftate, or any of them, at his or their request fhall be furnished with a tranfcript of the faid journal, except fuch parts as are above excepted, to lay before the legislatures of the feveral ftates. ༢ ART. X. THE Committee of the ftates, or any nine of them, fhall be authorised to execute, in the recefs of congrefs, fuch of the powers of congrefs as the united states in congrefs affembled, by the confent of nine ftates, Thall from time to time think expedient to veft them with; provided that no power be delegated to the faid committee, for the exercife of which, by the articles of confederation, the voice of nine states in the congress of the united states affembled is requifite. ART. XI. CANADA acceeding to this confederation, and joining in the measures of the united states, fhall be admitted into, and entitled to all the advantages of this union: but no other colony fhall be admitted into the fame, unless fuch admiffion be agreed to by nine ftates. ART. XII. ALL bills of credit emitted, monies borrowed and debts contracted by, or under the authority of congrefs, before the affembling of the united states, in purfuance of the prefent confederation, shall be deemed and confidered as a charge against the united states, for payment and fatisfaction whereof the faid united states, and the public faith are hereby solemnly pledged. ART Committee of the States & its powers. Admiffion of Canada, and other States to the Union. Public faith pledged for paft engage ments of Congrefs. |