UNITED STATES.

The CONSTITUTION framed for the United States of America, by a Convention of Deputies from the fates of New-Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, at a feffion begun May 25, and ended September 17, 1787.

W

E, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, infure domeftic tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and fecure the bleffings of liberty to ourfelves and our pofterity, do ordain and establish this conftitution for the United States of America.

ARTICLE I. SECTION I.

All legislative powers herein granted, fhall be vefted in a Congrefs of the United States, which fhall consist of a Senate and Houfe of Reprefentatives.

SECTION II.

I. The House of Reprefentatives fhall confift of Members chofen every fecond year, by the people of the several states: and the electors in each ftate, fhall have the qualifications requifite for electors of the most numerous branch of the ftate Legislature.

II. No perfon fhall be a Reprefentative, who fhall not have attained to the age of twenty-five years, and been feven years a citizen of the United States; and who fhall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that ftate in which he fhall be chofen.

III. Representatives and direct taxes, fhall be apportioned among the feveral states, which may be included within this union, according to their refpective numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free perfons, including thofe bound to fervice for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other perfons. The actual enumeration fhall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congrefs of the United States; and within every fubfequent term of ten years, in fuch man

ner as they fhall by law, direct. The number of Reprefentatives fhall not exceed one for every thirty thousand: but each state shall have at least one Reprefentative: and, until fuch enumeration fhall be made, the ftate of New Hampshire fhall be entitled to choose three; Maffachusetts eight; Rhode Island and Providence Plantations one; Connecticut five; New-York fix; New Jersey four; Pennsylvania eight; Delaware one; Maryland fix; Virginia ten; North-Carolina five; South-Carolina five; and Georgia three.

IV. When vacancies happen in the reprefentation from any ftate, the executive authority thereof fhall iffue writs of elections to fill fuch vacancies.

V. The House of Representatives fhall choose their Speaker and other officers; and shall have the fole power of impeach

ment.

SECTION III.

I. The Senate of the United States fhall be compofed of two Senators from each ftate, chofen by the Legislature thereof, for fix years and each Senator shall have one vote.

II. Immediately after they fhall be affembled, in confequence of the first election, they shall be divided, as equally as may be, into three claffes. The feats of the Senators of the first clafs fhall be vacated at the expiration of the fecond year; of the fecond clafs, at the expiration of the fourth year; and of the third clafs, at the expiration of the fixth year fo that one third may be chofen every fecond year. And if vacancies happen, by refignation or otherwise, during the recefs of the Legiflature of any ftate, the executive thereof may make temporary appointments until the next meeting of the Legislature, which fhall then fill fuch vacancies.

III. No perfon fhall be a Senator, who fhall not have attained to the age of thirty years, and been nine years a citizen of the United States; and who fhall not, when elected be an inhabitant of that ftate for which he fhall be chofen.

IV. The Vice-Prefident of the United States fhall be Prefident of the Senate; but shall have no vote unless they be equally divided.

V. The Senate fhall choose their other officers, and alfo a Prefident pro-tempore, in the absence of the Vice-Prefident,

or when he fhall exercife the office of Prefident of the United States.

VI. The Senate fhall have the fole power to try all impeachments. When fitting for that purpose, they fhall be on oath or affirmation. When the Prefident of the United States is tried, the Chief Juftice fhall prefide: and no person shall be convicted, without the concurrence of two-thirds of the members prefent.

VII. Judgment, in cafes of impeachment, fhall not extend further than to removal from office, and difqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honour, truft, or profit, under the United States. But the party convicted fhall, nevertheless, be liable and fubject to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment according to law.

SECTION IV.

I. The times, places, and manner of holding elections for Senators and Reprefentatives, fhall be prefcribed in each state by the Legislature thereof: but the Congrefs may, at any time, by law, make or alter fuch regulations, except as to the places of choofing Senators.

II. The Congrefs fhall affemble at least once in every year; and fuch meeting fhall be on the first Monday in December, unless they fhall by law appoint a different day.

SECTION V.

1. Each Houfe fhall be the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members; and a majority of each fhall conftitute a quorum to do bufinefs: but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the attendance of abfent members, in fuch manner, and under fuch penalties as each Houfe may provide.

II. Each Houfe may determine the rules of its proceedings; punish its members for diforderly behaviour; and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member.

III. Each Houfe fhall keep a journal of its proceedings; and, from time to time, publish the fame, excepting fuch parts. as may in their judgment require fecrecy and the yeas and nays, of the members of either Houfe, on any question, fhall, at the defire of one-fifth of those prefent, be entered on the journal.

IV. Neither Houfe, during the feffion of Congrefs, fhall, without the confent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two Houses fhall be fitting.

SECTION VI.

I. The Senators and Reprefentatives fhall receive a compenfation for their fervices, to be afcertained by law, and paid out of the treafury of the United States. They fhall, in all cafes, except treafon, felony, and breach of the peace, be privileged from arreft, during their attendance at the feffion of their refpective Houfes, and in going to, and returning from the fame and for any speech or debate in either House, they fhall not be queftioned in any other place.

II. No Senator or Reprefentative fhall, during the time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil office, under the authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the emoluments of which shall have been increased, during fuch time and no perfon, holding any office under the United States, fhall be a member of either Houfe, during his continuance in office.

SECTION VII.

I. All bills, for raifing revenue, fhall originate in the Houfe of Reprefentatives: but the Senate fhall propofe or concur with amendments, as on other bills.

II. Every bill, which fhall have paffed the House of Reprefentatives and the Senate, fhall, before it become a law, be prefented to the Prefident of the United States. If he approve, he shall fign it: but if not, he fhall return it, with his objections, to that Houfe, in which it shall have originated, who fhall enter the objections at large on their journal, and proceed to reconfider it. If, after fuch reconfideration, twothirds of that House fhall agree to pafs the bill, it shall be fent, together with the objections, to the other Houfe, by which it fhall likewife be reconfidered: and, if approved by two-thirds of that House, it shall become a law. But, in all fuch cafes, the votes of both Houses fhall be determined by yeas and nays: and the names of the perfons voting for and against the bill, fhall be entered on the journal of each Houfe refpectively. If any bill fhall not be returned by