WE, THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, in

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

ARTICLE I.
ΤΙ

Sect. 1. ALL legislative powers herein granted fhall be vefted in a congrefs of the United States, which shall confift of a fenate and houfe of reprefentatives.

Sect. 2. The house of reprefentatives fhall be compofed ⚫ of members chofen every fecond year by the people of the feveral states, and the electors in each ftate fhall have the qualifications requifite for electors of the most numerous branch of the ftate legiflature.

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 elec ed, be an inhabitant of that state in which he thall chofen.

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5 'me COctNSTITUTION PRoÞos-Ln

Representatives and direct: taxes shall be apportioned among the several Pcates which may be included within this union, according to their respective numbers, which shall

' be determined by adding thewhole number of free persons,

including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not' 'taxed_; three-'fisths 'ofials other persons. The actual enumeration shallbe madesiffl within threeyears after the first meeting of the congress _of the United States, and within every subsequenv term often-years, in such manner as they fliall by law direct. The number of representatives shall not e'xce'ed'one for every thirty thousand, but each state shall have at ctleast one representntive; ansid until such enumeration shall be made, the state of New-Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, 'Nexv-"Jerseyfour, 'Pennsylvahia eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, Sout-h-Carolina five, and Georgia three.

When vacancies happen in the representation from any state, the exeeiiffve 'authority thereof shall issue writs of election, to fill such vacancies. ' '

The house of representatives shall choose their sPeaker i

and otheroffieere ;' and shall 'have the sole' poxverctof impeablj: ment; _:_ *v ->:>;:' -.:- -i -' ' ' Sect. 3. The "senate of the United States shall be composed 'of two Tenatoi-'s-from each state," 'chosen by the legisiamre' thereofi- for sikv years 'and each senator shall have onevote. 3" ' * -- " ' ' ' * Immediately after they shallbe assembled in consequence of the first election,- ' they shall be divided as equally as may be into three classes. The seats of the senators o£ the first class shall be' 'vacated at the' expiration of the second year, of the second dass at'*t'he eicpiration of 'the fourth year, and of the third class at' theexpiration of the sixthct year; so that one third may 'be chosen every second year; and ss if man. ties happenby refignation, or otherwise, durin ssthe recess osthe regiflaturejpf any state, the ssexecutive 't ereof may make tempofaryappointinents until the next meeting of the le iflature, which shall, then fill such vacancies. . 'gNdperson 'shall be a senator who fliall not have attained to the age' of thirty years, and been nine years a citizen of

, the United States, and Who shall not, when elected, be an

irssjhabitant 'of that state 'for which he shall be chosen.

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

The Senate fhall chufe their other officers, and alfo a Prefident pro tempore, in the abfence of the Vice-Prefident, or when he fhall exercife the office of Prefident of the United States.

The fenate fhall have the fole power to try all impeachments. When fitting for that purpose, they shall be on oath or affirmation. When the prefident of the United States is tried, the chief juftice thall prefide: And no perfon fhall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the members prefent..

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

Sect. 4. The times, places and manner of holding elections for fenators and reprefentatives, fhall be prescribed in each ftate by the legislature thereof; but the congrefs may at any time by law make or alter fuch regulations, except as to the places for chufing fenators.

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

Sect. 5. Each houfe thall be the judge of 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 authorised to compel the attendance of abfent members, in fuch manner, and under fuch penalties, as each house may provide.

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

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.

Neither houfe, during the feffion of congrefs, fhall,

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out 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.

Sect. 6. The fenators 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 the attendance at the feffion of their refpective houfes, and in going to and returning from the fame; and for any fpeech or debate in either house, they fhall not be queftioned in any other place.

No fenator 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 fhall have been created, or the emoluments whereof fhall have been encreafed during fuch time; and no perfon holding any of fice under the United States, fhall be a member of either houfe, during his continuance in office.

Sect. 7. All bills for raifing revenue fhall originate in the houfe of reprefentatives; but the fenate may propofe or concur with amendments as on other bills.

Every bill which fhall have paffed the houfe of reprefentatives and the fenate, fhall, before it become a law, be prefented to the President 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, two-thirds of that house fhall agree to pafs the bill, it fhall be fent, together with the objections, to the other house, by which it fhall likewife be reconfidered, and if approved by two-thirds of that house, it fhall become a law. But in all fuch cafes, the votes of both houfes 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 the prefident within ten days. (Sundays excepted) after it fhall have been prefented to him, the fame fhall be a law, in like manner as if he had figned it, unlefs the congrefs, by their adjournment, prevent its return, in which cafe it fhall not be a law.

Farmer order, refolution, or vote to which the concurrence e and houfe of Reprefentatives may be neceffaa queftion of adjournment) fhall be prefented ent of the United States; and before the fame