of America, and the government shall consist of supreme legislative, executive and judicial powers.

ARTICLE II.

The legislative power shall be vested in a congress, to consist of two separate houses; one to be called the house of delegates, and the other the senate, who shall meet on the day of in every year.

ARTICLE III.

The members of the house of delegates shall be chosen every year by the people of the several states; and the qualification of the electors shall be the same as those of the electors in the several states for their legislature. Each member shall have been a citizen of the United States for years, shall be of

years of age, and until a census of the people shall be taken in the manner hereinafter mentioned. The house of delegates shall consist of to be chosen from the different states in the follow

a resident in the state he is chosen for

ing proportions for New-Hampshire, chusetts,

for Rhode-Island,

for New-York,

Pennsylvania,

for Virginia,

South Carolina,

for Massa

for Connecticut,

for Georgia, and the legis

lature shall hereafter regulate the number of delegates by the number of inhabitants, according to the provisions hereinafter made, at the rate of one for every thousand. All money bills of every kind shall originate in the house of delegates, and shall not be altered by the senate. The house of delegates, shall exclusively possess the power of impeachment, and shall choose its own officers; and vacancies therein shall be supplied by the executive authority of the state in the representation from which they shall happen.

ARTICLE IV.

The senate shall be elected and chosen by the house of delegates; which house, immediately after their meeting, shall choose by ballot senators from among the

citizens and residents of New-Hampshire,

among those of Massachusetts,

from

from among those

of Rhode-Island, from among those of Connecticut, from among those of New-York,

from among

those of New-Jersey, from among those of Pennfrom among those of Delaware,

sylvania,

from among those of Maryland, from among those of Virginia, from among those of North Carolina, from among those of South Carolina, and from among those of Georgia. The senators chosen from New-Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode-Island, and Connecticut, shall form one class; those from New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, one class; and those from Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, one class. The house of delegates shall number these classes one, two, and three; and fix the times of their service by lot. The first class shall serve for years; the second for years. As their times of service expire, the house of delegates shall fill them up by elections for years; and they shall fill all vacancies that arise from death, or resignation, for the time of service remaining of the members so dying or resigning.Each senator shall be years of age at least ; shall have been a citizen of the United States four years before his election; and shall be a resident of the state he is chosen from. The senate shall choose its own officers.

and the third for

years;

ARTICLE V.

Each state shall prescribe the time and manner of hold

ing elections by the people for the house of delegates : and the house of delegates shall be the judges of the elections, returns, and qualifications of their members.

In each house a majority shall constitute a quorum to do business. Freedom of speech and debate in the legislature shall not be impeached, or questioned, in any place out of it; and the members of both houses shall in all cases, except for treason, felony, or breach of the peace, be free from arrest during their attendance on congress, and in going to and returning from it. Both houses shall keep journals of their proceedings, and publish them, except on secret occasions; and the yeas and nays may be entered thereon at the desire of one of the members present. Neither house, without the consent of the other, shall adjourn for more than days, nor to any place but where they are sitting.

The members of each house shall not be eligible to, or capable of holding any office under the union, during the time for which they have been respectively elected, nor the members of the senate for one year after. The members of each house shall be paid for their services by the states which they represent. Every bill, which shall have passed the legislature, shall be presented to the president of the United States for his revision; if he approves it he shall sign it; but if he does not approve it, he shall return it, with his objections, to the house it originated in; which house, if two-thirds of the members present, notwithstanding the president's objections, agree to pass it, shall send it to the other house, with the president's objections; where, if two-thirds of the members present also agree to pass it, the same shall become a law; and all bills sent to the president, and not returned by him within days, shall be laws, unless the legislature, by their adjournment, prevent their return; in which case they shall not be laws.

ARTICLE VI.

The legislature of the United States shall have the power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excis

es;

To regulate commerce with all nations, and among the several states;

To borrow money and emit bills of credit;

To establish post-offices;

To raise armies ;

To build and equip fleets;

To pass laws for arming, organizing, and disciplining the militia of the United States;

To subdue a rebellion in any state, on application of its legislature;

To coin money, and regulate the value of all coins, and fix the standard of weights and measures ;

To provide such dock yards and arsenals, and erect such fortifications as may be necessary for the United States, and to exercise exclusive jurisdiction therein; To appoint a treasurer by ballot;

To constitute tribunals inferior to the supreme court; To establish post and military roads ;

To establish and provide for a national university at the seat of the government of the United States;

To establish uniform rules of naturalization; To provide for the establishment of a seat of government for the United States, not exceeding miles square, in which they shall have exclusive jurisdiction; To make rules concerning captures from an enemy; To declare the law and punishment of piracies and felonies at sea, and of counterfeiting coin, and of all offences against the laws of nations;

To call forth the aid of the militia, to execute the laws of the union, enforce treaties, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions;

And to make all laws for carrying the foregoing powers into execution.

The legislature of the United States shall have the power to declare the punishment of treason, which shall consist only in levying war against the United States or any of them, or in adhering to their enemies. No person shall be convicted of treason but by the testimony of two witnesses.

The proportion of direct taxation shall be regulated by the whole number of inhabitants of every description; which number shall, within years after the first meeting of the legislature, and within the term of every year after, be taken in the manner to be prescrib

ed by the legislature.

No tax shall be laid on articles exported from the states; nor capitation tax, but in proportion to the census before directed.

All laws regulating commerce shall require the assent of two thirds of the members present in each house. The United States shall not grant any title of nobility. The legislature of the United States shall pass no law on the subject of religion; nor touching or abridging the liberty of the press; nor shall the privilege of the writ of babeas corpus ever be suspended, except in case of rebellion or invasion.

All acts made by the legislature of the United States, pursuant to this constitution, and all treaties made under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Taw of the land; and all judges shall be bound to consider them as such in their decisions.

ARTICLE VII.

The senate shall have the sole and exclusive power to declare war; and to make treaties; and to appoint ambassadors and other ministers, to foreign nations, and judges of the supreme court.

C c