CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES-1787.* WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in Order to form at more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this CONSTITUTION for the United States of America. Chisholm . Georgia, 2 Dall., 419; McCulloch v. State of Maryland et al., 4 Wh., 316; Brown et als. e. Maryland, 12 Wh., 419; Barron v. The Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, 7 Pet., 243; Lane County . Oregon, 7 Wall., 71; Texas v. White et al., 7 Wall., 700; Claflin v. Houseman, assignee, 93 U. S., 130; Williams v. Bruffy, 96 U. S., 176; Tennessee v. Davis, 100 U. S., 257; Langford r. United States, 101 U. S., 341; United States v. Jones, 109 Ü. S., 513; Fort Leavenworth Railroad Co. v. Lowe, 114 U. S., 525; The Chinese Exclusion Case, 130 U. S., 581; Geofroy . Riggs, 133 U. S., 258; In re Neagle, 135 U. S., 1; In re Ross, 140 U. S., 453; Logan . United States, 144 U. S., 263; Lascelles v. Georgia, 148 U. S., 537; Fong Yue Ting v. United States, 149 U. S., 698; In re Tyler, 149 U. S., 164; United States v. E. C. Knight Co., 156 U. S., 1; Mattox v. United States, 156 U. S., 237; In re Quarles and Butler, 158 U. S., 532; In re Debs, Petitioner, 158 U. S., 564; Ward v. Race Horse, 163 U. S., 504. * In May, 1785, a committee of Congress made a report recommending an alteration in the Articles of Confederation, but no action was taken on it, and it was left to the State Legislature to proceed in the matter. ary, 1786, the Legislature of Virginia passed a resolution providing for the In Januappointment of five commissioners, who, or any three of them, should meet such commissioners as might be appointed in the other States of the Union, at a time and place to be agreed upon, to take into consideration the trade of the United States; to consider how far a uniform system in their commercial regulations may be necessary to their common interest and their permanent harmony; and to report to the several States such an act, relative to this great object, as, when ratified by them, will enable the United States in Congress effectually to provide for the same. ginia commissioners, after some correspondence, fixed the first Monday in The VirH M-01-1 ARTICLE. I. SECTION. 1. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. Hayburn's case (notes), 2 Dall., 409; Field v. Clark, 143 U. S., 649. SECTION. 2. The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature. September as the time, and the city of Annapolis as the place for the meeting, but only four other States were represented, viz: Delaware, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania; the commissioners appointed by Massachussetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Rhode Island failed to attend. Under the circumstances of so partial a representation, the commissioners present agreed upon a report, (drawn by Mr. Hamilton, of New York,) expressing their unanimous conviction that it might essentially tend to advance the interests of the Union if the States by which they were respectively delegated would concur, and use their endeavors to procure the concurrence of the other States, in the appointment of commissioners to meet at Philadelphia on the second Monday of May following, to take into consideration the situation of the United States; to devise such further provisions as should appear to them necessary to render the Constitution of the Federal Government adequate to the exigencies of the Union; and to report such an act for that purpose to the United States in Congress assembled as, when agreed to by them and afterwards confirmed by the Legislatures of every State, would effectually provided for the same. Congress, on the 21st of February, 1787, adopted a resolution in favor of a convention, and the Legislatures of those States which had not already done so (with the exception of Rhode Island) promptly appointed delegates. On the 25th of May, seven States having convened, George Washington, of Virginia, was unanimously elected President, and the consideration of the proposed constitution was commenced. On the 17th of September, 1787, the Constitution as engrossed and agreed upon was signed by all the members present, except Mr. Gerry, of Massachusetts, and Messrs. Mason and Randolph, of Virginia. The president of the convention transmitted it to Congress, with a resolution stating how the proposed Federal Government should be put in operation, and an explanatory letter. Congress, on the |