SECT. II. The House of Representatives fhall be compofed of members chofen every fecond year by the people of the feveral ftates, and the electors in each state shall have the qualifications requifite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature.

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

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 those 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 firft meeting of the Congrefs of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in fuch manner as they shall by law direct. The number of reprefentatives fhall not exceed one for every thirty thousand, but each state shall have at least one representative; and until such enumeration fhall be made, the ftate of New-Hampshire fhall be entitled to choose three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York fix, New-Jerfey four, Penfylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland fix, Virginia ten, North-Carolina five, South-Carolina five, and Georgia three.

When vacancies happen in the reprefentation of any ftate, the executive authority thereof, fhall iffue writs of election to fill fuch vacancies. The House of Reprefentatives fhall choose their Speaker and other officers; and fhall have the fole power of impeachment.

SECT. III. The Senate of the United States fhall be compofed of two fenators from each state, chofen by the legislature thereof, for fix years; and each fenator fhall have one vote.

. Immediately after they shall be affembled, in confequence of the firft election, they fhall be divided as equally as may be into three claffes. The feats of the fenators of the first class fhall be vacated at the expiration of the fecond year; of the second class 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 second year; and if vacancies happen by refignation, or otherwise, during the recefs of the legiflature of any state, the executive power thereof may make temporary appointments until the next meeting of the legiflature, which fhall then fill fuch vacancies.

No perfon fhall be a fenator who fhall not have attained to the

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age

of

thirty

thirty years, and been nine years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that ftate for which he shall be chofen.

The vice-prefident of the United States shall be prefident of the fenate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided.

The fenate fhall choose 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 purpofe, they fhall be on oath or affirmation. When the prefident of the United States is tried, the chief justice shall preside: And no person shall be convicted, without the concurrence of two-thirds of the members prefent.

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.

SECT. IV. The times, places, and manner of holding elections for fenators and reprefentatives, fhall be fubfcribed in each ftate by the legiflature thereof; but the Congrefs may at any time by law, make or alter fuch regulations, except as to the places of choosing senators.

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

SECT. V. 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 business; 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.

Each houfe may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its mem-bers 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 house, on any question, shall at the defire of one fifth of those prefent, be entered on the journal.

Neither houfe, during the feffion of Congrefs, fhall, without the con

fent

fent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two houses shall be fitting.

SECT. VI. The Senators and Representatives fhall receive a compenfation for their fervices, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the treafury of the United States. They fhall, in all cafes, except treason, 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 houfe, they shall not be questioned in any other place.

No fenator or representative 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 shall have been increased during fuch time; and no perfon holding any office under the United States, fhall be a member of either House during his continuance in office.

SECT. VII. All bills for raifing revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propofe or concur with amend ments, as on other bills.

Every bill which shall have paffed the House of Representatives and the Senate, fhall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the Prefident of the United States; if he approve, he fhall fign it, but if not, he shall return it, with his objections, to that houfe in which it originated, whe fhall enter the objections at large on their journal, and proceed to res confider it. If, after fuch re-confideration, two thirds of that house fhall agree to pass the bill, it fhall be fent, together with the objections, to the other house, by which it fhall likewise be re-confidered, and if approved by two thirds of that houfe, it fhall become a law. But in all such cases the votes of both houses shall 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 shall have been prefented to him, the fame fhall be a law, in like manner as if he had figned it, unless the Congrefs, by their adjournment, prevent its return, in which cafe it shall not be a law.

Every order, refolution, or vote, to which the concurrence of the Senate and Houfe of Representatives may be neceffary (except on a queftion of adjournment) shall be presented to the Prefident of the United States; and before the fame fhall take effect, shall be approved by him, or, being disapproved by him, fhall be re-paffed by two thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the rules and limitations prescribed in the cafe of a bill.

SECT. VIII.

SECT. VIII. The Congress shall bav: power,

To lay and collect taxes, duties, impofts, and excifes; to pay the debts and provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, impofts, and excifes fhall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the feveral States, and with the Indian tribes;

To establish an uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the fubject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the ftandard of weights and measures;

To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the fecurities and current coin of the United States;

To eftabh poft offices and poft roads;

To promote the progrefs of fcience and useful arts, by fecuring for limited times, to authors and inventors, the exclufive right to their refpective writings and discoveries;

To conftitute tribunals inferior to the fupreme court;

To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high feas, and offences against the law of nations;

To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;

To raife and fupport armies, but no appropriation of money to that ufe fhall be for a longer term than two years;

To provide and maintain a navy;

To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;

To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, fuppress infurrections, and repel inyafions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and difciplining the militia, and for governing fuch part of them as may be employed in the fervice of the United States, referving to the States refpectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the difcipline prescribed by Congrefs;

To exercife exclufive legiflation in all cafes whatsoever, over fuch district, not exceeding ten miles fquare, as may by ceffion of particular States, and the acceptance of Congrefs, become the feat of government of the United States; and to exercife like authority over all places purchafed by the confent of the legiflature of the State in which the fame fhall

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fhall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arfenals, dock-yards, and other needful buildings:-And

To make all laws which fhall be neceffary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this conftitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.

SECT. IX. The migration or importation of fuch perfons, as any of the States now exifting fhall think proper to admit, fhall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the year one thoufand eight hundred and eight, but a tax or duty may be impofed on fuch importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each perfon.

The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus fhall not be fufpended, unefs when, in cafes of rebellion or invafion, the public fafety may require it.

No bill of attainder or ex poft facto law fhall be paffed.

No capitation, or other direct tax, fhall be laid, unless in proportion to the cenfus, or enumeration, herein before directed to be taken.

No tax or duty shall be laid on articles exported from any State.No preference shall be given by any regulation of commerce or revenue to the ports of one State over thofe of another: nor fhall veffels bound to or from one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay duties in another.

No money fhall be drawn from the treafury, but in confequence of appropriations made by law; and a regular statement and account of the receipts and expenditures of all public money fhall be publifhed from time to time.

No title of nobility fhall be granted by the United States.-And no perfon holding any office of profit or truft under them, fhall, without the confent of Congrefs, accept of any prefent, emolument, office, or title of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.

SECT. X. No State shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation; grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money; emit bills of credit; make any thing but gold and filver coin a tender in payment of debts; pafs any bill of attainder, ex poft facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant any title of nobility.

No State fhall, without the consent of the Congrefs, lay any impofts or duties on imports or exports, except what may be abfolutely neceffary for executing its infpection laws; and the net produce of all duties and impofts, laid by any State on imports or exports, fhall be for the use of the Treafury of the United States; and all fuch laws fhall be fubject to

the