Freedom of re

igion, of speech,

AMENDMENTS.*

ARTICLE THE FIRST.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of of the press, and religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the right of petition. freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Right to keep and bear arms.

ARTICLE THE SECOND.

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

Quartering

troops.

Searches seizures.

Warrants.

ARTICLE THE THIRD.

of No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner; nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

and

Trial for crimes.

ARTICLE THE FOURTH.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated; and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

ARTICLE THE FIFTH.

No person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia when in actual service, in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself; Rights of life, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due proliberty and prop-cess of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.

erty.

ARTICLE THE SIXTH.

Rights of de- In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall enjoy the right fendant in crimi- to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State

nal cases.

*The first_ten_amendments were proposed by Congress at their first session, in the year 1789; the eleventh was proposed in 1794, and the twelfth in 1803.

and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor; and to have the assistance of counsel for his defence.

ARTICLE THE SEVENTH.

cases.

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall Trials in civil exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved; and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

ARTICLE THE EIGHTH.

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines im- Bails, fines, and posed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

ARTICLE THE NINTH.

punishments.

The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall Reserved rights. not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

ARTICLE THE TENTH.

ers to States.

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Con- Reserved pow stitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

ARTICLE THE ELEVENTH.

dicial power.

The judicial power of the United States shall not be construed Limitation of ju to extend to any suit in law or equity commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by citizens of another State, or by citizens or subjects of any foreign State.

ARTICLE THE TWELfth.

ident

and Vice

President.

The electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote Election of Presby ballot for President and Vice President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same State with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice President; and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate;

the President of the Senate shall, in presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes shall then be counted; the person having the greatest number of votes for President shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then, from the persons having the highest numbers, not exceeding three, on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose, immediately, by ballot, the President. But, in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by States, the representation from each State having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from twothirds of the States, and a majority of all the States shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice President shall act as President, as in the case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President.

The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice President shall be the Vice President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if no person have a majority, then, from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice President: a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice.

But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice President of the United States.

LAWS.

AN ACT to establish an executive department to be denominated the department of the navy.*

SEC. 1. Be it enacted, &c., That there shall be an execuSecretary of the tive department under the denomination of the Department Navy; his duty. of the Navy, the chief officer of which shall be called the Secretary of the Navy, whose duty it shall be to execute such orders as he shall receive from the President of the United States, relative to the procurement of naval stores and materials, and the construction, armament, equipment, and employment of vessels of war, as well as all other matters connected with the naval establishment of the United States. Approved April 30, 1798. (Statutes at Large, vol. 1, p. 553.)

AN ACT for the establishing and organizing a Marine Corps.t

officers how to be

SEC. 2. # * * And if the marine corps, or any part If ordered to do of it, shall be ordered by the President to do duty on shore, duty on shore, staff and it shall become necessary to appoint an adjutant, pay- appointed. master, quartermaster, sergeant-major, quartermaster-sergeant, and drum and fife major, or any of them, the major or commandant of the corps is hereby authorized to appoint such staff-officer or officers, from the line of subalterns, sergeants and music, respectively, who shall be entitled, during the time they shall do such duty, to the same extra pay and emolu- • ments, which are allowed by law to officers acting in the same capacities in the infantry.

*

rine corps may be

SEC. 3. * And the President of the United States Officers of mamay detach and appoint such of the officers of this marine detached for duty corps, to act on board the frigates, and any of the armed ves- on any of the sels of the United States, respectively, as he shall, from time to time, judge necessary; anything in the act "providing a naval armament" to the contrary hereof notwithstanding.

armed vessels.

ject to do.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the marine corps, What other duty established by this act, shall, at any time, be liable to do duty they shall be subin the forts and garrisons of the United States, on the seacoast, or any other duty on shore as the President, at his discretion, shall direct.

Approved July 11, 1798. (Statutes at Large, vol. 1, p. 594.)

* The direction of naval affairs had, by act of August 7, 1789, been under the Secretary of War. See act of July 5, 1862, reorganizing the Navy Department.

The act of July 25, 1861, for the better organization of the marine corps, establishes

the number of officers, non-commissioned officers and privates.

All contracts to

AN ACT to alter and amend the several acts for the establishment and regulation of the Treasury, War, and Navy Departments.

be deposited in the Comptroller's of or of

SEC. 6. That all contracts to be made by virtue of this act, law of the United States, and requiring the advance any fice within ninety of money, or to be in any manner connected with the settledays after date. ment of public accounts, shall be deposited in the office of the Comptroller of the Treasury of the United States within ninety days after their dates, respectively.

Approved July 16, 1798. (Statutes at Large, vol. 1, p. 610.)

Twenty cents a month to be deducted from pay of the navy.

Officers, seamen, and marines enti

AN ACT in addition to "An act for the relief of sick and disabled

SEC. 2. * The Secretary of the Navy shall be, and he hereby is, authorized and directed to deduct, after the first day of September next, from the pay thereafter to become due, of the officers, seamen, and marines of the navy of the United States, at the rate of twenty cents per month, for every such officer, seamen, and marine, and to pay the same quarter annually to the Secretary of the Treasury,* to be applied to the same purposes as the money collected by virtue of the above-mentioned act is appropriated.

SEC. 3. The officers, seamen, and marines of the navy of tled to same relief the United States shall be entitled to receive the same benefits as merchant sea- and advantages as, by the act above mentioned, are provided for the relief of the sick and disabled seamen of the merchant vessels of the United States.

men.

Approved March 2, 1799. (Statutes at Large, vol. 1, p. 729.)

Congress to enter

tracts with government.

the

AN ACT concerning public contracts.†

No member of Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives into or have any of the United States in Congress assembled, That, from interest in con- and after the passage of this act, no member of Congress shall, directly or indirectly, himself, or by any other person whatsoever, in trust for him, or for his use or benefit, or on his account, undertake, execute, hold or enjoy, in the whole or in part, any contract or agreement hereafter to be made or

* By the act of February 26, 1811, 2d Stat., p. 650, the money so deducted was to be paid to the Secretaries of the Navy, War, and Treasury, who were appointed a board of commissioners to be styled commissioners of the navy hospital fund; and by the act of July 10, 1832, 5th Stat., p. 572, the Secretary of the Navy was constituted trustee of both the navy pension and navy hospital funds, and the powers and duties conferred and imposed on the board of commissioners were transferred to him.-(See notes act of July 10, 1832.)

See act of July 16, 1862, preventing members of Congress and other public officers from taking considerations for procuring contracts, &c.