Article XIII.*

Sec. 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Sec. 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. Article XlV.f

Sec„ l.J All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States, and of the States wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Sec. 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial officers of a State, or the

*Declared ratified by Mr. Secretary Seward, December 18, 1865. For certificate, see McPherson's History of Reconstruction, page 6.

t Declared ratified by Mr. Secretary Seward, July 28, 1868. For certificate, see McPherson's History of Reconstruction, page 379.

J Respecting the history of this section of the amendment, it is proper to say that the clause defining citizens was not reported from the joint Committee on Reconstruction, but was oifered in the Senate by Mr. Jacob M. Howard, of Michigan, as an amendment to the section as passed by the House. But the residue of the section was reported from the joint Committee on Reconstruction, in which it was offered in the precise form in which it stands by Mr. John A. Bingham, of Ohio, a member of the committee, as stated by him in a speech in the House of Representatives, March 31,1871, (Congressional Globe, volume 86, page 83.) and as appears from the unpublished journal of said committee, now in the hands of the heirs of the late Senator FessenDen. of Maine, its chairman.

members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.

Sec. 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State Legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two thirds of each House remove such disability.

Sec. 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations, and claims shall be held illegal and void.

Sec 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Article XV.*

Sec. 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged

*Declared ratified by Mr. Secretary Fish, March 30,1870. For certificate, see McPherson's History of Reconstruction, page 545.

by the United States, or by any State, on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Sec. 2. The Congress shall have power to to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

In House.

1871, March 13—Mr. Jeremiah M. Wilson moved to suspend the rules to enable him to introduce, and the House to pass, the following joint resolution:

Whereas the Democratic members of the senate of the State of Indiana voted for and passed through that branch of the Legislature of said State the following joint resolution, to wit:

"Joint resolution of the Legislature of Indiana withdrawing its assent to the ratification of the fifteenth article of amendments to the Constitution.

"Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That the pretended ratification of the fifteenth amendment proposed to the Constitution of the United States on the part of the State of Indiana was and is null and void, and of no binding force or effect whatever, and the counting of the vote of the State in favor of the same was done without any lawful warrantor authority, and that, protesting against the same, this General Assembly does now withdraw and rescind all action, perfect or imperfect, on the part of this State, purporting to assent to and ratify said proposed fifteenth amendment.

*' Resolved, further, by the authority aforesaid, That Congress has no lawful power derived from the Constitution of the United States, nor from any other source whatever, to require any State of the Union to ratify an amendment proposed to the Constitution of the United States as a condition-precedent to representation in Congress; that all such acts of ratification are null and void; and the votes so obtained ought not to be counted to affect the rights of the people and the States of the whole Union; and that the State of Indiana protests and solemnly declares that the socalled fifteenth amendment is not this day, nor ever has been in law, a part of the Constitution of the United States.

"Resolved, further, by the authority aforesaid, That the State of Indiana does now propose and ask that the Congress of tho United States may and will, as soon as practicable, call a convention of the States and the people, according to the provisions of the fifth article of the Constitution of the United States, for the purpose of proposing amendments to said Constitution for the ratification by the States."Resolved, further, by the authority aforesaid, That the Governor of Indiana be, and is hereby, directed to transmit an authenticated copy of these resolutions, and the preamble thereto, to each of the Governors of the several States of the Union, and to each of our Senators and Representatives in Congress."

And whereas the validity of the act of Congress approved the 10th day of April, 1869, in

relation to the ratification of the fifteenth article of amendments to the Constitution by the States of Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas; and also the validity and binding force of the ratification of said article by either of said States, is called in question by the resolutions aforesaid: Therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, &c, That the Congress of the United States had the lawful power to impose upon the said States the ratification of the fifteenth article of amendments to the Constitution as a condition-precedent to representation in Congress, and that the ratification thereof, pursuant to such act of Congress, by either of said States is valid, to all intents and purposes, and binding upon the States so ratifying, and upon all the States, and that the State having so ratified has no lawful right to rescind the same.

And be it further resolved, That the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth articles of amendments to the Constitution of the United States have been duly ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, and that said amendments are valid to all intents and purposes as a part of the Constitution of the United States, and as such binding and obligatory upon the Executive, the Congress, the several States and Territories, and all the citizens of the United States.

Which (two thirds not having voted in the affirmative) was not agreed to—yeas 109, nays 76, not voting 38:

Yeas—Messrs. Ambler, Averill, Barber, Beatty, Bigby, Bingham, A. Blair, J. G. Blair, G. M. Brooks, Buckley, Buffinton, Burchard, Burdett, It. R. Butler, F. Clarke, Cobb, Coburn, Conger, Cook, Cotton, Creely, Dawes, De Large, Dickey, Donnan, Dunnell, Eames, Elliott, Farnsworth, Finkelnburg, C. Foster, Frye, Garfield, Goodrich. Hale, Harmer, G. E. Harris, Havens, Hawley, G. W. Hazelton, J. W. Hazelton, Hoar. Hooper, Kelley, Kendall, Ketcham, Killinger, Kinsella, Lamport, Lansing, Lynch, Maynard, McCrary, McGrew, McJunkin, Merriam, Monroe, Moore, Morey, Morphis, L. Myers, Orr, Packard, Packer, Palmer, Pendleton, Perce, Peters, Piatt, Poland, Porter, Prindle, Rainey, E. H. Roberts, Rusk, Sawyer, Scofield, Seeley, Sessions, Shanks, Sheldon, Shellabarger, Shoemaker. H. B. Smith, J. A. Smith, T. J. Speer, Sprague, Stevenson, Stoughton, Stowell, St. John, Sutherland, Sypher, Taffe, Thomas, W. Townsend, Twichell, Tyner, Upson, Wakeman, Walden, Waldron, Wallace, "Wheeler, Whiteley, Willard, Williams of Indiana, J, M. Wilson, J. T. Wilson—109.

Nays—Messrs. Acker, Adams, Archer, Arthur, Beck, Biggs, Bird, Braxton, Bright, J. Brooks, Caldwell, Campbell, ^ Carroll, Comingo, Cox, Critcher, Crossland, Davis, Box, Du Bose, Duke, Eldredge, Forker, Garrett, Getz, Golladay, Griffith, Haldeman, Handley, Hanks, Harper, J. T. Harris, Hereford, Holman, King, Lainison, Leach, Lewis, Manson, McClelland, McCormick, McHenry, Mclntyre, McKinney, Merrick, B. F. Meyers, Morgan, Niblack, Parker, E. Perry, Potter, Price, Randall, Read, E. Y. Rice, J. M. Rice, Ritchie, Robinson, Shober, Slater, Sloss, R. M. Speer, Storm, Swann, Terry, Tuthill, Van Trump, Vaughan, Voorhees, Waddell, Warren, Wells, Whitthorne, Williams of New York, Wood, Young—76.

Not Voting—Messrs. Ames, Banks, Barry, B. F. Butler, Crebs, Darrall, Duell. Ely, Farwell, H. D. Foster, Halsey, Hambleton, Hay, Hays, Hill, Kerr, Lowe, Marshall, McKee, McNeely, Mercur, Mitchell, Negley, Peck, A. F. Perry, W. R. Roberts, J. Rogers, Roosevelt, Sherwood, Slocum, W. C. Smith, Snyder, Sevens, D. Toionsend, Turner, Walls, Washburn, Winchester—38.

1872, February 5—Mr. Peters offered the following, and moved to suspend the rules and adopt it:

Resolved, That the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments to the Constitution of the United States having been ratified by the number of State Legislatures necessary to make their adoption valid and binding, as well as having been sanctioned by the most significant popular approval, the highest patriotism and most enlightened public policy demand of all political parties and all citizens an acquiescence in the validity of such constitutional provisions, and such reasonable legislation of Congress as may be necessary to make them in their letter and spirit most effectual.

Which was agreed to—yeas 124, nays 58, not voting 57:

Yeas—Messrs. Ambler, Averill, Banks, Barber, Beatty, Bell, Beveridge, Bigby, Bingham, A. Blair, G. M. Brooks, Buckley, Buffinton, Burchard, Burdett, B. F. Butler, R. R. Butler, W. T. Clark, F. Clarke, Cobb, Coburn, Coghlan, Conger, Cotton, Cox, Darrall, Dickey, Donnan, Duell, Dunnell, Eames, Farnsworth, Farwell, Finkelnburg, C. Foster, W. D. Foster, Frye, Garfield, Goodrich, Griffith, Hale, Harmer, G. E. Harris, Havens, Hawley, Hay, G. W. Hazelton, J. W. Hazelton, Hoar, Hooper, Houghton, Kelley, Ketcham, Kiliinger, Lamport, Lansing, Lowe, Lynch, Maynard, McClelland, McGrew, McJunkin, McKee, Merriam, Monroe, Moore, Morey, Morphis, L. Myers, Negley, Orr, Packard, Packer, Palmer, H. W. Parker, I. C. Parker, Peck, Pendleton, Perce, Peters, Piatt, Poland, Porter, Prindlc, Rainey, E. H. Roberts, Rusk, Sargent, Sawyer, Seeley, Sessons, Shanks, Sheldon, Shellabarger, Sherwood, J. A. Smith, W. C. Smith, Snapp, T. J. Speer, Sprague, Starkweather, Stevenson, Stoughton, Stowell, Strong, Sutherland, Sypher, Taffe, Thomas, W. Townsend, Turner, Tyner, Upson, Wakeman, Walden, Waldron, Wallace, Walls, Wells, Wheeler, Whiteley, Willard, Williams of Indiana, J. M. Wilson, John T. Wilson—124.

Nays—Messrs. Acker, Adams, Arthur, Barnum, Beck, Biggs, Bright, Caldwell, Campbell, Comingo, Conner, Critcher, Crossland, Davis, Box, Du Bose, Duke, Eldredge, Garrett, Getz, Golladay, Haldeman, HambUton, Hancock, Randley, Hanks, Harper, Hereford, Herndon, Holman, King, Lamison, fiewis, Manson, Marshall, McHenry, Mclntyre, McNeely, Merrick, Niblack, Price, Read, E. Y Rice. J. M. Rice, Ritchie, Slater, Sloss, Storm. Swann, Terry, Van Trump, Vaughan, Voorhees, Waddell, Warren, Whitthorne, Winchester, Young—58.

Not Voting—Messrs. Ames, Archer, Barry, Bird, J. G. Blair, Braxton, J. Brooks, Carroll, Crebs, Creeiy, Dawes, De Large, Edwards, Elliott, Ely, Forker, H. D. Foster, Halsey, J. T. Harris, Hays, Hibbard, Hill, Kellogg, Kendall, Kerr, Kinsella, Leach, McCormick, McCrary, McKinney, Mercur, B. F.Meyers, Mitchell,Morgan, A. F. Perry, E. Perry, Potter, Randall, W. R. Roberts, Robinson, J. Rogers, Roosevelt, Scofield, Shober, Shoemaker, Slocum, H. Boardman Smith, Snyder, R. M. Sneer, Stevens, St. John, D. Townsend, Tuthill, Twichell, Williams of New York, Wood—57.

Same day—Mr. James Brooks offered the following, and moved to suspend the rules and adopt it:

Resolved, That we recognize the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments to the Constitution as valid parts thereof 5 which was agreed to—yeas 166, nays 22:

Yeas.—Messrs..Ambler, Averill, Banks, Barber, Barnum, Beatty, Beck, Bell, Beveridge, Bigby, Bingham, Bird, J, G. Blair, Bright, G. M. Brooks, /.

Brooks, Buckley, Buffinton, Burchard, Burdett, B. F. Butler,u R. R. Butler, Campbell, Carroll, W. T. Clark, Cobb, Coburn, Comingo, Conger, Cotton, Cox, Crebs, Creely, Dickey, Donnan, Box, Duell, Duke, Dunnell, Eames, Edwards, Eldredge, Ely, Farnsworth, Farwell, Finkelnburg, C. Foster, W. D. Foster, Frye, Garrett, Getz, Golladay, Goodrich, Griffith, Haldeman, Hale,Hancock, Handley, Harmer, Harper, G. E. Harris, Havens, Hawley, Hay, Hays, G. W. Hazelton, J. W. Hazelton, Herndon, Hibbard,1&.o&r, Holman, Hooper, Houghton, Kelley, Kerr, Ketcham, Kiliinger, King, Lamison, Lamport, Leach. Lowe, Lynch, Manson, Marshall, Maynard, McClelland, McCormick, McGrew, Mclntyre, McJunkin, McNeely, Mercur, Merriam, Merrick, Monroe, Moore, Morphis, L. Myers, Negley, Packard, Packer. Palmer, H. W. Parker, I. C. Parker, Peck, Pendleton, Perce, E. Perry, Peters, Piatt, Poland. Porter, Prindle, Rainey, Randall, E. Y.Rice, E. H. Roberts, W. R. Roberts, Robinson, Roosevelt, Sargent, Sawyer, Seeley, Sessions, Shanks, Sheldon, Shellabarger, Sherwood, Slocum, J. A. Smith, W. C. Smith, Snapp, T. J. Speer, Starkweather, Stevens, Stevenson, Storm, Stoughton, Stowell, Strong, Sutherland, Swann, Sypher, Thomas, W. Townsend, Turner, Twichell, Tyner, Upson. Waddell, Wakeman, Walden, Waldron, Wallace, Walls, Warren, Wells, Wheeler, Whiteley, Willard, Williams of Indiana, J. M. Wilson, J. T. Wilson, Wood—16(5.

Nays—Messrs. Acker, Adams, Arthur, Biggs, Conner, Critcher, Crossland, Davis, Du Bose, Hambleton, Hanks, Hereford, Lewis, McHenry, Niblack, Read, J. M. Rice, Ritchie, Terry, Voorhees, Winchester, Young—-22.

1872, February 12—The vote was taken on suspending the rules, and passing the following resolution offered on the 5th by Mr. Stevenson:

Resolved, That we recognize as valid and binding all existing laws passed by Congress for the enforcement of the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments to the Constitution of the United States, and for the protection of citizens in their rights under the Constitution as amended.

The vote was—yeas 107, nays 65:

Yeas—Messrs. Ambler, Ames, Averill, Banks, Barber, Barry, Beatty, Beveridge, Bigby, Bingham, Boles, G. M. Brooks, Buffinton, Burchard, Burdett, B.F. Butler, W. T. Clark, E. Clarke, Cobb, Coburn, Coghlan, Conger, Cotton, Dawes, Donnan, Duell, Dunnell, Finkelnburg,C. Foster, W.D. Foster, Frye, Garfield, Goodrich, Hale, Halsey, Harmer, Havens, Hawley, Hay, Hays, G. W. Hazelton, J. W. Hazelton, Hill, Hoar, Hooper, Kelley, Ketcham. Kiliinger, Lamport. Lansing, Lowe, Maynard, McGrew, McJunkin, McKee, Mercur, Merriam, Morphis, L. Myers, Negley, Orr, Packard, Packer, Palmer, I. C. Parker, Peck. Pendleton, Perce, A. F. Perry. Peters, Piatt, Poland, Porter, Prindle, Rainey, E. H. Roberts, Rusk, Sargent, Seeley, Shanks, Sheldon, Shellabarger, J. A. Smith, Snapp, Snyder, T. J. Speer, Sprague, Starkweather, Stevenson, Stoughton, Stowell, Sypher, Taffe, W. Townsend, Turner, Twichell, Tyner, Upson, Wakeman, Walden, Waldron, Wallace, Whiteley, Willard, Williams of Indiana, J. M. Wilson. J. T. Wilson—107.

Nays—Messrs. Acker, Adams, Arthur, Beck, Bell, Bird, Bright, J. Brooks, Caldwell, Comingo, Conner, Cox, Crossland, Davis, Dox, Du Bose, Duke, Eldredge, Garrett, Getz, Golladay, Griffith, Haldeman, Handley, Hanks, J. T. Harris, Herndon, Hibbard, Holman, King, Kinsella, Lamison, Lewis, McClelland, McCormick, McHenry, Mclntyre, McNeely, Merrick, Niblack, H. W. Parker, E. Perry, Potter, Price, Randall, Read, J. M. Rice, W. R. Roberts, Sherwood, Shober, Slater, Slocum, Sloss, Stevens, St07*m, Vaughan, Voorhees, Waddell, Warren, Wells, Whitthorne, Williams of New York, Winchester, Wood, Young—65.

Two-thirds being required, the motion failed.

STATE CONSTITUTIONS.
Illinois.*

■& # -X- # tt**

Article IV.

Sec. 5. Members of the General Assembly, before they enter upon their official duties, shall take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the State of Illinois, and will faithfully discharge the duties of Senator (or Representative) according to the best of my ability; and that I have not, knowingly or intentionally, paid or contributed anything, or made any promise in the nature of a bribe, to directly or indirectly influence any vote at the^election at which I was chosen to fill the said office, and have not accepted, nor will I accept or receive, directly or indirectly, any money or other valuable thing, from any corporation, company or person, for any vote or influence I may give or withhold on any bill, resolution, or appropriation, or for any other official act." *****

Secs. 7 and 8. The House of Representatives shall consist of three times the number of the members of the Senate, and the term of office shall be two years. Three representatives shall be elected in each senatorial district at the general election in the year of our Lord 1872, and every two years thereafter. In all elections of representatives aforesaid, each qualified voter may cast as many votes for one candidate as there are representatives to be elected, or may distribute the same, or equal parts thereof, among the candidates, as he shall see fit; and the candidates highest in votes shall be declared elected. * * *

Sec. 11. On the final passage of all bills the vote shall be by yeas and nays, upon each bill separately, and shall be entered upon the journal; and no bill shall become a law without the concurrence of a majority of the members elected to each House.

Sec. 13. Every bill shall be read at large on three different days in each House; and the bill and all amendments thereto shall be printed before the vote is taken on its final passage. * * * * No act hereafter passed shall embrace more than one subject, and that

* Owing to its length, only such extracts of the Illinois constitution of 1870 as seem to be novel or especially noteworthy are given; and so with other constitutions following.

Votes—For new constitution, 134,227; against it, 35,443. For Illinois Central Railroad section, 147,032; against, 21,310. For other railroad sections, 144,750; against, 23,525. For minority representation, 99,022; against, 70,080. For canal section, 142,540; against, 27,017.

shall be expressed in the title. But if any subject shall be embraced in an act which shall not be expressed in the title, such act shall be void only as to so much thereof as shall not be so expressed; and no law shall be revived or amended by reference to its title only, but the law revived, or the section amended, shall be inserted at length in the new act. * * * Article VI.

Sec. 31. All judges of courts of record, inferior to the supreme court, shall, on or before the 1st day of June, of each year, report in writing to the judges of the supreme court such defects and omissions in the laws as their experience may suggest; and the judges of the supreme court shall, on or before the 1st day of January, of each year, report in writing to the Governor such defects and omissions in the constitution and laws as they may find to exist, together with appropriate forms of bills to cure such defects and omissions in the law. * * * * Article VII.

Sec. 1. Every person having resided in this State one year, in the county ninety days, and in the election district thirty days next preceding any election therein, who was an elector in this State on the 1st day of April, in the year of our Lord 1848, or obtained a certificate of naturalization, before any court of record in this State, prior to the 1st day of January, in the year of our Lord 1870, or who shall be a male citizen of the United States, above the age of twenty-one years, shall be entitled to vote at such election.

Sec. 3. Neither the General Assembly nor any county, city, town, township, school district, or other public corporation, shall ever make any appropriation or pay from any public fund whatever, anything in aid of any church or sectarian purpose, or to help support or sustain any school, academy, seminary, college, university, or other literary or scientific institution, controlled by any church or sectarian denomination whatever; nor shall any grant or donation of land, money, or other personal property ever be made by the State, or any such public corporation, to any church, or for any sectarian purpose. Article XI.

Sec.1. No corporation shall be created by special laws, or its charter extended, changed, or amended, except those for charitable, educational, penal or reformatory purposes, which are to be and remain under the patronage and control of the State, but the General Assembly shall provide, by general laws, for the organization of all corporations hereafter to be created. * ■ * * # *