Privilege. Concerning the holding of office. Revenue bills. Power and duty of the president in relation to bills. Proceedings the president. on in all cases, except treason, felony and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest, during their attendance at the session of their respective houses, and in going to or returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either house, they shall not be questioned in any other place. 2. No senator or representative. shall, during the time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil office under the authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof shall have been increased, during such time; and no person holding any office under the United States shall be a member of either house, during his continuance in office. SECTION 7. 1. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other bills. 2. Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the president of the United States; if he approve, he shall sign it; but if not, he shall return it; with his objections, to that house in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the objections, at large, in their bills returned by journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, two thirds of that house shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other house, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that house, it shall become a law. But, in all such cases, the vote of both houses shall be determined by yeas and nays; and the names of the persons voting for and against the bill, shall be entered on the journal of each house respectively. If any bill shall not be returned by the president within ten days (Sundays excepted), after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law, in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress, by their adjournment, prevents its return; in which case, it shall not be a law. Joint resolutions except for adjournment, to receive the same 3. Every order, resolution, or vote, to which the concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be sanction as bills. necessary (except on a question of adjournment), shall be presented to the president of the United States; and before the same shall take effect, shall be approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall be re-passed by two-thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the rules and limitations prescribed in the case of a bill. SECTION 8. The Congress shall have power taxes. 1. To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises; Power of conto pay the debts, and to provide for the common defence gress relative to and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts, and excises, shall be uniform throughout the United States. 2. To borrow money on the credit of the United States. Loans. 3. To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among commerce. the several states, and with the Indian tribes. 4. To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uni- Naturalization. form laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States. 5. To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of Money. foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures. 6. To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the Counterfeiting. securities and current coin of the United States. 7. To establish post offices and post roads. Post-offices. 8. To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by Science. securing, for limited times, to authors and inventors, the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries. 9. To constitute tribunals inferior to the supreme court. Tribunals. To define and punish piracy and felony committed on the high seas and offences against the law of nations. 10. To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, War. and make rules concerning captures on land and water. Navy. 11. To raise and support armies; but no appropriation of Armies. money to that use, shall be for a longer term than two years. 12. To provide and maintain a navy. 13. To make rules for government and regulation of the Land and naval land and naval forces. forces. 14. To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the Militia. laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions. 15. To provide for organizing, arming and disciplining the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress. 16. To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases what- Legislation over a district, &c. soever, over such district (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased, by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erections of forts, magazines, arsenals, dock-yards, and other needful buildings; and Laws necessary 17. To make all laws which shall be necessary and proof their powers. Per for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and for the execution Of the importation of certain persons, &c. Writ of habeas corpus. Attainder, &c. Direct taxes. Of commerce from the states, &c. Of expenditures. No nobility created and no presents acceptficers, &c. all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof. SECTION 9. 1. The migration or importation of such persons as any of the states now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a tax or duty may be imposed on such importation, not exceeding ten dollars for such person. 2. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when, in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it. 3. No bill of attainder or ex post facto law shall be passed. 4. No capitation or other direct tax shall be laid, unless in proportion to the census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken. 5. 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 those of another; nor shall vessels bound to or from one state be obliged to enter, clear, or pay duties in another. 6. No money shall be drawn from the treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law; and a regular statement and account of the receipts and expenditures of all public money shall be published from time to time. 7. No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States, and no person holding any office of profit or trust ed by U. S. of- under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state. Powers prohibit vidual states. SECTION 10. 1. No state shall enter into any treaty, alliance or coned to the indi- federation; grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money; emit bills of credit; make anything but gold or silver coin a tender in payment of debts; pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant any title of nobility. Powers which the states can under the sanc 2. No state shall, without the consent of the Congress, lay any impost or duties on imports or exports, except what may exercise only be absolutely necessary for executing its inspection laws; tion of congress and the net produce of all duties and imposts, laid by any state on imports or exports, shall be for the use of the treasury of the United States, and all such laws shall be sub ject to the revision and control of Congress. No state shall, without the consent of Congress, lay any duty of tonnage, keep troops or ships of war in time of peace, enter into any agreement or compact with another state, or with a foreign power, or engage in war, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent danger as will not admit of delay. ARTICLE II. SECTION 1. ers. dent and vice 1. The executive power shall be vested in a president of Executive powthe United States of America. He shall hold his office during the term of four years, and together with the vice president, chosen for the same term, be elected as follows: 2. Each state shall appoint. in such manner as the Electors of presilegislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal president. to the whole number of senators and representatives, to which the state may be entitled in the Congress, but no senator or representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States, shall be appointed an elector. electors, 3. The electors shall meet in their respective states and Meeting of the vote by ballot for two persons, of whom one at least shall Their proceednot be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves. And ings. they shall make a list of all the persons voted for, and of the number of votes for each; which list they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of government of the United States, directed to the president of the Senate. The president of the Senate shall, in the 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 shall be the president, if such number is a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such majority, and have an equal number of votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately choose, by ballot, one of them for president; and if no person have a majority, then from the five highest on the list, the said house, shall in like manner, choose 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 two thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. In every case, after the choice of the president, the person having the greatest number of votes of the electors, shall be the vice president. But if there should remain two or more who [*Annulled, see have equal votes, the Senate shall choose from them, by art. 12.] ballot, the vice president.* amendments, Time of choosing electors. Qualifications for president. When his duties vice president, &c. 4. The Congress may determine the time of choosing the electors, and the day on which they shall give their votes, which day shall be the same throughout the United States. 5. No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of president; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States. 6. In case of the removal of the president from office, or devolve on the of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office, the same shall devolve on the vice president, and the Congress may, by law, provide for the case of removal, death, resignation, or inability, both of the president and vice president declaring what officer shall then act as president, and such officer shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, or a president shall be elected. Compensation. Oath of the president. Powers of the president. His powers with the advice and senate. 7. The president shall, at stated times, receive for his service a compensation, which shall neither be increased or diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive during that period any other emolument from the United States or any of them. 8. Before he enters on the execution of his office, he shall take the following oath or affirmation: 9. "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” SECTION 2. 1. The president shall be commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several states when called into the actual service of the United States. He may require the opinion in writing of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices; and he shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment. 2. He shall have power, by and with the advice and conconsent of the sent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the supreme court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein otherwise Of appointment provided for, and which shall be established by law. But of inferior of- the Congress may, by law, vest the appointment of such ficers. |