II. Each Houfe may determine the rules of its proceedings; punifh its members for diforderly behaviour; and, with the concurrence of two thirds, expel a member.

III. Each Houfe fhali keep a journal of its proceedings; and from time to time publifh the faine, excepting fuch parts as may in their judgment require fecrecy; and the yeas and nays, of the members of either Houfe, on any queftion, fhall, at the defire of one fifth of thofe prefent, be entered on the journal.

IV. Neither Houfe, during the feffion of Congrefs, fhall, without the confent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two Houses fhall be fitting.

SECTION VI.

I. The Senators and Reprefentatives fhall receive a compenfa rion for their fervices, to be afcertained by law, and paid out of the treafury of the United States. They fhall, in all cafes, except treafon, felony, and breach of the peace, be privileged from arreft, during their attendance at the feffion of their refpective Houses, and in going to, and returning from the fame and for any speech or debate in either Houfe, they fhall not be questioned in any other place.

II. No Senator or Reprefentative 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 of which fhall have been increafed during fuch time : and no perfon holding any office under the United States, fhall be a member of either Houfe during his continuance in office.

SECTION VII.

I. All bills for railing revenue fhall originate in the House of Reprefentatives: but the Senate fall propofe or concur with amendments, as on other bills.

II. Every bill which fhall have paffed the House of Reprefentatives and the Senate, fhall, before it become a law, be prefented to the Prefident of the United States. If he approve, he shall fign it; but if not, he fall return it, with his objections, to that House in which it fhall have originated, who fhall enter the objections at large on their journals, and proceed to confider it. If, after fuch reconfideration, two thirds of that Houfe fhall agree to pafs the bill, it fhall be fent, together with the objections, to the other Houfe, by which it fhall Ekewife be reconfidered: and, if approved by two thirds of that House, it fhall become a law. But in all fuch cafes, the votes of both Houfes fhall 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 fhall have been prefented to him, the fame fhall be a law, in like manner as if he had figned it, unlefs the Congress, by their adjournment, prevent its return, in which case it shall not be a law.

111.

II. Every order, refolution, or vote, to which the concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be neceffary, except on a question of adjournment, fhall be prefented to the Prefident of the United States; and before the fame fhall take effect, be approved by him; or being difapproved by him, fhall be repaffed by two thirds of both Houses, according to the rules and limitations prescribed in the cafe of a bill.

SECTION VIII.

The Congrefs fhall have power,

I. 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, imposts, and excises, fhall be uniform throughout the United States.

II. To borrow money on the credit of the United States.

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

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

Státės.

V. To coin money; regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin; and fix the standard of weights and measures.

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

VII. To eftablifh poft-offices and post-roads.

VIII. To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by fecuring for limited times, to authors and inventors, the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries,

IX. To conftitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court.

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

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

XII. To raife and fupport armies. But no appropriation of money for that ufe fhall be for a longer term than two years. XIII. To provide and maintain a navy.

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

XV. To provide for calling forth the militia, to execute the laws of the Union, fupprefs infurrections, and repel invafions.

XVI. 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.

XVII. To exercise exclufive legiflation, in all cafes whatsoever over such district (not exceeding ten miles fquare), as may, by ceffion of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become

VOL. I.

the

without them; and finally, they prefent them"felves a spectacle fo ludicrous, that we cannot help "being diverted at our own calamities.

"The melioration of a conftitution, founded on "fuch falfe and incompatible principles, feems in

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every view almoft impoffible; but expedients pro"pofed, which require the unanimous concurrence "of thirteen feparate Legiflatures, differing in inte"refts, diftinct in habits, and oppofite from preju"dices, have fo repeatedly failed, that they no longer "furnish a ray of hope.-We pray therefore for the day when we fhall fee a National Convention fit, "compofed of the best and ableft men in the Union, a majority of whom fhall be invefted with the power of altering it. It is now fo bad as to defy "the malice and ingenuity of fortune to make it "worse."

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After feveral fruitless attempts to form a National Convention, compofed of deputies from all the thirteen States, one was at laft affembled at Annapolis, in Maryland, to which delegates were fent from every one, Rhode Island excepted, which continued refractory for a long time, notwithstanding threats like thefe: "Rhode Island has refused to co-operate "in this bufinefs. From her antifederal difpofition

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nothing better could have been expected. To "that State it is owing that the continental impoft has not taken place. To her may be charged the poverty of the foldiers of the late army, the heavy "taxes of our citizens, and the embarraffed state of "the public finances. It is, however, fincerely

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hoped and wifhed, that her diffent will never "more be permitted to defeat any federal measure. Rather let her be dropped out of the Union, or ap"portioned to the different States that furround her." It was an atrocious calumny to accufe Rhode Island of the crime of having caufed the heavy taxes which preffed upon the people. Thofe taxes arofe out of

the

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the rebellion, into which Rhode Island had been dragged by Maffachufetts. Nor was it very coufiftent with thofe notions of liberty, of unalienable rights, and perfect independence, which had been fo long and fo loudly inculcated, to compel her to join in what he did not approve of, upon pain of being dropped out of the Union," or "apportioned to the "different States furrounding her." But Rhode Island was small and weak; circumftances quite fufficient to encourage the other twelve States to act towards her with infolence and injuftice. They did, however, forbear from fuch conduct. Leaving her to feel the fatal effects of her obftinacy, they proceeded to form a Federal Conftitution. The Convention of Deputies met for the purpose, and clrofe General Washington for their Prefident, on the 14th of May, 1797. The feffion closed on the 17th of September, in the fame year, when the Constitution, as it now ftands, was agreed upon, and prefented for the ratification of the refpective States. When the firft Congrefs met under the new Conftitution, fome amendments were added.

Several of the States ratified with great reluctance; and it is not too much to fay, that a majority of them yielded from a dread of anarchy, rather than from their approbation of the new Conftitution. North Carolina, though he had fent Deputies to the Convention, refufed, for a long time, to ratify the inftrument which that Convention had agreed on. Rhode Island fill continued refractory; and though the Conftitution was, at laft, ratified by all the States, there fiill exifted, with refpect to it, that difference of opinion and difcontent, which fowed the feeds of thofe factions that have fince poisoned the felicity of a country, which, with fome abatements as to climate, might, by a well-poifed and efficient government, have been rendered one of the happieft in the world.

FEDERAL

FEDERAL CONSTITUTION.

We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domeftic tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and fecure the bleffings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Conftitution for the United States of America.

ARTICLE I. SECTION I.

All legislative powers herein granted, shall be vested in a Congrefs of the United States, which shall confist of a Senate and a House of Representatives.

SECTION II.

I. The House of Representatives shall confist of members chofen every second year, by the people of the feveral States: and the electors in each State fhall have the qualifications requifite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State Legislature.

U. No perfon fhall be a Representative, who fhall not have attained to the age of twenty-five years, and been seven years a Citizen of the United States; and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.

III. Reprefentatives and direct taxes fhall be apportioned among the several States which may be included in this Union, according to their respective numbers, which fhall be determined. by adding to the whole number of free perfons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other perfons. The actual enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congrefs of the United States; and within every subsequent term of ten years, in fuch manner as they fhall by law direct. The number of Representatives fhall not exceed one for every thirty thoufand; but each State shall have at least one Representative; and until fuch enumeration fhall be made, the State of New-Hampfhire fhall be entitled to choose three; Massachusetts eight; Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, one; Connecticut, five; NewYork, fix; New-Jersey, four; Pennsylvania, eight; Delaware, one; Maryland, fix; Virginia, ten; North Carolina, five; South Carolina, five; and Georgia, three.

IV. When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the executive authority thereof shall issue writs of elections to fill fuch vacancies.

V. The House of Representatives fhall choose their Speaker and other officers; and fhall have the fole power of impeachment. SECTION III.

I. The Senate of the United States fhall be compofed of two Senators from each State, chofen by the Legislature thereof, for fix years: and each Senator shall have one vote.

II.