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COMMISSION OF THE MASSACHUSETTS DELEGATES.

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.

By his Excellency, JAMES BOWDOIN, Esq., Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

To the Honorable FRANCIS DANA, ELBRIDGE GERRY,

NATHANIEL GORHAM, RUFUS KING, and CALEB STRONG, Esqrs.,

Greeting:

Whereas, Congress did, on the 21st day of February, A. D. 1787, resolve, "That, in the opinion of Congress, it is expedient that, on the second Monday in May next, a Convention of Delegates, who shall have been appointed by the several States, to be held at Philadelphia, for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation, and reporting to Congress, and the several Legislatures, such alterations and provisions therein as shall, when agreed to in Congress, and confirmed by the States, render the Federal Constitution adequate to the exigencies of Government and the preservation of the Union." And whereas, the General Court have constituted and appointed you their delegates, to attend and represent this Commonwealth in the said proposed Convention, and have, by a resolution of theirs of the tenth of March last, requested me to commission you for that purpose.

Now, therefore, know ye, that in pursuance of the resolutions aforesaid, I do, by these presents, commission you, the said Francis Dana, Elbridge Gerry, Nathaniel Gorham, Rufus King, and Caleb Strong, Esqrs., or any three of you, to meet such delegates as may be appointed by the other, or any of the other States in the Union, to meet in Convention at Philadelphia, at the time, and for the purposes aforesaid.

In testimony whereof, I have caused the public seal of the Commonwealth aforesaid to be hereunto affixed. Given at the Council Chamber, in [L. S.] Boston, the ninth day of April, A. D. 1787, and in the eleventh year of the independence of the United States of America.

By his Excellency's command.

JAMES BOWDOIN.

JOHN AVERY, JUN., Secretary.

CONSTITUTION

OF THE

UNITED STATES,

AS PROPOSED FOR RATIFICATION BY THE SEVERAL STATES, AT THE GRAND FEDERAL CONVENTION, SEPT. 17, 1787.

PREAMBLE.

WE, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this CONSTITUTION FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

ARTICLE I.

LEGISLATIVE POWER.

The House of Representatives.

SECTION 1. All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a congress of the United States, which shall consist of a senate and house of representatives.

SECT. 2. The house of representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year, by the people of the several states; and the electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature.

No person shall be a representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty-five years, and been seven years

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