fupply infurections, or to repel invafions. They had no proper courts of juffice, to carry treaties with foreign powers into effect, or to interpret jolly their own acts. Feeling the prefure of fo many political embarraffinents, the Americans began to think of the most effectual way to remedy them. Accordingly Mr. James Maddifon, who was at that time a member of the houfe of delegates of the ftate of Virginia, in the year 1785, brought forward a motion to appoint commiffioners who, in concurrence with others, to be ap pointed by the different flates, fhould form a fyftem of commercial regulations, to be recommended to the different flate legiflatures.

A number of delegates accordingly met at Anapolis in the fummer of 1786, but when they began their confultations on the measures molt proper to be taken, they found that the flates were not generally reprefented, and that the authority given by fuch as were, fell fhort of the objects neceffary to be accomplished. They agreed therefore to requel of congrefs to recommend to the different ftates, to fend deputies to a general convention to be held at Philadelphia in the year following, for the purpose of devifing fuch a form of government as would beft promote the welfare and happiness of their conflituents.

A convention accordingly met at the place appointed in the May follow. ing, when every ftate was reprefented except Rhode Island. General Washington was chofen prefident. During four mouths they were affiduoufy engaged in their truly important task, and at laft comple.ed their labours on the 17th of September, when they announced to the world the prefent conflitution, and recommended to the different flates to call conventions to take this inftrument into confideration.

The request was complied with, and this production of the General Convention has now by the unanimous confent of all the States become the Conflitution of the United Statee, and the fupreme law of the land.

As a knowledge of the Conftitution or form of government under which, through the bleffing of Divine Providence, we happily live, ought to be well known by every citizen, we are perfuaded we cannot prefent our readers, with any thing more acceptable than a compleat copy of

THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION.

We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, eflablifh juftice, infure domeftic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and fecure the bleffings of liberty to ourfelves and our pofterity, do ordain and establish this conftitution for the United States of America.

Article 1. SECTION I. ALL legiflative powers herein granted, fhall be vefted in a Congress of the United States, which fhall confift of a Senate and houfe of Reprefentatives.

SECTION II.

1. The houfe of Reprefentatives fhall confit of members chefen every fecond 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 legiflature.

2. No person shall be a Reprefentative, who fhall not have attained to the age of twenty-five years, and been feven years a citizen of the United States; and who fhall not, when cletted, be an inhabitant of that State in which he fhall be chofen.

3. Reprefentatives, and direct taxes fhall be apportioned among the feveral States, which may be included in this union, according to their refpective numbers, which fhall be determined by adding to the whole number of free perfons, including thofe bound to fervice for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other perfons. The actual enumeration fhall 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 a manner as they fhall by law direct. The number of the reprefentatives fhall not exceed one for every thirty thoufand: but each state fhall have at least one reprefentative: and, unul fuch enumeration fhall be made, the Sate of Nem Hampfhire fhall be entitled to choose three ; Malfachusetts eight; Rhode-Ifland and Providence plantations one; Connecticut five; New-York fix; New-Jerfey four; Pennfylvania eight; Delaware one; Maryland fix; Virginia ten; North-Carolina five; SouthCarolina five; and Georgia three.

4. When vacancies happen in the reprefentation from any fate, the executive authority thereof shall iffue writs of election to fill fuch vacancies.

5. The house of Reprefentatives fhall choose their speaker and other officers and fhall have the fole power of impeachment.

SECTION III.

1. The Senate of the United States fhall be compofed of two Senators from each flate, chofen by the legislature thereof, for fix years; and each fenator fhall have one vote.

2. Immediately after they fhall be affembled, in confequence of the first election, they fhall be divided, as equally as may be, into three claffes. The feats of the fenators of the firft claís thall be vacated at the expiration of the fecond year; of the fecond clafs, at the expiration of the fourth year; and of the third clafs, at the expiration of the fixth year; to that one third may be chofen every fecond year. And if vacancies happen, by refignation or otherwise, during the recefs of the legiflature of any flate, the execu tive ther of may make temporary apppointments until the next meeting of the legiflature, which fhall then fill fuch vacancies.

3. No perfon fhall be a fenator, who fhall not have attained to the age of thirty years, and been nine years a citizen of the United States; and who fhall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that flate for which he fhall be chofen.

4. The Vice President of the United States fhall be Prefident of the fenate; but fhall have no vote, unless they be equally divided.

5. The fenate fhall choose their other officers, and alfo a Prefident pro tempore, in the abfence of the Vice-Prefident, or when he shall exercife the office of Prefident of the United States.

6. The fenate fhall have the fole power to try all impeachments. Wher fitting for that purpose, they fhall be on oath or affirmation. When the Prefident of the United States is tried, the chief juflice fhall prefide: and no perfon fhall be convicted, without the concurrence of two-thirds of the members prefent.

7. Judgment, in cafe of impeachment, fhall not extend further than to re move from office, and difqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honour truft, or profit, under the United States. But the party convicted fhail nevertheless, be liable and subject to indictment, trial, judgment and punishment according to law.

1. The times, places, and manner of holding elections for fenators and reprefetauves, fhall be prescribed in each flate by the legiflature thereof; but the Congress may, at any time, by law, make or alter fuch regulations, except as to the places of choofing fenators.

2. The Congress fhall affemble at leaft once in every year; and fach, meeting fhall be on the first Monday in December, unless they fhall by law appoint a different day.

SECTION V.

1. Each houfe fhall be the judge of the elections, returns, and qualifi cations of its own members: and a majority of each fhall conftitute a quorum to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and and may be authorised to compel the attendance of abfent members, in fuch manner, and under fuch penalties as each houfe may provide.

2. Each houfe may determine the rules of its proceedings; punif its members for diforderly behaviour; and, with the concurrence of two thirds, expel a member.

3. Each houfe fhall keep a journal of its proceedings; and, from time 10 time, publish the fame, excepting fuch parts as may in their judgment require fecrecy; and the yeas and nays of the members of either house, op any queflion, fhall, at the defire, of one fifth of thofe prefent, be entered on the journal.

4. 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 houfes fhall be fitting,

SECTION VI.

1. The Senators and reprefentative, fhall receive a compenfation for their fervices, to be ascertained 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 priviledged from an arrel, during their attendance at the fellion of their refpective boules, and in going to, and returning from the fame and for any fpeech or debate in either houfe, they fhall not be queftioned in any othey place.

2. No fenator 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 whereof shall have been encreased, during fuch time and no perfon, holding any office under the United States, fhall be a member of either house, during his continuancé in office.

SECTION VII.

1. All bills, for railing revenue, fhall originate in the house of reprefentatives; but the feuate may propofe or concur with amendments, as on other bills.

2. Every bill which fhall have paffed the house of reprefentatives and the fenate, fhall, before it become a law, be prefented to the Prefident of the United States. If he approve, he fhall fign it: but if not, he fhall return jt, with his objections, to that house, in which it fhall have originated, who fhall enter the objections at large on their journal, and proceed to re-confider it. If, after fuch re-confideration, two thirds of that houfe fhall agree to pass the bill, it shall be fent, together with the objections, to the other houfe, by which it fhall likewife be reconfidered: and, if approved by two thirds of that house, it shall 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, thall be entered on the journal of each house 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, unless the congrefs, by their adjournment, prevent its return; in which cafe it fhall not be a law.

3. Every order, refolution, or vote, to which the concurrence of the fenate and house of reprefentatives may be neceffary (except on a queftion of adjournment) and fhall be prefented to the Prefident of the United States; and before the fame fhall take effect, fhall be approved by him; or, being difapproved by him, fhall be repaffed by two thirds of the fenate and houfe of reprefentatives according to the rules and limitations prescribed in the cafe of a bill.

The Congrefs fhall have

SECTION VIII.

power,

1. 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, impofts, and excises, shall be uniform throughout the United States.

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

3. To regulate commerec with foreign nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian tribes.

4. To eftablish an uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the fubject of bankruptcies, throughout the United States.

5. To coin money; regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin; and fix the ftandard of weights and ineasures.

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

7. To eftablish poft-offices and pofl-roads.

8. To promote the progrefs of science and useful arts, by fecuring, for limited times, to authors and inventors, the exclufive right to their refpective writings and difcoveries.

9. To conftitute tribunals inferior to the fupreme court.

10. To define and punifh piracies and felonies, committed on the high feas, and offences againft the law of nations.

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

12. To raife and fupport armies. But no appropriation of money to that use, fhall be for a longer term than two years.

13. To provide and maintain a navy.

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

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

16. 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 prefcribed by Congrefs.

17. To exercife exclufive legiflation, in all cafes whatever over fuch dif trict (not exceeding ten miles fquare) as may, by celfion of particular states, and the acceptance of Congrefs, become the feat of the government of the

United States; and to exercife like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legiflature of the State in which the fame fhall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arfenals, dock-yards, and other needful buildings:-----and

18. To make all laws, which fhall be necellary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers velled by this conflitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.

SECTION IX.

1. The migration or importation of fuch perfons, as any of the States now exifting, fhall think proper to admit, thall not be prohibited by the Congrefs, prior to the year one thoufand eight hundred and eight: but tax or duty may be impofed on fuch importation, and not exceeding ten dollars for each perfon.

2. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus fhall not be fufpended, unlefs when, in cafes of rebellion or invafion, the public fafety may require it. No bill of attainder, or ex poft facto law fhall be paffed.

3.

4. No capitation or other direct tax fhall be laid, unlefs in proportion to the cenfus or enumeration herein before directed to be taken.

5. No tax or duty fhall be laid on articles exported from any State. No preference fhall be given, by any regulation of commerce or revenue, to the ports of one State over thofe of another; nor fhall veffels, bound to or from one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay duties in another.

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6. No money fhall be drawn from the treafury, but in confequence of appropriations made by law and a regular flatement and account of the receipts and expenditure of all public money fhall be published from time to time.

7. No title of Nobility fhall be granted by the United States: And no perfon holding any office of profit or truft under them, frail, without the confent of Congrefs, accept of any prefent, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign ftate.

SECTION X.

1. No State shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation; grant letters of marque and reprizal; coin money; emit bills of credit; make any thing but gold and filver coin a tender in payment of debts; pafs any bill of attainder, ex poft facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant any title of nobility.

2. No ftate fhall, without the consent of Congrefs, lay any impes or dudies on imports or exports, except what may be abfolutely neceffary for executing its infpection laws; and the net produce of all duties and impofts, laid by any ftate on imports or exports, fhall be for the use of the treasury of the United States; and all fuch laws shall be subject to the revifion and controul of the Congress. No flate fhall, without the confent of Congrefs, lay any duty of tonnage, keep troops, or fhips 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 fuch imminent danger as will not admit of delay.

Article 2. SECTION I.

1. The executive power shall be vested in the Prefident of the United States of America. He fhall hold his office during the term of four years, and, together with the Vice-Prefident, chofen for the fame term, be elected a follows: