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Limitations

The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus fhall not be fufpended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the pub- of powers of lic fafety may require it.

No bill of attainder or ex poft facto law fhall be paffed. No capitation, or other direct tax shall be laid, unless in proportion to the cenfus or enumeration herein before directed to be taken.

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

No money fhall be drawn from the treasury, but in conse. quence of appropriations made by law; and a regular statement and account of the receipts and expenditures of all pubmoney fhall be published from time to time.

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

Congress in
certain cafes.

Limitations

Sect. 10. No ftate fhall enter into any treaty, alliance, or of the powers. confederation; grant letters of marque or reprifal; coin mon- of the ftates ey emit bills of credit; make any thing but gold and filver in certain coin a tender in payment of debts; pafs any bill of attainder, cafes. ex poft facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant any title of nobility.

No ftate fhall, without the confent of the Congress, lay any impofts or duties on imports or exports, except what may be abfolutely neceffary for executing its infpection laws; and the neat produce of all duties and impofts, laid by any state on imports or exports, fhall be for the ufe of the treafury of the United States; and all fuch laws fhall be fubject to the revi fion and control of the Congress. No ftate fhall, without the confent of Congrefs, 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 fuch imminent danger aa will not admit of delay.

Sect. 1.

ARTICLE II.

vefted.

The executive power fhall be vested in a Prefident of the United States of America. He fhall hold his office Executive during the term of four years, and, together with the Vice- Power where Prefident, chofen for the fame term, be elected as follows:Each state shall appoint, in fuch manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole Electors of number of fenators and representatives to which the state may be entitled in the Congress: But no fenator or representa tive, or perfon holding an office of truft or profit under the United States, fhall be appointed an elector.

Prefident.

Prefident and

Vice-Prefi

The electors fhall meet in their refpective states, and vote by ballot for two perfons of whom one at least shall not be an inhabitant of the fame ftate with themselves. And they shall dent how chomake a list of all the perfons voted for, and of the number of fen. votes for each; which lift they shall fign and certify, and

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529.

Who may be elected Prefi

dent.

Prefident, Vice-Prefident to act.

tranfmit fealed to the feat of the government of the United States, directed to the Prefident of the Senate. The Prefident of the Senate fhall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Reprefentatives, open all the certificates, and the votes fhall then be counted. The perfon having the greatest number of votes fhall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have fuch majority, and have an equal number of votes, then the Houfe of Representatives fhall immediately chufe by ballot one of them for Prefident; and if no perfon have a majority, then from the five higheft. on the lift the faid House shall in like manner chuse the Prefident. But in chufing the President, the votes fhall be taken by ftates, the reprefen ation from each ftate having one vote; a quorum for this purpose fhall confift of a member or mem-, bers from two thirds of the ftates, and a majority of all the ftates fhall be neceffary to a choice. In every cafe, after the choice of the Prefident, the perfon having the greatest number of votes of the electors fhall be the Vice-Prefident. But if there fhould remain two or more who have equal votes, the Senate fhall chufe from them by ballot the Vice-Prefident.

The Congress may determine the time of chufing the electors, and the day on which they shall give their votes; which day fhall be the fame throughout the United States.

No perfon except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this conftitution, fhall be eligible to the office of Prefident; neither fhail any perfon be eligible to that office who fhall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a refident within the United States.

In case of the removal of the President from office, or of In abfence of his death, refignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the faid office, the fame fhall devolve on the VicePrefident, and the Congrefs may by law provide for the cafe of removal, death, refignation, or inability, both of the Prefident and Vice-Prefident, declaring what officer fhall then act as Prefident, and fuch officer shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.

Prefident's falary.

His oath.

His power.

The President fhall, at stated times, receive for his services, a compenfation, which fhall neither be encreased nor diminifhed during the period for which he fhall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States, or any of them.

Before he enters on the execution of his office, he shall take' the following oath or affirmation:

"I do folemnly fwear (or affirm) that I will faithfully exe"cute the office of Prefident of the United States, and will to "the best of my ability, preferve, protect and defend the con"ftitution of the United States."

Sect. 2. The Prefident fhall be commander in chief of the army and navy of the United States, and of the militia of the feveral ftates 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 fubject relating to the duties of their refpective offices, and he

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all have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cafes of impeachment.

He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senators prefent concur and he shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, fhall appoint ambassadors, other public minifters and confuls, judges of the fupreme court, and all other officers of the United States, whofe appointments are not hers in otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by law. But the Congress may by law veft the appointment of such inferior officers, as they think proper in the Prefident alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments.

The President shall have power to fill up all vacancies that may happen during the recefs of the Senate, by granting commissions which fhall expire at the end of their next feffion.

Set. 3. He fhall from time to time give the Congress information of the ftate of the Union, and recommend to their confideration such measures as he shall judge neceffary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary occafions, convene both houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to fuch time as he fhall think proper; he fhall receive ambaffadors and other public minifters he fhall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and fhall commiffi on all the officers of the United States.

His duty

Sect. 4. The Prefident Vice-Prefident and all civil officers of the United States fhall be removed from office on impeachment Officers imfor, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and peachable.

misdemeanors.

Sest. 1.

ARTICLE III.

The judicial power of the United States, fhall be vested in one fupreme court, and in fuch inferior courts as the Con- Judicial powgrefs may from time to time ordain and establish. The judges, er how vefted both of the fupreme and inferior court, fhall hold their offices during good behaviour, and fhall at ftated times, receive for their fervices, a compenfation, which fhall not be diminished during their

continuance in office.

Sect. 2.

The judicial power fhall extend to all cafes, in law and equity, arifing under this conftitution, the laws of the United Jurifdiction States, and treaties made, or which fhall be made, under their au- courts. thority; to all cafes affecting ambaffadors, other public minifters and confuls; to all cafes of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction; to controverfies to which the United States fhall be a party; to controversies between two or more states, between a state and citizens of another state, between citizens of different ftates, between citizens of the fame ftate claiming lands under grants of different ftates, and between a state, or the citizens thereof, and foreign ftates, citizens or subjects.

In all cafes affecting ambaffadors, other public minifters and confuls, and those in which a state fhall be a party, the fupreme court fhall have original jurisdiction. In all the other cafes before mentioned, the fupreme court fhall have appelate jurifdiction, both as to law and fact, with fuch exceptions, and under fuch regulations as the Congrefs fhall make,

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The trial of all crimes, except in cafes of impeachment, fhall be by jury; and fuch trial fhall be held in the ftate where the faid crimes fhall have been committed; but when not committed within any state, the trial fhall be at fuch place or places as the Congrefs may by law have directed.

Sect. 3. Treafon, again ft the United States, fhall confift only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giv ing them aid and comfort. No perfon fhall be convicted of treafon unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the fame overt aft, or on confeffion in open court.

The Congrefs fhall have power to declare the punishment of treafon, but no attainder of treason fhall work corruption of blood, or forfeiture, except during the life of the perfon attainted.

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Sect. . Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the State records public acts, records and judicial proceedings of every other ftate, to be teftimo- And the Congress may by general laws prefcribe the manner in which fuch acts, records and proceedings fhall be proved, and the effect thereof.

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Rights of citi

zens.

Criminals to be furrendered.

Slaves to be delivered claim.

Sect. 2. The citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states.

A perfon charged in any ftate with treafon, felony, or other crime, who fhall flee from juftice, and be found in another state, fhall, on demand of the executive authority of the ftate from which he fled, be delivered up to be removed to the ftate having jurifdiction of the crime.

No perfon held to service or labour in one state, under the laws on thereof, escaping into another, fhall, in confequence of any law or regulation therein, be discharged from fuch fervice or labour, but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such fervice or labour may be due.

New ftates to

Sect. 3. New ftates may be admitted by the Congrefs into this be admitted. Union; but no new ftate fhall be formed or erected within the jurifdiction of any other ftate; nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more ftates, or parts of ftates, without the consent of the ligiflatures of the ftates concerned as well as of the Congrefs. The Congrefs fhall have power to difpofe of and make all needful rules and regulations refpecting the territory or other property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this conftitution fhall be fo conftrued as to prejudice any claims of the United States, or of any particular ftate.

Public lands in Congrefs.

teed.

Sect. 4.

State governThe United States fhall guarantee to every ftate in ments guaran- this Union a Republican form of Government, and fhall protect each of them against invafion; and on application of the legisla ture, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence.

Amendments how to be made.

ARTICLE V.

The Congrefs, whenever two-thirds of both Houfes fhall deem it neceffary, fhall propofe amendments to this conftitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the feveral States, fhall call a convention for propofing amendments, which, in either cafe, fhall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this conftitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three

fourths of the feveral ftates, or by conventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be propofed by the Congress: Provided, that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight fhall in any manner effect the firft and fourth claufes in the ninth fection of the first article; and that no flate, without its confent, fhall be deprived of its equal fuffrage in the Senate.

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All debts contracted and engagements entered into, before the Old debts vaadoption of this conftitution, shall be as valid against the United lid. States under this conftitution, as under the confederation.

This Conftitution, and the laws of the United States which fhall Laws of Conbe made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which grefs fupreme. fhall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the fupreme law of the land; and the judges in every ftate fhall be bound thereby, any thing in the conftitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding.

to take an

The fenators and reprefentatives before mentioned, and the Civil officers members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judi- oath. cial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, fhall be bound by oath or affirmation, to fupport this conftitu- No religious tion; but no religious teft fhall ever be required as a qualification teft. to any office or public truft under the United States.

ARTICLE VII.

The ratification of the conventions of nine ftates, fhall be Ratification. fufficient for the establishment of this conftitution between the ftates fo ratifying the fame.

DONE in Convention, by the unanimous confent of the States prefent, the feventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-feven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the twelfth, In witnels whereof we have hereunto fubfcribed our Names.

GEORGE WASHINGTON, Prefident,
And Deputy from Virginia.

New-Hampfire, John Langdon, Nicholas Gilman.-MaffachuJetts, Nathaniel Gorham, Rufus King.-Connecticut, William Samuel Johnfon, Roger Sherman.-New-York, Alexander Hamilton. -New-Jerfey, William Livingston, David Brearly, William Patterfon, Jonathan Dayton.-Pennfylvania, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Mifflin, Robert Morris, George Clymer, Thomas Fitzfimons, Jared Ingerfoll, James Wilfon, Gouverneur Morris.-Delaware, George Read, Gunning Bedford, jun. John Dickenfor, Richard Baffet, Jacob Broom.-Maryland, James M'Henry, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, Daniel Carrol.-Virginia, John Blair, James Maddilon, jun.-North-Carolina, William Blount, Richard Dobbs Spaight, Hugh Williamfon.-South-Carolina, John Rutledge, Charles Cotefworth Pinkney, Charles Pinkney, Pierce Butler.-Georgia, William Few, Abraham Baldwin.

Atteft.

WILLIAM JACKSON, Secretary.

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