CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. 667. Of the Legislature.. 'HE legislative power of the United States is vefted in a congrefs, confifting of two houfes or branches, a fenate and a houfe of reprefentatives. The members of the houfe of reprefentatives are chofen once in two years, by the perfons who are qualified to vote for members of the moft numerous branch of the legislature in each state. To be entitled to a feat in this house, a person muft have attained to the age of twenty-five years, been a citizen of the United States for feven years, and must be an inhabitant of the ftate, in which he is chofen. 668. Senate. The fenate confifts of two fenators from each state, chofen by the legiflature for fix years. The fenate is divided into three claffes, the feats of one of which are vacated every second year. If a vacancy hap. pens during the recess of the legislature, the executive of the state makes a temporary appointment of a fenator, until the next meeting of the legiflature. A fenator must have attained the age of thirty years, been a citizen of the United States nine years, and must be an inhabitant of the ftate for which he is chofen. The houfe of repre 669. Powers of the two Houfes. fentatives choose their own fpeaker and other officers, and have the exclufive power of impeaching public officers, and originating bills for raifing a revenue. The vice prefident of the United States is prefident of the fenate; but the other officers are chofen by the fenate. The fenate tries all impeachments, each houfe determins the validity of the elections and qualifications of its own members, forms its own rules, and keeps a journal of its proceedings. The members are privileged from arrest while attending on the feffion, going to or returning from the fame, except for treason, felony or breach of the peace. 670. Powers of Congress. The congrefs of the United States have power to make and enforce all laws which are neceflary for the general welfare-as to lay and collect taxes, impoft, and excifes; borrow money, regulate commerce, establish uniform rules of naturalization, coin money, establish poft roads and poft-offices, promote the arts and fciences, inftitute tribunals, inferior to the fu preme court, define and punish piracy, declare war, and make reprisals, raife and fupport armies, provide a navy, regulate the militia, and to make all laws neceffary to carry these powers into effect. 671. Retridions. No bill of attainder or retrospective law fhall be paffed; the writ of habeas corpus cannot be fufpended except in cafes of rebellion or invafion; no direct tax can be laid, except according to a cenfus of the inhabitants; no duty can be laid on exports, no money can be drawn from the treasury, unless appropriated by law; no title of nobility can be granted, nor can any public officer, without the confent of congrefs, accept of any prefent or title from any foreign prince or state. The Atates are restrained from emitting bills of credit, from making any thing but gold or filver a tender for debts, and from paffing any law impairing private contracts. 672, Executive. The executive power of the United States is vefted in a prefident, who holds his office for four years. To qualify a man for prefident, he must have been a citizen at the adoption of the conftitution, or must be a native of the United States; he must have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a refident within the United States. The prefident and vice prefident are chofen by electors defignated in fuch a manner as the legislature of each fate fhall direct. The number of electors in each ftate is equal to the whole number of fenators and reprefentatives. Powers of the Prefident. The prefident of the United States is commander in chief of the army and navy, and of the militia when in actual fervice. He grants reprieves and pardons; nominates, and with the content of the fenate, appoints ambaffadors, judges and other officers; and with the advice and confent of the fenate, forms treaties, provided two thirds of the fenate agree, He fills vacancies in offices which happen during the recefs of the fenate. He convenes the congrefs on extraordinary occafions; receives foreign minifters, gives information to congrefs of the ftate of public affairs, and in general takes care that the laws are faithfully executed. 674. Judiciary. The judiciary of the United States confifts of one fupreme court, and fuch inferior court as the congrefs fhall ordain. The judges are to hold their offices during good behavior, and their falaries cannot be diminished during their continuance in office. The ju dicial power of these courts extends to all cafes in law and equity, arifing under the conftitution, or laws of the United States, and under treaties; to cafes of public ministers and confuls; to all cafes of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction ; to controverfies between the states, and in which the United States are a party; between a state and citizen of another state, and between citizens of dif ferent ftates; between citizens of the fame state claiming under grants of different states; and to causes between one of the states or an American citizen and a foreign ftate or citizen. 675. Rights and Immunities. In all criminal trials except impeachment, the trial by jury is guaranteed to the accufed. Treafon is reftricted to the fimple acts of levying war against the United States, and adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort; and no perfon can be convicted, but by two witneffes to the fame act, or by confeffion in open court. A conviction of treafon is not followed by a corruption of blood, to difinherit the heirs of the criminal, nor by a forfeiture of eftate except during the life of the offender. The citizens of each state are entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the feveral ftates. Congrefs may admit new states into the union, and the national compact guarantees to each ftate, a republican form of government, together with protection from foreign invafion and domeftic violence. CONCLUSION. GANERAL VIEWS OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE UNITED THE STATES. 676. Population. HE original fettlers of Virginia and New-England, were almost all natives of England-those of NewYork were natives of Holland, and other parts of the Netherlands-a body of Swedes planted the firft colony on the Delaware, where their defcendants are still found, though few of them unmixed with the progeny of other fettlers. Maryland was originally peopled by emigrants from Ireland; the Carolinas and Georgia, by emigrants from England, Scotland and Germany; and Pennfylvania, from England, Ireland and Germany. To thefe original fettlers are to be added the Africans, who were imported for the purpose of cultivating the plantations of the fouthern fettlers and for domestic fervants. 677. Numbers of People. The inhabitants of the United States, exclufive of fome tribes of Indians not enumerated, amounted in 1800, to five millions three hundred and five thousand. Of this number a million are Afri cans and their defcendants; and eight hundred and ninetythree thoufand are flaves. The population of the United States, according to the increase of the last ten years, as exhibited by the cenfus, doubles in twenty-eight years.The population of the northern ftates, doubles in less than But this increase twenty-five years, by natural means. is confiderably accelerated by migrations from Europe. 678. Subfiflence. The first fettlers for a few years, imported no fmall portion of their food from Europe; but foon become accustomed to the ufe of maiz, which they found among the natives, from whom they learnt the mode of cultivating it, and several ways of dreffing it for food. Some of the difhes which are still favorites on our tables, as famp, fuccotash and hommony, were derived from the Indians, and the hoe cake; fo convenient on a journey in a wilderness, often fuftained our ancestors in their expeditions through the foreft in war or in traveling. But wheat, and other grains, together with efculent roots, were foon cultivated fo as to furnish an ample supply of food. The potatoe, however, though originally an American root, was not cultivated in the English colonies till within about feventy years. Many perfons are ftill living who never faw a potatoe till they were twenty years old. Tea and coffee were of later introduction; indeed coffee was little ufed till the revolution./ 679. Clothing. The clothing of the first fettlers was all of foreign fabric; and fo is all the cloth of fine texture, used in the United States at this time. The richnefs and cheapnefs of the lands in America, have made the people almoft wholly agricultural; and the fruits of the earth are exchanged with foreign nations for their manufactures. But as without manufactures, many fe male hands would be unemployed, moft of the farmers raise a fmall quantity of flax, cotton or wool, which is wrought into coarse cloths for common ufe. Manufactures however are more and more attended to, as the people multiply and their wants increafe; or as the prices of foreign manufactures are enhanced. 680. Luxuries. Before the revolution, luxury was limited to the fouthern colonies, and a few commercial towns in the northern. The food of the yeomanry of the country was almost wholly of their own production, as was most of their common clothing. Carriages were very rare in New-England, in the middle of the laft century. The first chaife feen in New-Haven was introduced in the year 1740, and at that time there were no more than eleven houfes in the town with fafh lights. Boots were worn by few perfons, before the revolution, and gold watches were extremely rare, in 1790. 681. Amusements. Dancing has always been a favourite amusement in this country. Young people in every town and village, colle& for the purpofe on various occafions, and efpecially in New-England, at the General Elections, and at the annual Thanksgiving. In the larg S |