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Title: The United States’ Constitution

 

Author: Founding Fathers

 

Release Date: December, 1975 [EBook #5]

[This file was first posted on August 19, 2003]

[Most recently updated: August 19, 2003]

 

Edition: 11

 

Language: English

 

Character set encoding: US-ASCII

 

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE UNITED STATES’ CONSTITUTION ***

 

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THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 1787

 

We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,

establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, 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 1

 

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.

 

Section 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 a citizen of the United States,

and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which

he shall be chosen.

 

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among

the several States which may be included within this Union,

according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined

by adding to the whole number of free Persons, including those

bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed,

three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made

within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the

United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years,

in such Manner as they shall by law Direct. The number of

Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand,

but each State shall have at least one Representative;

and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire

shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode Island

and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New York six,

New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six,

Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.

 

When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive

Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.

 

The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers;

and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.

 

Section 3. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of

two Senators from each State, chosen by the legislature thereof,

for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.

 

Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election,

they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of

the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the expiration of the

second Year, of the second Class at the expiration of the fourth Year,

and of the third Class at the expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third

may be chosen every second Year; and if vacancies happen by Resignation,

or otherwise, during the recess of the Legislature of any State,

the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the

next meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.

 

No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of

thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States,

and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State

for which he shall be chosen.

 

The Vice-President of the United States shall be President of the Senate,

but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.

 

The Senate shall choose their other Officers, and also a President

pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice-President, or when he shall

exercise the Office of President of the United States.

 

The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments.

When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation.

When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice

shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence

of two thirds of the Members present.

 

Judgment in cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal

from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor,

Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall

nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and

Punishment, according to Law.

 

Section 4. The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and

Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof;

but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations,

except as to the Places of chusing Senators.

 

The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year,

and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December,

unless they shall by law appoint a different Day.

 

Section 5. Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections,

Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a

Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business;

but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day,

and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members,

in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide.

 

Each house may determine the Rules of its Proceedings,

punish its Members for disorderly Behavior, and, with the

Concurrence of two-thirds, expel a Member.

 

Each house shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings,

and from time to time publish the same, excepting such Parts as may

in their Judgment require Secrecy; and the Yeas and Nays of the

Members of either House on any question shall, at the Desire of

one fifth of those Present, be entered on the Journal.

 

Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the

Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to

any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.

 

Section 6. The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation

for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury

of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and

Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance

at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning

from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House,

they shall not be questioned in any other Place.

 

No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected,

be appointed to any civil Office under the authority of the United States,

which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been

increased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the

United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance

in Office.

 

Section 7. All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the

House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with

Amendments as on other Bills.

 

Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and

the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the

President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it,

but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House

in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections

at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it.

If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that house

shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent,

together with the Objections, to the other House, by which

it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds

of that House, it shall become a law. But in all such Cases

the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by Yeas and Nays,

and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be

entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill

shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted)

after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law,

in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their

Adjournment prevent its Return, in which case it shall not be a Law.

 

Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate

and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question

of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the United States;

and before the Same shall take Effect, shall be approved by him,

or being disapproved by him, shall be repassed by two thirds of

the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the Rules

and Limitations prescribed in the Case of a Bill.

 

Section 8. The Congress shall have Power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties,

Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the