The Constitution of The United States of America.pdf

THE CONSTITUTION OF

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more

perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the

common defense, 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 .

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.] * 1 The actual Enumeration

shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the

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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.] † 3

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.

1. * Changed by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment

2. ** Changed by the Seventeenth Amendment

3. † Changed by the Seventeenth Amendment

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The Senate shall chuse 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,] * 4 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 Behaviour, 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,

* Changed by Section 2 of the Twentieth Amendment

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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

encreased 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.

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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 common Defence and

general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be

uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States,

and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the

subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the

Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current

Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited

Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings

and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and

Offences against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules

concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use

shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval

Forces;

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