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States; and the taxes for paying their proportion shall be laid and levied by the authority and direction of the legislatures of the district, or districts, or new States, as in the original States, within the time agreed upon by the United States in Congress assembled. The legislatures of those districts, or new States, shall never interfere with the primary disposal of the soil by the United States in Congress assembled, nor with any regulations Congress may find necessary for securing the title in such soil to the bona fide purchasers. No tax shall be imposed on lands the property of the United States; and in no case shall non-resident proprietors be taxed higher than residents. The navigable waters leading into the Mississippi and Saint Lawrence, and the carrying places between the same, shall be common highways, and forever free, as well to the inhabitants of the said territory as to the citizens of the United States, and those of any other States that may be admitted into the confederacy, without any tax, impost, or duty therefor.

ARTICLE V.

There shall be formed in the said territory not less than three nor more than five States; and the boundaries of the States, as soon as Virginia shall alter her act of cession and consent to the same, shall become fixed and established as follows, to wit: The western State, in the said territory, shall be bounded by the Mississippi, the Ohio, and the Wabash Rivers; a direct line drawn from the Wabash and Post Vincents, due north, to the territorial line between the United States and Canada; and by the said territorial line to the Lake of the Woods and Mississippi. The middle state shall be bounded by the said direct line, the Wabash from Post Vincents to the Ohio, by the Ohio, by a direct line drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami to the said territorial line, and by the said territorial line. The eastern State shall be bounded by the last-mentioned direct line, the Ohio, Pennsylvania, and the said territorial line: Provided, however, And it is further understood and declared, that the boundaries of these three States shall be subject so far to be altered, that, if Congress shall hereafter find it expedient, they shall have authority to form one or two States in that part of the said territory which

lies north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan. And whenever any of the said States shall have sixty thousand free inhabitants therein, such State shall be admitted, by its delegates, into the Congress of the United States, on an equal footing with the original States, in all respects whatever; and shall be at liberty to form a permanent constitution and State government: Provided, The constitution and government, so to be formed, shall be republican, and in conformity to the principles contained in these articles, and, so far as it can be consistent with the general interest of the confederacy, such admission shall be allowed at an earlier period, and when there may be a less number of free inhabitants in the State than sixty thousand.

ARTICLE VI.

There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted: Provided always, That any person escaping into the same, from whom labor or service is lawfully claimed in any one of the original States, such fugitive may be lawfully reclaimed, and conveyed to the person claiming his or her labor or service as aforesaid.

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No. 54. Constitution of the United States

September 17, 1787

IN January, 1786, the legislature of Virginia adopted a resolution providing for the appointment of commissioners to confer with representatives from other States in regard to the commercial interests of the United States. In response to this resolution, delegates from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia met Sept. 1, and reported in favor of a convention of representatives from all the States, to meet at Philadelphia in May following, to consider what further provisions were needed “to make the Constitution of the Federal Government adequate to the exigencies of the Union." A resolution favoring a convention was adopted by Congress, Feb. 21, 1787. The convention was called for May 14; May 25, seven States being represented, George Washington was chosen president, and considera

tion of the proposed constitution was begun. July 24 the provisions as agreed upon were sent to a Committee of Detail to be embodied in a formal constitution. The committee reported Aug. 6; Sept. 8 a Committee of Style was appointed; on the 15th the amended form of constitution was agreed to, and on the 17th signed by all but three of the delegates present. The constitution was transmitted to Congress with an explanatory letter, and a resolution indicating the way in which the proposed government should be put into operation. On the 28th of September Congress transmitted the constitution, with the letter and resolution, to the State legislatures for submission to a convention of delegates in each State. The States ratified the constitution as follows: Delaware, Dec. 7; Pennsylvania, Dec. 12; New Jersey, Dec. 18, 1787; Georgia, Jan. 2; Connecticut, Jan. 9; Massachusetts, Feb. 7; Maryland, April 28; South Carolina, May 23; New Hampshire, June 21; Virginia, June 25; New York, July 26, 1788; North Carolina, Nov. 21, 1789; Rhode Island, May 29, 1790.

REFERENCES. Official text in Revised Statutes (ed. 1878). There are many reprints. The text in the Revised Statutes is accompanied by references to judicial decisions and an elaborate analytical index. The Journal of the convention was printed at Boston, 1819; it is also in Elliot's Debates (ed. 1836), I., 176-348. Madison's notes of the debates are in the Madison Papers, II., III., and in Elliot; for Yates's minutes, Elliot, I., 439–515. The various plans submitted are mentioned in Madison's notes and in the Journal. The resolution of Sept. 17, the accompanying letter to Congress, and the resolution of Congress, Sept. 28, are in Elliot, I., 52, 53; texts of the ratifications of the States, ib., I., 349-375. There is a brief history of the amendments to the constitution in Lalor's Cyclopædia, I., 607-610. The classical exposition of the constitution is the Federalist, of which there are numerous editions: Dawson's "university edition" has an elaborate analysis. On the sources of the constitution, Johnston, in New Princeton Rev., IV., 175-190; Robinson, in Annals of the Amer. Acad. of Polit. and Soc. Science, I., 203-243; Stevens, Sources of the Constitution of the United States.

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 Urch States of America.

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SECTION. 1. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be v in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a and House of Representatives.

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SECTION. 2.1 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 her Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment. ing fECTION. 3. The Senate of the United States shall be composed othe wo Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, sylv: Six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.

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convmmediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of May first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into the C Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall

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21, 17he numbers prefixed to the paragraphs in the Revised Statutes are bein.tted. ED.

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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 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, unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.

SECTION. 5. Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns a 1 Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority

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