Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

ARTICLES

IN ADDITION TO AND AMENDMENT OF

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

PROPOSED BY CONGRESS,

AND RATIFIED BY THE LEGISLATURES OF THE SEVERAL STATES, PURSUANT TO THE FIFTH ARTICLE OF THE ORIGINAL CONSTITUTION.

ARTICLE I.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

ARTICLE II.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.

ARTICLE III.

No Soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

ARTICLE IV.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

ARTICLE V.

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime,

unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any Criminal Case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

ARTICLE VI.

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining Witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

ARTICLE VII.

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than accord ing to the rules of the common law.

ARTICLE VIII.

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

ARTICLE IX.

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

ARTICLE X.

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

ARTICLE XI.

The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State.

ARTICLE XII.

The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same State with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate ;-The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted;-The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing

the President, the votes shall be taken by States, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the States, and a majority of all the States shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in the case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President. The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Viceof the whole number of Electors apPresident, if such number be a majority pointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the VicePresident; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.

[blocks in formation]

SECTION 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

SECTION 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election

for the choice of electors for President | Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of and Vice President of the United States, each House, remove such disability. Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.

SECTION 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But

SECTION 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

SECTION 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

ARTICLE XV.

SECTION 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

SECTION 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT.

THE location for the permanent seat of government was finally decided in July, 1790, when the present site was selected. President Washington advocated this site, which fact had great weight with Congress.

The States of Virginia and Maryland ceded to the general government territory embracing an area of ten miles square, including the cities of Georgetown and Alexandria, and donated $170,000 for the | improvement of the capital.

Congress appointed a commission to make purchases of land from individuals, and to define the boundaries and erect the necessary buildings. On the 15th of April, 1791, this commission laid the corner-stone of the District at Jones' Point, near Alexandria, and named the territory the District of Columbia, and the capital city Washington. In June, 1800, the necessary buildings were ready for occupancy. The public offices were immediately removed from Philadelphia, and on the third Monday of November following Congress held its first session in Washington. On the 27th of February, 1801, Congress formally assumed jurisdiction over the District of Columbia. In July, 1846, Congress ceded back to the State of Virginia the territory donated by her, embracing the city and county of Alexandria, which reduced the area to about sixty square miles.

Under the direction of President Washington the plan of the city of Washington was laid out by Major Peter Charles L'Enfant, a French engineer, who had

served in our Continental army, whose work was followed up and completed by Andrew Ellicott. Ellicott drew a meridional line, by astronomical observation, through the area intended for the Capitol; this he crossed by another, a due East and West line, and upon these bases laid off two sets of streets, intersecting each other at right angles. The streets running East and West were named with the letters of the alphabet, and those North and South were given numerical names. Another set of streets was then laid off, called Avenues, which cut the streets at various angles, and connected the most prominent points of the city. The intersections of the avenues with one another and the streets leave large open spaces, upon some of which the public buildings are erected, and the others are so embellished as to form beautiful parks. The avenues bear the names of the States in the Union, and are 160 feet in width, with a few exceptions, which are 120 and 130 feet; the streets are from 80 to 110 feet. The city is about four and a half miles in length and two and a half in breadth.

Washington is situated on the eastern bank of the Potomac River, 106 statute miles above its mouth, and about 1852 miles from Cape Henry, at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay.

By a census taken by the Government of the District in 1878, the population of the District was 160,051; of Washington, 131,947; of Georgetown, 11,571; of the county, 16,533.

[blocks in formation]

THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.

THIS Department consists of a Senate | sin, 8; California, 4; Minnesota, 3; Oreand House of Representatives.

Two Senators represent each State, and there being now thirty-eight States, the Senate is composed of seventy-six Sena

tors.

TIME AND MANNER OF ELECTING

SENATORS.

The Legislature of each State which is chosen next preceding the expiration of the time for which any Senator was elected, on the second Tuesday after meeting proceeds to elect a Senator. A viva-voce vote is taken in each house of the Legislature, and the name of the person receiving a majority of the whole number of votes cast is entered on the journal.

At twelve o'clock, next day, the members of each house convene in joint assembly, and if the same person has received a majority of votes in both houses he is declared elected. But if not, the joint assembly proceeds to choose, and person receiving a majority of all the votes, a majority of all the members elected to both houses being present and voting, is elected.

the

If on the first day no election is made, the joint assembly meets on each succeeding day, and must take at least one vote until a Senator is elected.

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONsists of two hundred and ninety-three Representatives and eight Delegates, apportioned among the States and Territories as follows: Maine, 5; New Hampshire, 3; Vermont, 3; Massachusetts, 11; Rhode Island, 2; Connecticut, 4; New York, 33; New Jersey, 7; Pennsylvania, 27; Delaware, 1; Maryland, 6; Virginia, 9; North Carolina, 8; South Carolina, 5; Georgia, 9; Alabama, 8; Mississippi, 6; Louisiana, 6; Ohio, 20; Kentucky, 10; Tennessee, 10; Indiana, 13; Illinois, 19; Missouri, 13; Arkansas, 4; Michigan, 9; Florida, 2; Texas, 6; Iowa, 9; Wiscon

gon, 1; Kansas, 3; West Virginia, 3; Nevada, 1; Nebraska, 1; Colorado, 1. There is one Delegate from each of the following Territories: Arizona, Dakota, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Representatives in Congress are elected by ballot in districts composed of contiguous territory, and containing as nearly as practicable an equal number of inhabitants. The day for electing Congressmen is the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November, every second year. Delegates from the Territories are elected by a majority of the votes of the qualified voters of the Territories respectively. They have seats in the House, with the right of debating, but not of voting. Each Senator, Representative, and Delegate receives a compensation of $5000 a year. The President of the Senate (who is Vice-President of the United States) and the Speaker of the House, $8000 a year each. Senators, Representatives, and Delegates are also allowed actual individual travelling expenses from their homes to the seat of Government and return, once in each

session.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
« ForrigeFortsett »