Complete Home & Office Legal Guide/Complete Home and Office Legal Guide (Chestnut) (1993).ISO/tut/uscon.sta

Text File | 1993-08-01 | 46KB | 928 lines

Preamble

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 blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do
ordain and establish the Constitution of the United States of
America.

Article I.

Sect. 1. All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in
a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate
and a House of Representatives.

Sect. 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.
    Representative 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 be law direct.  The
number of representative 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 choose 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 choose the Speaker and
other officers; and shall have the sole power of impeachment.

Sect. 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 hall 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, 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.

Sect. 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
choosing 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 be law appoint a different day.

Sect. 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 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.

Sect. 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.

Sect. 7. All bill for raising revenue shall originate in the
house of representative; 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 is 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 cas