home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Monster Media 1994 #1
/
monster.zip
/
monster
/
EDUCATE
/
USCON2.ZIP
/
USCON3.ZIP
/
AMEND_AL.DAT
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1994-01-25
|
21KB
|
424 lines
Amendments (One through Twenty-Six)
1st Amendment
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 »>.
2nd Amendment
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.
3rd Amendment
No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quarters in any house,
without the consent of the owner; nor in time of war, but in a
manner to be prescribed by law.
4th Amendment
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.
5th Amendment
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.
6th Amendment
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.
7th Amendment
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 according to
the rules of the common law.
8th Amendment
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines
imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted.
9th Amendment
The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be
construed to deny or <« disparage »> others retained by the people.
10th Amendment
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.
11th Amendment
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.
12th Amendment
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
the 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 a majority, then, from the persons having the
highest numbers, not exceeding three, on the list of those voted
for a President, the House of Representative 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 the Vice
President shall act as President, as in case of death, or other
constitutional disability of the President. The person having the
greatest number of votes as Vice President, shall be the Vice
President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of
Electors appointed; and if no person have a majority, then, form
the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the
Vice President; a <« quorum »> for the purpose shall consist of
two-thirds of the whole number of Senators; 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.
13th Amendment
Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as
a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have
been duly convicted, shall exist within the United
States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by
appropriate legislation.
14th Amendment
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 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 and Vice President of the United States,
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
Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each House,
remove such disability.
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.
15th Amendment
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.
16th Amendment
The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes,
from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the
several States and without regard to any census or enumeration.
17th Amendment
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators
from each State, elected by the people thereof, for sex years; and
each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State
shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most
numerous branch of the State legislatures. When vacancies happen
in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive
authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such
vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower
the executive thereof to make temporary appointment until the
people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may
direct. This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the
election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as
part of the Constitution.
18th Amendment
Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article
the manufacture, sale or transportation of
intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof
into, or the exportation thereof from the United
States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction
thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.
Section 2. The Congress and the several States shall have
concurrent power to enforce this article by
appropriate legislation.
Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have
been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by
the legislatures of the several States, as provided in
the Constitution, within seven years of the date of
the submission hereof to the States by Congress.
19th Amendment
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 sex.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation.
20th Amendment
Section 1. The terms of the President and Vice President shall
end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms
of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3rd day
of January, of the years in which such terms would
have ended if this article had not been ratified; and
the terms of their successors shall then begin.
Section 2. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every
years, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3rd
day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a
different day.
Section 3. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of
the President, the President-elect shall have died,
the Vice President-elect shall become President. If a
President shall not have been chosen before the time
fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the
President-elect shall have failed to qualify, then the
Vice President-elect shall act as President until a
President shall have qualified; and the Congress may
by law provide for the case wherein neither a
President-elect nor a Vice President-elect shall have
qualified, declaring who shall then act as President,
or the manner in which one who is to act shall be
selected, and such person shall act accordingly until
a President or Vice President shall have qualified.
Section 4. The Congress may by law provide for the case of the
death of any of the persons from whom the House of
Representatives may choose a President whenever the
right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and
for the case of the death of any of the persons from
whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever
the right of choice shall have devolved upon them.
Section 5. Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of
October following the ratification of this article.
Section 6. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall
have been ratified as an amendment to the
Constitution by three-fourths of the several States
within seven years from the date of its submission.
21st Amendment
Section 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the
Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.
Section 2. The transportation or importation into any State,
Territory, or possession of the United States for
delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in
violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.
Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have
been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by
conventions in the several States, as provided in the
Constitution, within seven years from the date of the
submission hereof to the States by the Congress.
22nd Amendment
Section 1. No person shall be elected to the office of the
President more than twice, and no person who has held
the office of President, or acted as President, for
more than two years of a term to which some other
person was elected President shall be elected to the
office of the President more than once. But this
Article shall not apply to any person holding the
office of President when this Article was proposed by
the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may
be holding the office of President, or acting as
President, during the term within which his Article
becomes operative from holding the office of President
or acting as President during the remainder of such
term.
Section 2. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall
have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution
by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several
states within seven years from the date of its
submission to the States by the Congress.
23rd Amendment
Section 1. The District constituting the seat of Government of
the United States shall appoint in such manner as the
Congress may direct: A number of electors of President
and Vice President equal to the whole number of
Senators and Representative in Congress to which the
District would be entitled if it were a State, but in
no event more than the least populous State; they
shall be considered, for the purposes of the election
of President and Vice President, to be electors
appointed by a State; and they shall meet in the
District and perform such duties as provided by the
twelfth article of amendment.
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article
by appropriate legislation.
24th Amendment
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote in
any primary or other election for President or Vice
President, for electors for President or Vice
President, or for Senator or Representative in
Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the
United States or any State by reason of failure to
pay any <« poll tax »> or other tax.
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article
by appropriate legislation.
25th Amendment
Section 1. In case of the removal of the President from office or
of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall
become President.
Section 2. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice
President, the President shall nominate a Vice
President who shall take office upon confirmation by
a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.
Section 3. Whenever the President transmits to the <« President
pro tempore »> of the Senate and the Speakers of the
House of Representatives his written declaration that
he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his
office, and until he transmits to them a written
declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties
shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting
President.
Section 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either
the principal officers of the executive departments or
of such other body as Congress may by law provide,
transmit to the <« President pro tempore »> of the
Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
their written declaration that the President is unable
to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the
Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and
duties of the office as Acting President.
Thereafter, when the President transmits to the
<« President pro tempore »> of the Senate and the
Speaker of the House of Representatives his written
declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume
the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice
President and a majority of either the principal
officers of the executive department or of such other
body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within
four days to the <« President pro tempore »> of the
Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
their written declaration that the President is unable
to discharge the powers and duties of his office.
Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling
within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in
session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after
Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-
thirds vote of both Houses that the President is
unable to discharge the powers and duties of his
office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge
the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President
shall resume the powers and duties of his office.
26th Amendment
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States, who are
eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be
denied or abridged by the United States or by any
State on account of age.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this
article by appropriate legislation.