We the People of theand States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New. York, New. Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North. Carolina, South. Carolina and Georgia do ordain declare and establish the following Constitution for the Government of ourselves and of our Posterity.

1.

The Stile of this Government shall be the “United People and States of America.”

2.

The Government shall consist of supreme legislative, executive and judicial Powers.

3.

The Supreme legislative Power shall be vested in a Congress to consist of two separate and distinct Bodies of Men, one to be called the House of Representatives, and athe other to be called the Senate each of which shall in all Cases have a Negative on the other in all cases not otherwise provided for in this Constitution

4.

The Members of the House of Representatives shall be chosen every second Year in the Manner following by the People of the several States comprehended within this Union. The Qualifications of the Electors shall be prescribed by the Legislatures of the several States; but these provisions concerning them may at any Time be altered and superseded by the Legislature of the United States.

Every Member of the House of Representatives shall be of the Age ofat least twenty -five Years at leastof Age; shall have been a Citizen in the United States for at least three Years before his Election, and shall be, at the Time of his Election, a Resident of the State, infrom which he shall be chosen.

The House of Representatives shall, at its first Formation and until the Number of Citizens and Inhabitants shall be taken in the Manner hereinafter described consist of 65 Members, of whom three shall be chosen in New-Hampshire, eight in Massachusetts, &c.

As the present Proportions of Numbers in the different States will alter from Time to Time; as some of the States may be hereafter divided; as others may be enlarged by Addition of Territory, or two or more States may be united; and as new States will be erected within the Limits of the United States; the Legislature shall, in each of these cases, possess Authority to regulate the Number of Representatives by the Number of Inhabitants according to the provisions herein after made.

Direct Taxation shall always be in Proportion to Representation in the House of Representatives.

TIn order to ascertain and regulate the Proportions of direct Taxation shall be regulated byfrom Time to Time, the whole NumberLegislature of white and other Free Cthe Unitizens and Inhabitants of every &c. ____ which NumberStates shall, within six Years after theits first Meeting of the Legislature, and within the Term of every ten Years afterwards, be taken in cause [a censuch Manner as the said Legislature shall direct.o be taken]

From the first Meeting of the Legislature until the Number of Citizens and Inhabitants shall be taken, direct Taxation shall be in Proportion to the Number of Representatives chosen in each State.

All Bills for raising or appropriating Money and for fixing the Salaries of the Officers of Government shall originate in the House of Representatives, and shall not be altered or amended by the Senate. No money shall be drawn from the public Treasury, but in Pursuance of Appropriations that shall originate in the House of Representatives.

The House of Representatives shall be the grand Inquest of this Nation; and all Impeachments shall be made by them.

Vacancies in the House of Representatives shall be supplied by Writs of Election from the Executive Authority of the State in the Representation from which they shall happen.

The Members of the Senate of the United States shall be chosen by the Legislatures of the several States; Each Legislatureof which shall chuse two Members. Each Member shall have one Vote.

The Members of the Senate shall be chosen for six Years; provided that immediately after the first Election they Members of the Senate shall be divided by Lot into three Classes as nearly as may be, and numbered one, two and three. The Seats of the Members 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, of the third Class at the Expirationd of the sixth Year, and so on continually, that a third Part of the Members of the Senate may be chosen every second Yearbiennially chosen.

Every Member of the Senate shall be of the Age ofat least thirty Years at leastof Age, shall have been a citizen in the United States for at least four Years before his Election, and shall be, at the Time of his Election a Resident of the State for which he shall be chosen

The Senate of the United States shall have Power to make Treaties, to send Ambassadors, and to appoint the Judges of the Supreme, national Court

Each House of the Legislature shall possess the right of originating Bills, except in Cases beforementioned

The Senate shall chuse its own President and other Officers

In each House of the Legislature a Majority of the Members shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from Day to Day

Each House of the Legislature shall be the Judge of the Elections Returns, and Qualifications of its own Members

The Times and Places and the Manner of holding the Elections offor the Members of each House shall be prescribed by the Legislatures of each State; but their Provisions concerning them may, at any Time, be altered and superseded by the Legislature of the United States.

The Legislature of the United States shall have Authority to establish such Qualifications of the Members of each House with Regard to Property as to the said Legislature shall seem proper and expedient.

The Members of eEach House shall receive a Compensation for their Services,have Authority to be ascertained and paid by the State in which they shall be chosen

Each House shall have Authority to detthe Rules and Ordermine the Rules of its Proceedings, and have Power to punish its own Members for disorderly Behaviour

Each House may expel a Member, but not a second Time for the same Offence.

Freedom of Speech

Neither House shall adjourn for more than three Days without the Consent of the other; nor with such Consent, to any other Place than that at which the two Houses are sitting. But this Regulation shall be applied to the Senate only in its Legislative Capacity

The Members of each House shall, in all cases, except Treason, Felony & Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at Congress, and in going to and returning from it.

The Members of each House shall be ineligible to and incapable of holding any Office under the Authority of the United States during the Time for which they shall be respectively elected: And the Members of the Senate shall be ineligible to and incapable of holding any such Office for one Year afterwards.

The enacting Stile of the Laws of the United States shall be “be it enacted and it is hereby enacted by the House of Representatives, and by the Senate of the United States in Congress assembled”

The House of Representatives and the Senate when it shall be acting in a legislative Capacity shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings, and shall from Time to Time publish them, and the Yeas and Nays of the Members of each House on any Question shall at the Desire of any Member be entered on the Journal