Page images
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

TO ALL TO WHOM THE PRESENTS SHALL COME,

We, the undersigned, delegates of the states affixed to our names, send greeting:

confedera

WHEREAS, the delegates of the United States of America in con- Articles of gress assembled did, on the fifteenth day of November, in the year of tion. our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven, and in the second year of the independence of America, agree to certain articles of confederation and perpetual union between the states of New-Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, in the words following, viz.:

Articles of confederation and perpetual union between the states of New-
Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode-Island and Providence Planta-
tions, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware,
Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia.

ARTICLE 1. The style of this confederacy shall be, "The United Style of the States of America."

confederacy.

ed by the

ART. 2. Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independ- Rights retainence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this states. confederation expressly delegated to the United States in congress assembled.

confederacy.

ART. 3. The said states hereby severally enter into a firm league Objects of the of friendship with each other for their common defence, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare; binding themselves to assist each other against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretence whatever.

leges of the

ants of the se:

ART. 4. The better to secure and perpetuate mutual friendship Mutual priviand intercourse among the people of the different states in this union, free inhabit the free inhabitants of each of these states, paupers, vagabonds, and voral states. fugitives from justice excepted, shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of free citizens in the several states; and the people of each state shall have free ingress and regress to and from any other

[blocks in formation]

state, and shall enjoy therein all the privileges of trade and commerce, subject to the same duties, impositions, and restrictions, as the inhabitants thereof respectively, provided that such restrictions shall not extend so far as to prevent the removal of property imported into any state to any other state, of which the owner is an inhabitant; provided also, that no imposition, duties, or restriction, shall be laid by any state on the property of the United States or either of them. If any person guilty of or charged with treason, felony, or other to be given high misdemeanor, in any state, shall flee from justice, and be found of the United States, he shall, upon demand of the governor or executive power of the state from which he fled, be delivered up, and removed to the state having jurisdiction of his offence.

Persons guilty of crimes

up.

Faith to be

given to the

in any

Full faith and credit shall be given in each of these states to the acts of each records, acts, and judicial proceedings of the courts and magistrates of every other state.

state.

Delegates to be annually appointed, &c.

ART. 5. For the more convenient management of the general interests of the United States, delegates shall be annually appointed in such manner as the legislature of each state shall direct, to meet in Each state congress on the first Monday in November, in every year, with a power reserved to each state to recall its delegates or any of them, at any time within the year, and to send others in their stead for the remainder of the year.

may recall its
delegates,
&c.

Number and qualificatious

No state shall be represented in congress by less than two nor by of delegates. more than seven members; and no person shall be capable of being a delegate for more than three years in any term of six years; nor shall any person, being a delegate, be capable of holding any office under the United States, for which he, or another for his benefit, receives any salary, fees, or emolument of any kind.

Delegates

how maintained.

Each state shall maintain its own delegates in a meeting of the states, and while they act as members of the committee of the states. Each state to In determining questions in the United States in congress assembled, each state shall have one vote.

have one

vote.

Privileges of members of congress.

negotiate

powers.

Freedom of speech and debate in congress shall not be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of congress; and the members of congress shall be protected in their persons from arrests and imprisonments, during the time of their going to and from and attendance on congress, except for treason, felony, or breach of the peace.

No state to ART. 6. No state, without the consent of the United States in with foreign congress assembled, shall send any embassy to, or receive any embassy from, or enter into any conference, agreement, alliance, or treaPersons hold- ty, with any king, prince, or state; nor shall any person holding any to accept pro- office of profit or trust under the United States, or any of them, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title of any kind whatCongress not ever, from any king, prince, or foreign state; nor shall the United of nobility. States in congress assembled, or any of them, grant any title of nobility.

ing offices not

sents.

tween two or

prohibited.

lay interfer

or duties.

No two or more states shall enter into any treaty, confederation, or Treaties bealliance whatever between them, without the consent of the United more states States in congress assembled, specifying accurately the purposes for which the same is to be entered into, and how long it shall continue. No state shall lay any imposts or duties, which may interfere with No state to any stipulations in treaties entered into by the United States in con- ing imposts gress assembled, with any king, prince, or state, in pursuance of any treaties already proposed by congress to the courts of France and Spain. No vessels of war shall be kept up in time of peace by any state, Regulations except such number only as shall be deemed necessary by the United naval and States in congress assembled for the defence of such state or its trade; tablishments, nor shall any body of forces be kept up by any state in time of peace, &c. except such number only as, in the judgment of the United States in congress assembled, shall be deemed requisite to garrison the forts necessary for the defence of such state; but every state shall always keep up a well regulated and disciplined militia, sufficiently armed and accoutred, and shall provide and have constantly ready for use, in public stores, a due number of field pieces and tents, and a proper quantity of arms, ammunition, and camp equipage.

respecting

military es

the militia,

cept in cer

engage in

grant com

armed ves

No state shall engage in any war without the consent of the United No state, exStates in congress assembled, unless such state be actually invaded by tain cases, to enemies, or shall have received certain advice of a resolution being war; nor formed by some nation of Indians to invade such state, and the danger missions to is so imminent as not to admit of a delay till the United States in con- sels, &c. gress assembled can be consulted; nor shall any state grant commissions to any ships or vessels of war, nor letters of marque or reprisal, except it be after a declaration of war by the United States in congress assembled, and then only against the kingdom or state, and the subjects thereof, against which war has been so declared, and under such regulations as shall be established by the United States in congress assembled, unless such state be infested by pirates, in which case vessels of war may be fitted out for that occasion, and kept so long as the danger shall continue, or until the United States in congress assembled shall determine otherwise.

cers of the

to be appoint

ART. 7. When land forces are raised by any state for the common Certain offidefence, all officers of or under the rank of colonel, shall be appointed land forces, by the legislature of each state respectively, by whom such forces ed by each shall be raised, or in such manner as such state shall direct; and all vacancies shall be filled up by the state which first made the appoint

ment.

ART. 8. All charges of war, and all other expenses that shall be incurred for the common defence or general welfare, and allowed by the United States in congress assembled, shall be defrayed out of common treasury, which shall be supplied by the several states in

a

state.

All charges of

war, &c. to be defrayed

out of a comTreasury

mon treasury.

how supplied.

Taxes to be levied by the state..

Powers of the

coilgress.

proportion to the value of all land within each state granted to or surveyed for any person, as such land and the buildings and improvements thereon shall be estimated, according to such mode as the United States in congress assembled shall from time to time direct and appoint.

The taxes for paying that proportion shall be laid and levied by the authority and direction of the legislatures of the several states, within the time agreed upon by the United States in congress assembled.

ART. 9. The United States in congress assembled shall have the sole and exclusive right and power of determining on peace and war, except in the cases mentioned in the sixth article: of sending and receiving ambassadors: entering into treaties and alliances; provided, that no treaty of commerce shall be made whereby the legislative power of the respective states shall be restrained from imposing such imposts and duties on foreigners as their own people are subjected to, or from prohibiting the exportation or importation of any species of goods or commodities whatsoever of establishing rules for deciding in all cases, what captures on land or water shall be legal, and in what manner prizes taken by land or naval forces in the service of the United States shall be divided or appropriated: of granting letters of marque and reprisal, in times of peace: appointing courts for the trial of piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and estabMembers of lishing courts for receiving and determining finally appeals in all cases congress not of captures; provided, that no member of congress shall be appointed of admiralty a judge of any of the said courts.

to be judges

courts

Congress to decide disputes be

ceeding

herein.

The United States in congress assembled shall also be the last resort on appeal in all disputes and differences now subsisting or that ween states. hereafter may arise between two or more states concerning boundary, Mode of pro-jurisdiction, or any other cause whatever; which authority shall always be exercised in the manner following: whenever the legislative or executive authority or lawful agent of any state in controversy with another shall present a petition to congress, stating the matter in question, and praying for a hearing, notice thereof shall be given by order of congress to the legislative or executive authority of the other state in controversy, and a day assigned for the appearance of the parties, by their lawful agents, who shall then be directed to appoint by joint consent commissioners or judges to constitute a court for hearing and determining the matter in question; but if they can not agree, congress shall name three persons out of each of the United States, and from the list of such persons each party shall alternately strike out one, the petitioners beginning, until the number shall be reduced to thirteen; and from that number not less than seven 'nor Judges to be more than nine names, as congress shall direct, shall, in the presence of congress, be drawn out by lot; and the persons whose names shall be so drawn, or any five of them, shall be commissioners or judges, to

appointed by lot.

majority of

vail, &c.

be final and

hear and finally determine the controversy, so always as a major part Opinions of a of the judges, who shall hear the cause, shall agree in the determina-judges to pre tion and if either party shall neglect to attend at the day appointed, without showing reasons which congress shall judge sufficient, or being present shall refuse to strike, the congress shall proceed to nominate three persons out of each state, and the secretary of congress shall strike in behalf of such party absent or refusing; and the judgment Judgment to and sentence of the court to be appointed in the manner before pre- conclusive. scribed, shall be final and conclusive; and if any of the parties shall refuse to submit to the authority of such court, or to appear, or defend their claim or cause, the court shall nevertheless proceed to pronounce sentence or judgment, which shall in like manner be final and decisive, the judgment or sentence, and other proceedings, being in Sentence and proceedings either case transmitted to congress, and lodged among the acts of con- where degress for the security of the parties concerned: provided, that every commissioner, before he sits in judgment, shall take an oath, to be administered by one of the judges of the supreme or superior court of the state, where the cause shall be tried, "well and truly to hear and de- Oath to be termine the matter in question, according to the best of his judgment, judges. without favor, affection, or hope of reward:" provided also, that no Proviso. state shall be deprived of territory for the benefit of the United States.

posited.

taken by the

to determine

concerning

of soil.

All controversies concerning the private right of soil, claimed un- Congress also der different grants of two or more states, whose jurisdiction as they controversies may respect such lands and the states which passed such grants are private rights adjusted, the said grants or either of them being at the same time claimed to have originated antecedent to such settlement of jurisdiction, shall, on the petition of either party to the congress of the United States, be finally determined, as near as may be, in the same manner as is before prescribed for deciding disputes respecting territorial jurisdiction between different states.

ers of con

The United States in congress assembled shall also have the sole Further powand exclusive right and power of regulating the alloy and value of gress. coin struck by their own authority, or by that of the respective states : fixing the standard of weights and measures throughout the United States: regulating the trade and managing all affairs with the Indians not members of any of the states; provided that the legislative right of any state within its own limits be not infringed or violated: establishing and regulating post-offices from one state to another throughout all the United States, and exacting such postage on the papers passing through the same as may be requisite to defray the expenses of the said office: appointing all officers of the land forces in the service of the United States, excepting regimental officers: appointing all the officers of the naval forces, and commissioning all officers whatever in the service of the United States: making rules for the government and regulation of the said land and naval forces, and directing their operations.

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »