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ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

OF THE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, PASSED AT THE FIRST SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE, HELD AT POUGHKEEPSIE, IN DUTCHESS COUNTY.

CHAPTER III.

AN ACT of Accession to, and Approbation of Certain proposed Articles of Confederation aud perpetual Union between the United States of America, and to authorize the Delegates of the State of New York to ratify the same on the part and behalf of this State, in the Congress of the said United States.

PASSED 6th February, 1778.

WHEREAS the Freedom, Sovereignty and Independence of the said States which, with a Magnanimity, Fortitude, Constancy and Love of Liberty, hitherto unparalleled, they have asserted and maintained against their cruel and unrelenting Enemies, the King and Parliament of the Realm of Great Britain will for their lasting and unshaken Security, in a great measure depend, under God, on a wise, well concerted, intimate and equal Confederation of the said United States. And whereas the Honorable the Congress of the said United States, have transmitted, for the Consideration of the Legislature of this State, and for their Ratification in case they shall approve of the same, the following Articles of Confederation, to wit:

Articles of confedera

tion.

Style of the confederacy.

Rights re tained by

ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION, &c.

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,

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

Whereas, the Delegates of the United States of America in congress assembled did, on the fifteenth day of November, in the year of 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 States of America."

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

Objects of the confederacy.

Mutual privileges

of the free

inhabitants

of the seve

ral states.

ART. 3. The said states hereby severally enter into a firm league 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.

ART. 4. The better to secure and perpetuate mutual friendship and intercourse among the people of the different states in this union, the free inhabitants of each of these states, paupers, vagabonds, and 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 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 crimes to be other high misdemeanor, in any state, shall flee from justice, and be found in any of the United States, he shall, upon

Persons

guilty of

given up.

1

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.

given to the

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

state.

to be annu

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

may recall

and qualifi

cations of

delegates.

No state shall be represented in congress by less than two Number nor by 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.

how main

Each state shall maintain its own delegates in a meeting Delegates, of the states, and while they act as members of the com-tained. mittee of the states.

In determining questions in the United States in congress Each state assembled, each state shall have one vote.

to have one vote.

of members

Freedom of speech and debate in congress shall not be Privileges impeached or questioned in any court or place out of con- of congress. gress; 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.

confede

negotiate

eign

holding

presents.

not to grant titles of nobility. Treaties

ART. 6. No state, without the consent of the United States No state to in congress assembled, shall send any embassy to, or receive with for any embassy from, or enter into any conference, agreement, powers. alliance, or treaty, with any king, prince, or state; nor shall Persons any persom holding any office of profit or trust under the offices not United States, or any of them, accept of any present, emolu- to accept ment, office, or title of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state; nor shall the United States in congress Congress assembled, or any of them, grant any title of nobility. No two or more states shall enter into any treaty, ration, or alliance whatever between them, without the consent of the United 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 inter- No state to fere with any stipulations in treaties entered into by the ring im United States in congress assembled, with any king, prince, duties. or state, in pursuance of any treaties already proposed by congress to the courts of France and Spain.

between

two or more

states pro

hibited.

lay interfe

posts or

Regulations

naval and

military establish

ments, the militia, &c.

No vessels of war shall be kept up in time of peace by any respecting state, except such number only as shall be deemed necessary by the United States in congress assembled for the defence of such state or its trade; nor shall any body of forces be kept up by any state in time of peace, 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.

No state,

except in certain cases, to engage in

war; nor grant com.

armed ves

sels, &c.

No state shall engage in any war without the consent of the United States in congress assembled, unless such state be actually invaded by enemies, or shall have received certain advice of a resolution being formed by some nation of Indians missions to to invade such state, and the danger is so imminent as not to admit of a delay till the United States in congress 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 assem→ bled shall determine otherwise.

Certain officers of the land

appointed

ART. 7. When land forces are raised by any state for the common defence, all officers of or under the rank of colonel, forces, to be shall be appointed by the legislature of each state respectively, by whom such forces 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 appointment.

by each state.

All charges

to be de

of a commor treasury.

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

how sup

plied.

Taxes to be levied by

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

Powers of the con

gress.

ART. 9. The United States in congress assembled shall have the sole and exclusive right and power of determining on

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