CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. WE E, The People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Juftice, infure domeftic Tranquility, provide for the common Defence, promote the general Welfare, and fecure the Bleffings of Liberty to ourselves and our Pofterity, DO ORDAIN AND ESTABLISH this CONSTITUTION for the UNITED STATES of AMERICA. ARTICLE I. Sect. 1. ALL legiflative powers herein granted, fhall be vefted in a Congrefs of the United States, which fhall confift of a Senate and House of Reprefentatives. Sect. 2. The House of Reprefentatives fhall be compofed of members chofen every fecond year by the people of the feveral states; and the electors in each ftate fhall have the qualifications requifite for electors of the moft numerous branch of the state legislature. No perfon fhall be a Representative who fhall not have attained to the age of twenty-five years, and been feven years a citizen of the United States, and who hall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which he fhall be chofen. Reprefentatives and direct taxes fhall be apportion. ed among the feveral states which may be included within this Union, according to their refpective numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free perfons, including thofe bound to fervice for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other perfons. The actual enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every fubfequent term of ten years, in fuch manner as they fhall by law direct. The number of Repre fentatives fhall not exceed one for every thirty thoufand, but each ftate fhall have at least one Reprefentative; and until such enumeration fhall be made, the state of New-Hampshire shall be entitled to chufe three; Maffachusetts, eight; Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations, one; Connecticut, five; New-York, fix; NewJerfey, four; Pennsylvania, eight; Delaware, one; Ma. ryland, fix; Virginia, ten; North-Carolina, five; South-Carolina, five; and Georgia, three. When vacancies happen in the representation from any state, the executive authority thereof fhall iffue writs of election to fill fuch vacancies. The House of Reprefentatives fhall chufe their Speaker and other officers; and fhall have the fole power of impeachment. Sect. 3. The Senate of the United States fhall be compofed of two Senators from each ftate, chofen by the legiflature thereof, for fix years; and each Senator fhall have one vote. Immediately after they fhall be affembled, in confe quence of the firft election, they fhall be divided as equally as may be into three claffes. The feats of the Se. nators of the firft clafs fhall be vacated at the expira tion of the fecond year, of the fecond clafs at the expiration of the fourth year, and of the third class at the ex piration ofthe fixth year, fo that one-third may be chofen every fecond year; and if vacancies happen by refignation, or otherwife, during the recefs of the legislature of any ftate, the executive thereof may make temporary |