The United States' Constitution - Various Authors (best summer reads .TXT) 📗

all Cases, in Law and Equity,

arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties

made, or which shall be made, under their Authority;—to all Cases affecting

Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls;—to all Cases of admiralty

and maritime Jurisdiction;—to Controversies to which the United States

shall be a Party;—to Controversies between two or more States;—between a

State and Citizens of another State;—between Citizens of different States;

—between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of

different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof,

and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.

 

In all cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls,

and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have

original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the

supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact,

with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.

 

The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury;

and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall

have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial

shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed.

 

Section 3. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in

levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them

Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on

the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession

in open Court.

 

The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of Treason,

but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood,

or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

 

ARTICLE FOUR

 

Section 1. Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the

public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State.

And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts,

Records, and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

 

Section 2. The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all

Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.

 

A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime,

who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State,

shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from

which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having

Jurisdiction of the Crime.

 

No person held to Service or Labor in one State, under the Laws thereof,

escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein,

be discharged from such Service or Labor, But shall be delivered up on Claim

of the Party to whom such Service or Labor may be due.

 

Section 3. New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union;

but no new States shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction

of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two

or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the

Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.

 

The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules

and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging

to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so

construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States,

or of any particular State.

 

Section 4. The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union

a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against

Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive

(when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.

 

ARTICLE FIVE

 

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary,

shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of

the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention

for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents

and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures

of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths

thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by

the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the

Year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect

the first and fourth Clauses in the ninth Section of the first Article;

and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of it’s

equal Suffrage in the Senate.

 

ARTICLE SIX

 

All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption

of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States

under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.

 

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made

in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made,

under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme

Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby,

any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary

notwithstanding.

 

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the

several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers,

both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound

by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious

Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust

under the United States

 

ARTICLE SEVEN

 

The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the

Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.

 

Done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present

the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one

thousand seven hundred and eighty seven and of the Independence of the

United States of America the Twelfth In Witness whereof We have

hereunto subscribed our Names,

 

Go. WASHINGTON—

Presid. and deputy from Virginia

 

New Hampshire

 

John Langdon

Nicholas Gilman

 

Massachusetts

 

Nathaniel Gorham

Rufus King

 

Connecticut

 

Wm. Saml. Johnson

Roger Sherman

 

New York

 

Alexander Hamilton

 

New Jersey

 

Wil: Livingston

David Brearley

Wm. Paterson

Jona: Dayton

 

Pennsylvania

 

B Franklin

Thomas Mifflin

Robt Morris

Geo. Clymer

Thos FitzSimons

Jared Ingersoll

James Wilson

Gouv Morris

 

Delaware

 

Geo: Read

Gunning Bedford jun

John Dickinson

Richard Bassett

Jaco: Broom

 

Maryland

 

James Mchenry

Dan of St Thos. Jenifer

Danl Carroll

 

Virginia

 

John Blair—

James Madison Jr.

 

North Carolina

 

Wm. Blount

Rich’d Dobbs Spaight

Hu Williamson

 

South Carolina

 

J. Rutledge

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney

Charles Pinckney

Pierce Butler

 

Georgia

 

William Few

Abr Baldwin

 

Attest:

William Jackson, Secretary

 

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