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CONSTITUTION
OF THE
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Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise
thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the
right
of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for
a redress of grievances.
A well regulated militia,
being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the
people
to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
No soldier shall, in time
of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner,
nor
in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
The right of the people to
be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against
unreasonable
searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall
issue,
but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation and
particularly
describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be
seized.
No person shall be held to
answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a
presentment
or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or
naval
forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or
public
danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be
twice
put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal
case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty,
or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be
taken for public use, without just compensation.
In all criminal prosecutions,
the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an
impartial
jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been
committed,
which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be
informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted
with
the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining
witnesses
in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
In suits at common law, where
the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of
trial
by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by jury, shall be
otherwise
re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the
rules
of the common law.
Excessive bail shall not
be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual
punishments
inflicted.
The enumeration in the
Constitution,
of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others
retained
by the people.
The powers not delegated
to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the
States,
are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
The judicial power of the
United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or
equity,
commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of
another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State.
The Electors shall meet in
their respective states and vote by ballot for President and
Vice-President,
one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state
with
themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as
President,
and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and
they
shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of
all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for
each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to
the
seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President
of the Senate; - The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of
the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and
the votes shall then be counted; - The person having the greatest
number
of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a
majority
of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such
majority,
then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on
the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives
shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the
President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from
each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of
a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of
all
the states shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of
Representatives
shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve
upon them before the fourth day of March next following, then the
Vice-President
shall act as President, as in the case of the death or other
constitutional
disability of the President. - The person having the greatest number of
votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be
a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no person
have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the
Senate
shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist
of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the
whole
number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally
ineligible
to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President
of the United States.
Neither slavery nor involuntary
servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall
have
been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place
subject to their jurisdiction.
Congress shall have power
to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
All persons born or naturalized
in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are
citizens
of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State
shall
make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or
immunities
of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any
person
of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to
any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Representatives shall be
apportioned among the several States according to their respective
numbers,
counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians
not
taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of
electors
for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives
in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the
members
of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of
such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United
States,
or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other
crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the
proportion
which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number
of
male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.
No person shall be a Senator
or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice
President,
or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or
under
any State, who having previously taken an oath, as a member of
Congress,
or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State
legislature,
or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the
Constitution
of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion
against
the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress
may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
The validity of the public
debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred
for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing
insurrection
or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States
nor
any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of
insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for
the
loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and
claims shall be held illegal and void.
The Congress shall have power
to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
The right of citizens of
the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United
States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition
of servitude.
The Congress shall have power
to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
The Congress shall have power
to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived,
without
apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any
census
or enumeration.
(1) The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures. (2) When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct. (3) This amendment shall
not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator
chosen
before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.
After one year from the
ratification
of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of
intoxicating
liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation
thereof
from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction
thereof
for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.
The Congress and the several
States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by
appropriate
legislation.
This article shall be inoperative
unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution
by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the
Constitution,
within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States
by the Congress.
(1) The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. (2) Congress shall have power
to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
The terms of the President
and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and
the
terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January,
of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had
not
been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.
The Congress shall assemble
at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on
the
3d day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.
If, at the time fixed for
the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall
have
died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If the President
shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of
his
term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the
Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall
have
qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein
neither
a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified,
declaring
who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to
act
shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a
President
or Vice President shall have qualified.
The Congress may by law provide
for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of
Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice
shall
have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the
persons
from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of
choice shall have devolved upon them.
Sections 1 and 2 shall take
effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this
article.
This article shall be inoperative
unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution
by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven
years from the date of its submission.
The eighteenth article of
amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.
The transportation or importation
into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for
delivery
or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws
thereof,
is hereby prohibited.
This article shall be inoperative
unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution
by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution,
within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States
by the Congress.
No person shall be elected
to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has
held
the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years
of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be
elected
to the office of President more than once. But this Article shall not
apply
to any person holding the office of President when this Article was
proposed
by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding
the
office of President, or acting as President, during the term within
which
this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or
acting as President during the remainder of such term.
This article shall be inoperative
unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution
by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven
years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.
The District constituting
the seat of Government of the United States shall appoint in such
manner
as the Congress may direct: A number of electors of President and Vice
President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in
Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State,
but
in no event more than the least populous state; they shall be in
addition
to those appointed by the states, but they shall be considered, for the
purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to be
electors
appointed by a state; and they shall meet in the District and perform
such
duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment.
The Congress shall have power
to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
The right of citizens of
the United States to vote in any primary or other election for
President
or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for
Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged
by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll
tax or other tax.
The Congress shall have power
to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
In case of the removal of
the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice
President
shall become President.
Whenever there is a vacancy
in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a
Vice
President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of
both Houses of Congress.
Whenever the President transmits
to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House
of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to
discharge
the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a
written
declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged
by the Vice President as Acting President.
Whenever the Vice President
and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive
departments
or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the
President
pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives
their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the
powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately
assume
the powers and duties of the office as Acting President. Thereafter,
when
the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and
the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration
that
no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his
office
unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal
officers
of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by
law
provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the
Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written
declaration
that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his
office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within
forty-eight
hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within
twenty-one
days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress
is
not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to
assemble,
determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is
unable
to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President
shall
continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the
President
shall resume the powers and duties of his office.
The right of citizens of
the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote
shall
not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on
account
of age.
The Congress shall have power
to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
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