THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF

AMERICA.*

WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in Order to form a
more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic
Tranquility, provide for the common Defence, promote the
general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
CONSTITUTION for the United States of America.
Chisholm v. Geoigia, 2 Dall. 419. McCulloch v State of Maryland et al.,

4 Wh 316. Brown et als. v Maryland, 12 Wh. 419. Barron v. The Mayor

and City Council of Baltimore, 7 Pet. 243. Lane County v. Oregon, 7 Wall

71. Texas v. White et al., 7 Wall 700.

ARTICLE I.

SECTION 1. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be
vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist
of a Senate and House of Representatives.

Hayburn's Case (notes), 2 Dall. 409.

*In May, 1785, a committee of Congress made a report recommending an
alteration in the Articles of Confederation, but no action was taken on it,
and it was left to the State Legislatures to proceed in the matter. In
January, 1786, the Legislature of Virginia passed a resolution providing
for the appointment of five commissioners, who, or any three of them,
should meet such commissioneis as might be appointed in the other States
of the Union, at a time and place to be agreed upon, to take into consider-
ation the trade of the United States; to consider how far a uniform system
in their commercial regulations may be necessary to their common interest
and their permanent harmony, and to leport to the several States such an
act, relative to this great object, as, when ratified by them, will enable the
United States in Congress effectually to provide for the same The Vir-
ginia commissioners, after some correspondence, fixed the first Monday in
September as the time, and the city of Annapolis as the place for the meet-
ing, but only four othei States were represented, viz Delaware, New York,
New Jersey, and Pennsylvania; the commissioners appointed by Massa-
chusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Rhode Island failed to
attend Under the circumstances oi so partial a representation, the com-
missioners present agreed upon a report, (drawn by Mr Hamilton, of New
York,) expressing their unanimous conviction that it might essentially
2