the United States, in order to form a more
perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity,
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.

ARTICLE I.

Sec. I.--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.

Sec. II.--1. The House of Representatives shall be composed of members
chosen every second year by the people of the several States; and the
electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for
electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislature.

2. No person shall be a representative who shall not have attained the
age of twenty-five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United
States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of the State
in which he shall be chosen.

3. Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the
several States which may be included within this Union, according to
their respective numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the
whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a
term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all
other persons. The actual enumeration shall be made within three years
after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within
every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law
direct. The number of representatives shall not exceed one for every
thirty thousand, but each State shall have at least one representative;
and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of _New Hampshire_
shall be entitled to choose three; _Massachusetts_, eight; _Rhode Island
and Providence Plantations_, one; _Connecticut_, five; _New York_, six;
_New Jersey_, four; _Pennsylvania_, eight; _Delaware_, one; _Maryland_,
six; _Virginia_, ten; _North Carolina_, five; _South Carolina_, five;
_Georgia_, three.

4. When vacancies happen in the representation of any State, the
executive authority thereof shall issue writs of election to fill such
vacancies.

5. The House of Representatives shall choose their speaker and other
officers, and shall have the sole power of impeachment.

Sec. III.--1. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two
s