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 ourselvesand our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for theUnited States of America.
Section 1. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in aCongress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate andHouse of Representatives.
Section 2. The House of Representatives shall be composed of Memberschosen every second Year by the People of the several States,and the electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisitefor electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislature.
No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to theAge of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a citizen of the United States,and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in whichhe shall be chosen.
Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned amongthe several States which may be included within this Union,according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determinedby adding to the whole number of free Persons, including thosebound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed,three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be madewithin three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of theUnited States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years,in such Manner as they shall by law Direct. The number ofRepresentatives 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 Hampshireshall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode Islandand 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, and Georgia three.
When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the ExecutiveAuthority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.
The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers;and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.
Section 3. The Senate of the United States shall be composed oftwo Senators from each State, chosen by the legislature thereof,for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.
Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election,they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats ofthe Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the expiration of thesecond Year, of the second Class at the expiration of the fourth Year,and of the third Class at the expiration of the sixth Year, so that one thirdmay be chosen every second Year; and if vacancies happen by Resignation,or otherwise, during the recess of the Legislature of any State,the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until thenext meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.
No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age ofthirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States,and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that Statefor which he shall be chosen.
The Vice-President of the United States shall be President of the Senate,but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.
The Senate shall choose their other Officers, and also a Presidentpro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice-President, or when he shallexercise the Office of President of the United States.
The Senate shall have