Page images
PDF
EPUB

7

<

the men, and cloath, arm, and equip them in
a foldier-like manner, at the expence of the
United States; and the officers and men fo
cloathed, armed, and equipped, shall march to
the place appointed, and within the time agreed
on by the United States in Congress affembled.
But if the United States in Congrefs affembled
shall, on confideration of circumstances, judge
State fhould not raise men, or
proper that any
fhould raise a smaller number than its quota,
and that other State should raise a greater
any
number of men than the quota thereof, such
extra number shall be raised, officered, cloathed,
armed, and equipped in the fame manner as the
quota of fuch State, unless the legislature of
fuch State fhall judge that fuch extra number
cannot be fafely fpared out of the fame; inwhich
case they shall raise, officer, cloath, arm, and
equip, as many of fuch extra number as they
judge can be fafely fpared; and the officers and
men fo cloathed, armed, and equipped, fhall
march to the place appointed, and within the
time agreed on by the United States in Con-
grefs affembled.

6. The United States in Congress affembled hall never engage in a war, nor grant letters

of marque and reprifal in time of peace, nor enter into any treaties or alliances, nor coin money, nor regulate the value thereof, nor afcertain the fums and expences neceffary for the defence and welfare of the United States, or any of them, nor emit bills, nor borrow money on the credit of the United States, nor appropriate money, nor agree upon the number of veffels of war to be built or purchafed, or the number of land or fea forces to be raised, nor appoint a Commander in Chief of the army or navy, unless nine States affent to the fame: nor fhall a queftion on any other point, except for adjourning from day to day, be determined, unless by the votes of a majority of the United States in Congress affembled.

7. The Congrefs of the United States shall have power to adjourn to any time within the year, and to any place within the United States, fo that no period of adjournment be for a longer duration than the space of fix months, and shall publish the journal of their proceedings monthly, except fuch parts thereof relating to treaties, alliances, or military operations, as in their judgement require fecrecy; and the yeas and nays of the delegates of each State on

any

any question fhall be entered on the journal, when it is defired by any delegate; and the delegates of a State, or any of them, at his or their request shall be furnished with a transcript of the faid journal, except fuch parts as are above excepted, to lay before the legislatures of the several States.

ARTICLE X.

The Committee of the States, or any nine of them, fhall be authorized to execute, in the recefs of Congrefs, fuch of the powers of Congrefs as the United States in Congress affembled, by the consent of nine States, shall from time to time think expedient to veft them with; provided that no power be delegated to the faid Committee, for the exercife of which, by the articles of confederation, the voice of nine States, in the Congrefs of the United States affembled, is requifite.

ARTICLE XI.

Canada acceding to this confederation, and joining in the meafures of the United States, fhall be admitted into, and entitled to all the advantages of this union: but no other colony fhall be admitted into the fame, unless such admiffion be agreed to by nine States.

A R

ARTICLE XII.

All bills of credit emitted, monies borrowed, and debts contracted by, or under the authority of Congrefs, before the affembling of the United States, in purfuance of the prefent confederation, fhall be deemed and confidered as a charge against the United States, for payment and fatisfaction whereof the faid United States and the public faith are hereby folemnly pledged.

ARTICLE XIII.

Every State shall abide by the determinations of the United States in Congress affembled, on all questions which by this confederation are fubmitted to them. And the articles of this confederation fhall be inviolably observed by every State, and the union shall be perpetual; nor shall any alteration at any time hereafter be made in any of them, unless fuch alteration. be agreed to in a Congress of the United States, and be afterwards confirmed by the legislatures of every State.

And whereas it hath pleased the Great Governor of the World to incline the hearts of the le

giflatures we respectively reprefent in Congrefs,

grefs, to approve of, and to authorise us to ratify the faid articles of confederation and perpetual union: Know ye, that we, the undersigned Delegates, by virtue of the power and authority to us given for that purpose, do, by these prefents, in the name and behalf of our refpective conftituents, fully and entirely ratify and confirm each and every of the faid articles of confederation and perpetual union, and all and fingular the matters and things therein contained. And we do further folemnly plight and engage the faith of our refpective conftituents, that they fhall abide by the determinations of the United States in Congress affembled, on all queftions which by the faid confederation are fubmitted to them; and that the articles thereof shall be inviolably observed by the States we refpectively reprefent; and that the union fhall be perpetual. In witness whereof, we have hereunto fet our hands in Congrefs.

DONE at Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, the 9th day of July, in the year of our Lord 1778, and in the third year of the Independence of America.

The

« PreviousContinue »