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.

SEC. III. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President or 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 twothirds of each House, remove such disability.

SEC. IV. 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.

SEC. V. The Congress shall have power to enforce by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article,

Crandall v. The State of Nevada, 6 Wall. 35; Paul v. Virginia, 8 Wall. 268; Ward v. Maryland, 12 Wall. 418; Slaughterhouse Cases, 16 Wall. 36; Bradwell v. The State, 16 Wall. 130; Bartemeyer v. Iowa, 18 Wall. 129; Minor v. Happersett, 21 Wall. 162; Walker v. Sauvinet. 92 U. S. 90; Kennard v. Louisiana, ex rel. Morgan, 92 U. S. 480; U. S. v. Cruikshank, 92 U. S. 542; Munn v. Illinois, 94 U. S. 113.

ARTICLE XV.*

SECTION I. 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

*The fifteenth amendment to the constitution of the United States was proposed to the legislatures of the several states by the Fortieth Congress on the 27th of February, 1869, and was declared, in a proclamation of the Secretary of State, dated March 30. 1870, to have been ratified by the legislatures of twenty-nine of the thirty-seven states. dates of these ratifications (arranged in the order of their reception at the Department of State) were: From North Carolina, March 5, 1869; West Virginia, March 3, 1869; Massachusetts, March 9-12, 1869; Wisconsin, March 9, 1869; Maine, March 12, 1869; Louisiana, March 5, 1869; Michigan, March 8, 1869; South Carolina, March 16, 1869; Pennsylvania, March 26, 1869; Arkansas, March 30, 1869; Connecticut, May 19, 1869; Florida, June 15, 1869; Illinois, March 5, 1869; Indiana, May 13-14, 1869; New York, March 17- April 14, 1869 (and the legis

SEC. II. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

United States v. Reese et al., 92 U. S. 214; United States v. Cruikshank et al., 92 U. S. 542; Ex parte Yarborough, 110 U. S. 651; McPherson v. Blacker, 146 U. S. 1.

lature of the same state passed a resolution January 5, 1870, to withdraw its consent to it); New Hampshire, July 7, 1869; Nevada, March 1, 1869; Vermont, October 21, 1869; Virginia, October 8, 1869; Missouri, January 10, 1870; Mississippi, January 15-17, 1870; Ohio, January 27, 1870; Iowa, February 3, 1870; Kansas, January 18-19, 1870; Minnesota, February 19, 1870; Rhode Island, January 18, 1870; Nebraska, February 17, 1870; Texas, February 18, 1870. The state of Georgia also ratified the amendment February 2, 1870.

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE

CONSTITUTION.

AMENDMENTS PROPOSED BY THE CONVENTION OF
MASSACHUSETTS, 1788.

First. That it be explicitly declared that all powers not expressly delegated by the aforesaid constitution are reserved to the several states to be by them exercised.

Secondly. That there shall be one representative to every thirty thousand persons according to the census mentioned in the constitution, until the whole number of representatives amounts to two hundred.

Thirdly. That Congress do not exercise the powers vested in them by the fourth section of the first article, but in cases where a state shall neglect or refuse to make the regulations therein mentioned, or shall make regulations subversive of the rights of the people to a free and equal representation in Congress, agreeably to the constitution.

Fourthly. That Congress do not lay direct taxes but when the moneys arising from the impost and excise are insufficient for the public exigencies, nor then until Congress shall have first made a requisition upon the states to assess, levy and pay their respective proportion of such requisitions, agreeably to the census fixed in the said constitution, in such way and manner as the legislatures of the states shall think best, and in such case if any state shall neglect or refuse to pay its proportion pursuant to such requisition, then Congress may assess and levy such state's proportion, together with interest thereon at the rate of six per cent. per annum, from the time of payment, prescribed in such requisitions.

Fifthly. That Congress erect no company with exclusive advantages of commerce.

Sixthly. That no person shall be tried for any crime by which he may incur an infamous punishment, or loss of life, until he be first indicted by a grand jury, except in such cases as may arise in the government and regulation of the land and naval forces.

Seventhly. The Supreme Judicial Federal Court shall have no jurisdiction of causes between citizens of different states, unless the matter in dispute, whether it concerns the realty or personalty, be of the value of three thousand dollars at the least-nor shall the federal judicial powers extend to any action between citizens of different states, where the matter in dispute, whether it concerns 632

the realty or personalty, is not of the value of fifteen hundred dollars at the least.

Eighthly. In civil actions between citizens of different states, every issue of fact arising in actions at common law, shall be tried by a jury, if the parties or either of them request it.

Ninthly. Congress shall at no time consent that any person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States shall accept of a title of nobility, or any other title or office, from any king, prince, or foreign state.

AMENDMENTS PROPOSED BY THE CONVENTION OF

SOUTH CAROLINA, 1788.

And whereas it is essential to the preservation of the rights reserved to the several states, and the freedom of the people, under the operations of a general government, that the right of prescribing the manner, time, and places of holding the elections to the federal legislature, should be forever inseparably annexed to the sovereignty of the several states; This convention doth declare, that the same ought to remain to all posterity, a perpetual and fundamental right in the local, exclusive of the interference of the general government, except in cases where the legislatures of the states shall refuse or neglect to perform and fulfill the same, according to the tenor of the said constitution.

This convention doth also declare, That no section or paragraph of the said constitution, warrants a construction that the states do not retain every power not expressly relinquished by them, and vested in the general government of the union.

Resolved, That the general government of the United States ought never to impose direct taxes, but where the moneys arising from the duties, imposts and excise, are insufficient for the public exigencies, nor then until Congress shall have made a requisition upon the states to assess, levy, and pay their respective proportions of such requisitions; and in case any state shall neglect or refuse to pay its proportion, pursuant to such requisition, then Congress may assess and levy such state's proportion, together with interest thereon, at the rate of six per centum per annum, from the time of payment prescribed by such requisition.

Resolved, That the third section of the sixth article ought to be amended, by inserting the word “other,” between the words “no” and "religious."

Resolved, That it be a standing instruction to all such delegates as may hereafter be elected to represent this state in the general government, to exert their utmost abilities and influence, to effect an alteration of the constitution, conformably to the aforegoing resolutions.

AMENDMENTS PROPOSED BY THE CONVENTION OF
NEW HAMPSHIRE, 1788.

The convention do therefore recommend, that the following alterations and provisions be introduced into the said constitution.

First. That it be explicitly declared that all powers not expressly and particularly delegated by the aforesaid constitution, are reserved to the several states to be by them exercised.

Secondly. That there shall be one representative to every thirty thousand persons according to the census mentioned in the constitution, until the whole number of representatives amount to two hundred.

Thirdly. That Congress do not exercise the powers vested in them by the fourth section of the first article, but in cases when a state shall neglect or refuse to make the regulations therein mentioned, or shall make regulations subversive of the rights of the people to a free and equal representation in Congress-Nor shall Congress in any case make regulations contrary to a free and equal representation.

Fourthly. That Congress do not lay direct taxes but when the money arising from impost, excise, and their other resources, are insufficient for the public exigencies, nor then, until Congress shall have first made a requisition upon the states, to assess, levy and pay their respective proportions of such requisition, agreeably to the census fixed in the said constitution, in such way and manner as the legislature of the state shall think best, and in such case if any state shall neglect, then Congress may assess and levy such state's proportion, together with the interest thereon at the rate of six per cent. per annum, from the time of payment, prescribed in such requisition.

Fifthly. That Congress shall erect no company of merchants with exclusive advantages of commerce.

Sixthly. That no person shall be tried for any crime by which he may incur an infamous punishment, or loss of life, until he first be indicted by a grand jury, except in such cases as may arise in the government and regulation of the land and naval forces.

Seventhly. All common law cases between citizens of different states, shall be commenced in the common law courts of the respective states, and no appeal shall be allowed to the federal court, in such cases, unless the sum or value of the thing in controversy amount to three thousand dollars.

Eighthly. In civil actions between citizens of different states, every issue of fact arising in actions at common law, shall be tried by jury, if the parties or either of them request it.

Ninthly. Congress shall at no time consent that any person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States, shall accept any title of nobility, or any other title or office, from any king, or foreign state.

Tenth. That no standing army shall be kept up in time of peace, unless with the consent of three-fourths of the members of each branch of Congress, nor shall soldiers in time of peace be quartered upon private houses, without the consent of the owners. Eleventh. Congress shall make no laws touching religion, or to infringe the rights of conscience.

Twelfth. Congress shall never disarm any citizen, unless such as are or have been in actual rebellion.