Pennsylvania. George Clymer, Delaware. Maryland. James Smith, George Taylor, George Rofs. George Read, Thomas, M'Kean. Samuel Chafe, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll, of Car- George Wythe, Thomas Jefferson, Virginia. Benjamin Harrison, 1 Thomas Nelfon, jun. Francis Lightfoot Lee North-Carolina. South Carolina. Carter Braxton. William Hooper, Jofeph Hewes, Button Gwinnett, Georgia. Lyman Hall, George Walton. ARTICLES OF Confederation and Perpetual Union, BETWEEN THESTATES OF New-Hampshire, Massachusetts-Bay, Rhode-Island and T ARTICLE I. € HE stile of this confederacy shall be, "THE UNI TED STATES OF AMERICA." ARTICLE II. Each state retains its fovereignty, freedom and independence, and every power, jurifdiction and right which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States in Congress assembled. ARTICLE III. The faid states hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defence, the fecurity of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist each other, against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, fovereignty, trade, or any other pretence whatever. ARTICLE IV. The better to secure and perpetuate mutual friendship and intercourse among the people of the different states in this union, the free inhabitants of each of these states, paupers, vagabonds, and fugitives from justice excepted, shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of free citizens in the several states; and the peo i t ple of each state shall have free ingress and regress to and from any other state, and shall enjoy therein all the privileges of trade and commerce, fubject to the fame duties, impofitions and restrictions as the inhabitants thereof respectively, provided that fuch restrictions shall not extend fo far as to prevent the removal of property imported into any state, to any other state of which the owner is an inhabitant; provided also, that no impositions, duties or restrictions shall be laid by any ftate, on the property of the United States, or either of them. If any perfon guilty of, or charged with treafon, felony, or other high mifdemeanor in any ftate, shall flee from justice, and be found in any of the United States, he shall upon demand of the governor, or executive power of the state from which he fled, be delivered up and removed to the state having jurisdiction of his of. fence. Full faith and credit shall be given in each of these states, to the records, acts and judicial proceedings of the courts and magistrates of every other state. ARTICLE V. For the more convenient management of the general interests of the United States, delegates shall be annually appointed in such manner as the legislature of each state shall direct, to meet in Congrefs on the first Monday in November, in every year, with a power referved to each state, to recal its delegates, or any of them, at any time within the year, and to fend others in their stead, for the remainder of the year. No state shall be represented in Congress by less than two nor more than feven members; and no person shall be capable of being a delegate for more than three years in any term of fix years; nor shall any person, being a delegate, be capable of holding any office under the United States, for which he, or any other for his benefit, receives any falary, fees or emolument of any kind. Each state shall maintain its own delegates in a 1 meeting of the states, and while they act as members of the committee of the states.' In determining questions in the United States in Congress afsembled, each state shall have one vote. Freedom of speech and debate in Congress shall not be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Congress; and the members of Congress shall be protected in their perfons from arrests and imprisonments, during the time of their going to and from and attendance on Congress, except for treason, felony or breach of the peace. ARTICLE VI. No state, without the consent of the United States in Congress affembled, shall fend any embaffy to, or receive any embassy from, or enter into any conference, agreement, alliance, or treaty, with any king, prince, or state; nor shall any perfon holding any office of profit or truft under the United States, or any of them, accept of any present emolument, office or title of any kind whatever from any king, prince or foreign state; nor shall the United States in Congress afsembled, or any of them, grant any title of nobility. No two or more states shall enter into any treaty, confederation or alliance whatever between them, without the consent of the United States in Congrefs afsembled, specifying accurately the purposes for which the fame is to be entered into, and how long it shall continue. No state shall lay any imposts or duties, which may interfere with any stipulations in treaties entered into by the United States in Congress assembled, with any king, prince or state, in pursuance of any treaties already propofed by Congress, to the courts of France and Spain. No vessels of war shall be kept up in time of peace by any state, except fuch number only as shall be deemed necessary by the United States in Congress afsembled, for the defence of fuch state, or its trade; nor shall any : 1 body of forces be kept up by any state, in time of peace, except such number only, as in the judgment of the United States, in Congress assembled, shall be deemed requisite to garrifon the forts necessary for the defence of such state; but every state shall always keep up a well-regulated and difciplined militia, sufficiently armed and accoutred, and shall provide and conftantly have ready for use, in public stores, a due number of field pieces and tents, and a proper quantity of arms, ammunition, and camp equipage. No state shall engage in any war without the consent of the United States, in congrefs afssembled, unless fuch state be actually invaded by enemies, or shall have receiv ed certain advice of a resolution being formed by fome nation of Indians to invade fuch state, and the danger is fo imminent as not to admit of a delay till the United States in Congress afsembled can be confulted; nor fhall any state grant commiffions to any ships or veffels of war, nor letters of marque or reprisal, except it be after a declaration of war by the United States in Congrefs affembled, and then only against the kingdom or ftate, and the subjects thereof, against which, war has been so declared, and under such regulations, as shall be eftablished by the United States in Congrefs affembled, unless such state be infested by pirates, in which cafe, vessels of war may be fitted out for that occafion, and kept so long as the danger shall continue, or, until the United States in Congress afsembled, shall determine otherwife. ARTICLE VII. When land forces are raised by any state, for the common defence, all officers of, or under the rank of colonel, shall be appointed by the legislature of each state respectively, by whom such forces shall be raifed, or in fuch manner as fuch state shall direct: And all vacancies shall be filled up by the state which first made the appointment. |