CONGRESS in June, 1776, appointed a committe of a member from each state, to prepare a frame of for the confederated states. The committee repor its chairman, John Dickinson, in the middle of July ject was then discussed at intervals until Novemb when the Articles of Confederation were adopted. then submitted to the state legislatures for ap July 9, 1778, the delegates of eight states in Con the document, according to their instructions. I of the five remaining states was secured by Marc which time, therefore, the Articles came into effect

ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION, 1778

To All to Whom these Presents shall come, we the signed Delegates of the States affixed to our Nam Greeting...

I. The style of this confederacy shall be "The Un America."

II. Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and and every power, jurisdiction, and right which is not federation expressly delegated to the United States assembled.

III. The said states hereby severally enter into of friendship with each other, for their common defens of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, selves to assist each other against all force offered made upon them, or any of them, on account of religion trade, or any other pretense whatever.

IV. The better to secure and perpetuate mutual intercourse among the people of the different states the free inhabitants of these states, paupers, vagabo

1 Revised Statutes of the United States, pp. 7-11. Second Editio 1878.

If any person guilty of, or charged with treason, felo high misdemeanor in any state shall flee from justice, a in any of the United States, he shall, upon demand, of t or executive power of the state from which he fled, bec and removed to the state having jurisdiction of his offen

Full faith and credit shall be given in each of these s records, acts, and judicial proceeding of the courts and of every other state.

V. For the more convenient management of the gen of the United States, delegates shall be annually appoin manner as the legislature of each state shall direct, to m gress on the first Monday in November, in every year, w reserved to each state to recall its delegates, or any of t time within the year, and to send others in their stead mainder of the year.

No state shall be represented in Congress by less th by more than seven members; and no person shall be being a delegate for more than three years in any term nor shall any person, being a delegate, be capable of office, under the United States, for which he, or another f fit, receives any salary, fees, or emolument of any kind.

Each state shall maintain its own delegates in a me states, and while they act as members of the committee of In determining questions in the United States, in C sembled, each state shall have one vote.

Freedom of speech and debate in Congress shall not be or questioned in any court or place out of Congress, and th of Congress shall be protected in their persons from arre prisonments during the time of their going to and from, ance on Congress, except for treason, felony, or breach of

or alliance whatever between them, without the consent of th States in Congress assembled, specifying accurately the pur which the same is to be entered into, and how long it shall c

No state shall lay any imposts or duties which may i with any stipulations in treaties, entered into by the United in Congress assembled, with any king, prince, or state, in pu of any treaties already proposed by Congress to the courts of and Spain.

No vessels of war shall be kept up in time of peace by any except such number only as shall be deemed necessary by the States in Congress assembled, for the defense of such state trade; nor shall any body of forces be kept up by any state, i of peace, except such number only as in the judgment of the U States in Congress assembled shall be deemed requisite to ga the forts necessary for the defense of such state; but every shall always keep up a well regulated and disciplined militia, ciently armed and accoutered, and shall provide and const have ready for use, in public stores, a due number of field p and tents and a proper quantity of arms, ammunition, and equipage.

No state shall engage in any war without the consent of United States in Congress assembled, unless such state be actu invaded by enemies, or shall have received certain advice of a res tion being formed by some nation of Indians to invade such sta and the danger is so imminent as not to admit of delay till the Uni States in Congress assembled can be consulted; nor shall any st grant commissions to any ships or vessels of war, nor letters of mar or reprisal, except it be after a declaration of war by the Unit States in Congress assembled, and then only against the kingdo or state and the subjects thereof against which war has been so d

vacancies snaш be пued up by the state wnicп пrst made pointment.

VIII. All charges of war and all other expenses that incurred for the common defense or general welfare, and al the United States in Congress assembled, shall be defraye a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the sever in proportion to the value of all land within each state, gi or surveyed for any person, as such land and the buildings provements thereon shall be estimated according to such the United States in Congress assembled shall from time direct and appoint. The taxes for paying that proportion laid and levied by the authority and direction of the le of the several states, within the time agreed upon by th States in Congress assembled.

IX. The United States in Congress assembled shall sole and exclusive right and power of determining on peace except in the cases mentioned in the sixth article of sen receiving ambassadors entering into treaties and allian vided that no treaty of commerce shall be made whereby lative power of the respective states shall be restrained from such imposts and duties on foreigners as their own people jected to, or from prohibiting he exportation or importatio species of goods or commodities whatsoever - of establish for deciding in all cases what captures on land or water legal, and in what manner prizes taken by land or naval the service of the United States shall be divided or app

of granting letters of marque and reprisal in times of pe pointing courts for the trial of piracies and felonies committ high seas and establishing courts for receiving and determin appeals in all cases of captures, provided that no membe gress shall be appointed a judge of any of the said courts.