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RICHARD HENRY LEE, LYMAN HALL,

THOMAS JEFFERSON, GEORGE WALTON.

LESSONS

ON THE

CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.

PREAMBLE.

WE the reople of the United States, in order to forma a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this CONSTITUTION for the United States of America.

1. What is the object of the Preamble?

Ans. To state the purposes for which the Constitution was ordained and established.

2. How many purposes are set forth in the Preamble? 3. Name the six purposes.

4. By whom was the Constitution ordained and established?

5. Into how many and what departments or powers is the government of the United States divided?

Ans.-Into three: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial.

NOTE.-The Text of the Constitution here printed is taken from "Sheppard's Constitutional Text Book," and for use in that work was especially compared with the original Document in the archives of the Department of State, and is a correct copy in text, orthography, capitals, and punctuation.

6. What is the Legislative power?
Ans.-The power which makes the laws.
7. What is the Executive power?

Ans. The power which enforces the laws.
8. What is the judicial power?

Ans. The power which interprets and applies the laws.

ARTICLE I

SECTION I.

All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

1. Wherein are vested the Legislative powers of the United States?

2. Of what does Congress consist?

3. Why is Congress divided into two branches?

Ans.

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- That they may act as checks upon each other; the acts of each being subject to review by the other, hasty and injudicious legislation may be thus avoided.

SECTION II.

1. The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.

2. No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age 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 which he shall be chosen.

3. Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives 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 Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and 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.

4. When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.

5. The House of Representatives shall chuse the Speaker and other officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.

1. How often are the members of the House of Represen tatives chosen?

2. By whom are they chosen?

3. Why are they chosen at intervals so comparatively short?

Ans. That the people may have frequent opportunities of passing judgment upon the conduct of their Representatives, and of making known their wishes through them.

4. What are the qualifications requisite for electors? 5. What are the three qualifications requisite for Representatives?

6. How are Representatives and direct taxes apportioned? 7. In what manner is the number of inhabitants to be represented determined?

8. What provision is made respecting Indians?

9. What is meant by "those bound to service for a term of years?"

Ans.-Apprentices.

10. What is meant by "three-fifths of all other persons?" Ans.-Three-fifths of slaves.

11. When did the Constitution require that the first actual enumeration of the inhabitants should be made?

12. How often thereafter is the census to be taken ? 13. In what manner shall the enumeration be made? 14. What representation shall each State have at least? 15. What was the ratio of representation fixed at the adoption of the Constitution?

16. What is the ratio of representation by the census of 1850?

Ans. One representative for every 93,702.

17. Under this apportionment, how many Representatives are there in all?

Ans.-234.

18. How are vacancies in the House of Representatives filled?

19. How are the Speakers and other officers chosen?

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