ART. 6. In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law; and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him, to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor; and to have the assistance of counsel for his defence. ART. 7. In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved; and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law. ART. 8. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. ART. 9. The enumeration in the constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. ART. 10. The powers not delegated to the United States by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. ART. 11. The judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by citizens of another state, or by citizens or subjects of any foreign state. ART. 12. The electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President; and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each; which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit, sealed, to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate: the President of the Senate shall, in presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes shall then be counted: the person having the greatest number of votes for President shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then, from the persons having the highest numbers, not exceeding three, on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose, immediately, by ballot, the President. But, in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by States, the representation from each State having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or meinbers from two-thirds of the States. and a majority of all the States shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President as in case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President. The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President shall be the Vice President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if no person have a majority, then, from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President: a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President, shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States. 1778. February 6. Rules relative to correspon the U. States and France. TREATIES WITH FRANCE. Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States of ORIGINAL. Treaty of Amity and Commerce. THE most christian king, and the thirteen United States of dence and com- North America, to wit: New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, merce between Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, willing to fix in an equitable and permanent manner, the rules which ought to be followed relative to the correspondence and commerce which the two parties desire to establish, between their respective countries, states, and subjects, his most christian majesty and the said United States, have judged that the said end could not be better obtained than by taking, for the basis of their agreement, the most perfect equality and reciprocity, and by carefully avoiding all those burthensome preferences which are usually sources of debate, embarrassment and discontent; by leaving also Respecting in each party at liberty to make, respecting commerce and naviterior regula- gation, those interior regulations which it shall find most tions each party to be at liberty convenient to itself; and by founding the advantage of commerce solely upon reciprocal utility, and the just rules of free ticipation of be- intercourse; reserving withal to each party the liberty of admitting, at its pleasure, other nations to a participation of the same advantages. It is in the spirit of this intention, and to fulfil these views, that his said majesty, having named and appointed for his plenipotentiary, Conrad Alexander Gerard, royal syndic of the city of Strasbourg, secretary of his majesty's council of state, and the United States on their part, having fully empowered Benjamin Franklin, deputy from the state of Pennsylvania to the general congress, and president of the convention of said state; Silas Deane, late deputy from the state of Connecticut to the said congress, and Arthur Lee, counsellor at law; the said respective plenipotentiaries, after exchanging their powers, and after mature deliberation, have concluded and agreed upon the following articles: to admit other nations to a par nefits. Firm and invio ART. 1. There shall be a firm, inviolable, and universal lable peace, &c. peace, and a true and sincere friendship between the most christian king, his heirs, and successors, and the United States of America; and the subjects of the most christian king ORIGINAL. Traité d'Amitié et de Commerce. Le roi très chrétien, et les treize Etats Unis de l'Amérique Septentrionale, savoir, New Hampshire, la Baye de Massachuset, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pensylvanie, les comtés de Newcastle, de Kent et de Sussex sur la Delaware, Maryland, Virginie, Caroline Septentrionale, Caroline Méridionale, et Georgie, voulant établir d'une manière équitable et permanente les régles qui devront être suivies relativement à la correspondence et au commerce que les deux parties désirent d'établir entre leurs païs, etats, et sujets respectifs, sa majesté très chrétienne et les dits Etats Unisont jugé ne pouvoir mieux atteindre à ce but qu'en prenant pour base de leur arrangement l'égalité et la réciprocité la plus parfaite, et en observant d'éviter toutes les préférences onéreuses, source de discussions, d'embarrass, et de mecontentemens, de laisser à chaque partie la liberté de faire, relativement au commerce et à la navigation les réglemens intérieurs qui seront à sa convenance, de ne fonder les avantages du com- ' merce que sur non utilité reciproque et sur les loix d'une juste concurrence, et de conserver ainsi de part et d'autre la liberté de faire participer, chacun selon son gré, les autres nations, aux mêmes advantages. C'est dans cet esprit et pour remplir ces vuës que sa dite majesté ayant nommé et constitué pour son plénipotentiaire' le sieur Conrad Alexandre Gerard, sindic roïal de la ville de Strasbourg, secretaire du conseil d'état de sa majesté, et les Etats Unis äïant, de leur côté, munis de leurs pleins pouvoirs les sieurs Benjamin Franklin, député au congrès général de la part de l'état de Pensylvanie, et président de la convention du dite état, Silas Deane, ci-devant député de l'état de Connecticut, et Arthur Lee, conseiller ès loix, les dits plenipotentiaries respectifs après l'échange de leurs pouvoirs et après mure délibération ont conclu et arrêté les points et articles suivans: ART. 1. Il y aura une paix ferme, inviolable et universelle, et une amitié vraie et sincère entre le roi très chrétien, ses héritiers et successeurs, et entre les Etats Unis de l'Amérique ainsi qu'entre les sujets de sa majesté très chrétienne et ceux 1778. February 6. |