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bring them to submission. This is not so much to be
wondered at when one learns that $7.00, the monthly
pay of an enhsted man, dropped by depreciation to .33.
Before Washington could move his army to York-
town it was necessary to give the soldiers their back
pay. To do this, Robert Morris had to borrow hard
money from Rochambeau. In March, 1780, there
was outstanding $200,000,000 of continental money.
Congress declared this to be worth forty dollars for
one dollar of a "new tenor". In other words, of that
entire amount Congress repudiated all but 85,000,000.
The "old tenor" fell to 500 to 1 in Philadelphia, when
it ceased to circulate. To complete the misfortunes
of this experiment, counterfeiters successfully imitated
the issues of Congress and hastened the death of
paper money. Then hard money sprang to Ufe, and
was abimdant for all purposes. Much had been
hoarded and great quantities had been brought in by
the armies and navies of both P>ance and England.
As early as 1779 Congress attempted the expedient
of specific supplies. Requisitions were made upon
the states for meat, flour, forage etc. Because of the
defective system of transportation, and for other
reasons, it became necessary to abandon this resource.
The impressment of horses, wagons etc. was perceived
to be dangerous and was soon given up. The income
of the Continental Treasury from 1775 to 1783 was
$65,863,825. This was received from domestic loans,
foreign loans, taxes, paper money, and from mis-
cellaneous sources. Outstanding certificates of in-
debtedness amounted to $16,708,000. Besides these
sums, the total cost of the war included the expen-
ditures of the several states.
The Confederaiion and the Constitution. — Though prepared soon after independence was declared, the "Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union" were not adopted until 1781, when the war was nearly won. This was due chiefly to the opposition of Mary- land, which refused to confederate until states having western lands should cede them to the Union; as it was claimed that all such lands had been held only by the joint exertion of the states. Under the Articles all measures of government were directed to the states as cori'orations; there was no national executive; tlie Congress was a body of only one cham- ber; the states paid, and had the power to recall, their delegates; in theory it was difficult to amend this constitution, and in practice it had proved impossible; finally there was no efficient system for obtaining a federal revenue. In other words, the government under the confederation had no independent income, but depended entirely upon the contributions of the various states. These defects soon produced conse- quences so alarming that the leading patriots brought about a constitutional convention which attempted to amend the fundamental law. When this was found to be impossible, they framed a new constitution of government (1787). This provided for a national exec- utive, a national legislature, and a national judiciary; also for a simpler method for its own amendment. It gave to Congress the power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises for federal purposes.
The Congress was further empowered to borrow money on the credit of the United States; to establish a uniform rule of natundization and uniform laws on the subject of bankruiilcies throughout the United States; to coin money and regulate the value thereof; to regulate commerce with foreign nations, with the Indian tribes, and among \\n- several states. To the National Legislature was also given power to declare war; to maintain and equip an army and a navy; to exercise exclusive legislative power over such tract as may, by cession of particular stat(>s, become the capi- tal of the United States; to make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory and other property of the United States. The body vested with (he powers just enumerated was a bicameral one. In its
upper house (Senate) each state has two senators,
while in the lower house each has representatives in
proportion to population. The House of Represen-
tatives is merely a legislative body. The Senate, on
the other hand, performs a threefold function.
Primarily it assists the house in making laws; in
ratifying treaties or confirming nominations to office it
performs executive functions; in trying an impeach-
ment it acts as a judicial body. The duration of a
session of Congress is two years, the term for which
representatives are elected. Senators are chosen for
a term of six years. In construing an act of the
National Legislature one is to assume that it has no
power to pass such act unless the authority is con-
ferred by the Constitution, or may be fairly derived
from some grant of powers enumerated therein. In
examining the constitutionahty of a state law one is
to assume that the state legislature has power to pass
all acts whatever, unless they are prohibited by the
Constitution of the United States or by the constitu-
tion of the state.
ITnder the Articles of Confederation there was no national executive. The Constitution, however, vests the supreme executive authority in a President of the United States, who, with a vice-president, is chosen for a term of four years. Both officers are chosen by an electoral college. In this college each state has a number of electors equal to its whole number of sena- tors and representatives in Congress. Originally the electors of president and vice-president looked over the country and selected some distinguished pubUc character for each office. In a httle while, however, they ceased to exercise such discretion, and nomina- tions for both the presidency and vice-presidency were made in congressional caucuses. The contest of 1824 brought this method into disfavour. Thereafter, for a brief period, many of the states nominated some favourite son. An evident disadvantage of this system was the great number of candidates, of whom none was likely to receive, as the Constitution requires, a majority of all the votes cast. About 1831 there began to take shape the present system of a national nominating convention. In this extra-constitutional institution the states are represented according to popvilation, each sending twice as many delegates as it has senators and representatives in Congress. The District of Columbia, the Territory of Alaska, and some of the insular pos.sessions are also entitled to send delegates. To obtain the nomination in a Republican National Convention a majority of the delegates is sufficient, whereas in that held by the Democratic party a two-thirds vote is necessary.
Presidential electors are chosen on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every fourth year. No person except a natural-born citizen is eligible to the office of president or of vice-president. The president shall be commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the LTnited States, and of the militia of the several states when called into the actual service of the United States. He has power to grant reprieves and pardons for all offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment; by and with the advice and consent of the Senate he has the power to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senators Iiresent concur. In addition to these powers he can nominate, and, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, .appoint ambassadors, other public minis- ters and ccmsuls, judges of the United States Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States whose appointments are not otherwise provided for in the Constitution. He is empowered to convoke Congress in special session and to dissolve that body when the two houses are unable to agree upon a time for adjournment. Like other civil oflncers, the presi- dent and vice-president may be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanours.
