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CONSTITUTION 124 CONSTITUTION OF THE U. S. out abusing it. A Nero, a Caligula, a Ti- berius, and a multitude of other emper- ors, show what uncontrolled royal power can do. By the State and National Con- stitutions of the United States the legis- lative power is vested in the National and State legislatures; the executive power in the President and governors, both of whom are elected and removed at frequent intervals. The judiciary inter- pret the law, and are in turn restrained by written statutes and prescription. The rights of the people are guarded by the habeas corpus act, and by the further constitutional guarantees of both the State and National charters. The jury trial stands as a bar to malicious per- secution. Should an exigency arise necessitating a change in the Constitu- tion of the State or of the nation, the change must be submitted to the people and ratified by them. The Constitution of the United States as it now stands consists of 7 orig^inal articles and 19 articles of amendment, the last two being those providing for the prohibition of intoxicating liquors and for woman suffrage. It was origi- nally framed by the representatives of the people, who met at Philadelphia, and finally adopted it on Sept. 17, 1787. It became a law of the land on the first Wednesday of March, 1789. In the Brit- ish constitution legislative power is placed in the hands of the king, lords, and the commons ; the executive power is nominally in the hands of the sovereign, but really in these of responsible minis- ters. The judicial authority is vested in judges, not removobie except for very serious fault; while the jury system affords a guaracteo that no one can be pronounced guilty Uiiless 12 of his peers see their way to convicting him of the offense. Nor can one I^ imprisoned for an indefinite period without being brought to trial; for a writ of habeas corpus may be applied Tor, which re- quires the individual to be produced for trial within a certain time, or released. These fundamental arrangements are not like the changeless laws of nature. A constitution made directly or indi- rectly by men may be altered by men, and, in exceptional circumstances, when parts of the constitution are systemati- cally abused to the detriment of society, society, speaking by its mouthpiece, the Legislature, can meet the crisis by en- acting that they shall be temporarily suspended or permanently repealed. Apostolic Constitutions are ordinances for the discipline of the Church, partic- ularly the apostolic constitutions and a collection of regulations attributed to the Apostles, and supposed to hav* been col- lected by St. Clement, whose name they bear. Their authenticity has been greatly questioned. In Scots Law, a decree of constitution is a decree by which the extent of a debt or obligation is ascertained. The term is generally applied to those decrees which are requisite to found a title in th3 person of the creditor in the event of the death of the debtor of the original creditor. The Constitutions of Clarendon are constitutions, in the sense of laws or regulations, made at a Council held at Clarendon, near Salisbury, on Jan. 25, 1164. They were designed to define the boundary-line between civil and ecclesi- astical jurisdiction, and did so in a sense favorable to the civil power. On this account Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, refused to sign them, and excommunicated many of the ecclesias- tics who had done so. This led to the feud between him and the civil govern- ment, which ultimately caused his as- sassination on Dec. 29, 1170. CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. — We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish ^'ustice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common de- fense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to our- selves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. ARTICLE I. Section I. AH legislative powers herein granted shall be vested In a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. Section IL 1. The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every Becond year by the people of the several States, and the electors In each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the moat numerous branch of the Str.te Legislature. 2. No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of 25 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 de- termined 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-flfths 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 10 years, In such manner as they shall by law direct. The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every 30,000, but each State sha!J have at least one Representative ; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to choose 3 ; Massachusetts, 8 ; Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, 1 ; Connecticut, 5 ; New York, 6; New .Jersey, 4: Pennsylvania, 8; Delaware, 1 ; Maryland, 6 : Virginia. 10 ; North Carolina, 5 ; South Carolina, 5, and Georgia, 3.