This power has been frequently used of late, by the presidents of the United States. If a president vetoes a bill, it still becomes a law, if two thirds of both houses of Congress vote for it, after its return. A bill becomes a law without the signature of the president, if he does not return it in ten days, Sundays excepted.

3. Every order, resolution, or vote, to which the concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary, (except on a question of adjournment,) shall be presented to the president of the United States; and, before the same shall take effect, shall be approved by him, or, being disapproved by him, shall be repassed by two-thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the rules and limitations prescribed in the case of a bill.

SECT. VIII.-The Congress shall have power—

1. To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises; to pay the debts, and provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts, and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States:

2. To borrow money on the credit of the United States: 3. To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes:

4. To establish an uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies, throughout the United States:

5. To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and meas

ures:

6. To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States: 7. To establish post-offices and post-roads:

8. To promote the progress of science and useful arts by securing, for limited times, to authors and inventors,

the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries:

9. To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court: to define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offences against the law of nations:

10. To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water.

11. To raise and support armies; but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years:

12. To provide and maintain a navy:

13. To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces:

14. To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, to suppress insurrections, and repel invasions:

15. To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia, and for governing such parts of them as may be employed in the service of the United States; reserving to the states respectively the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia, according to the discipline prescribed by Congress.

16. To exercise exclusive legislation, in all cases whatsoever, over such district (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, maga zines, arsenals, dock-yards, and other needful buildings -And,

17. To make all laws which shall be necessary anos proper, for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.

ses,"

This important paragraph prescribes the powers of Congress. In the first place it authorizes them to "lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and exciTaxes are laid upon property, as houses, lands, income, &c. Duties or imposts are levied upon foreign goods, imported into the country. To secure and collect these, custom houses are established, where vessels are obliged to be entered, and where a careful examination of the goods takes place, so as to see that the duties are properly laid and levied.

The chief revenue of the government of the United States is derived from duties laid on foreign goods there has been a resort to direct taxation, only during war, or in anticipation of it. The separate states generally derive their revenues from direct taxes on houses, lands, money, stocks, and sometimes upon a man's income.

As the government needs money for its support, it is the duty of every one cheerfully to pay his taxes, provided they are properly assessed; but as taxes are a burthen upon the labor of a country, a wise people will endeavor always to see that they are as light as possible, whether levied in the shape of direct taxes or duties upon imported goods.

Congress may "regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes." These few words convey a vast trust. It takes from the several states, the power of regulating trade and commercial intercourse, and gives it up wholly to Congress.

It gives to Congress the control of trade and navigation with the states-such as the coasting trade and fisheries; the government of seamen

on board American ships; the enacting of pilot laws, quarantine laws, and laws respecting wrecks at sea, &c. It gives the power of laying embargoes, building light-houses, placing of buoys and beacons; removal of obstructions in rivers and bays, &c.

The other powers conferred on Congress are so clearly stated as hardly to need exposition. It may be well, however, to say that the power "to exercise exclusive legislation over such district (not exceeding ten miles square) as may become the seat of government of the United States," has relation to the District of Columbia. When the Constitution first went into operation, New York, and afterwards Philadelphia, was the seat of the general government.

But it appears that when the Constitution was adopted, it was had in contemplation to remove to some other district; and therefore this provisional article was introduced. The District of Columbia, which is now under the government of Congress, (Washington having become the seat of government in 1800,) is ten miles square, and was ceded to the United States by Virginia and Maryland, to which it belonged.

SECT. IX.-1. The migration or importation of such persons as any of the states now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight; but a tax or duty may be imposed on such importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each person.

As the "power of regulating commerce," given to Congress, was understood to enable that body to prohibit the foreign slave trade, this article was in

troduced to prevent such an act, before the year 1808. As soon as this restriction was at an end, Congress proceeded to abolish the foreign slave trade, thus affording the first example of its interdiction in modern times.

2. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when, in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.

"Habeas corpus" is a kind of writ, known to the common law, and is used when a person is imprisoned, to ascertain whether the imprisonment is lawful or not. In despotic and ill-governed countries, it often happens that a person is taken up and put in prison, where he may lie for months or years without a trial, and as the case may be, without any sufficient cause. This writ of "habeas corpus" enables the person imprisoned to have the body (habeas corpus, meaning, have the body) brought before the judge, and if the cause is insufficient, he is set at liberty. This writ of habeas corpus is therefore a great safeguard to personal liberty, and its preservation is a matter of the greatest importance.

3. No bill of attainder, or ex post facto law, shall be passed.

A "bill of attainder" is an act passed by the legislature, convicting a person of some crime, and inflicting the punishment of death, without trial. It is a power in which the greatest tyranny has been exercised in foreign countries, and its prohibition is, therefore, in the highest degree, proper.

An "er post facto" law is one which is passed after the act is done; it is a law which operates upon the past, and generally applies to public offences. If Congress could pass an ex post facto