Evening journal., 1915-11-10

purpose was to take into considera-
tion the situation Of the United
States to devise such further provi-
sions as should appear to them nee
essary to render the constitution of
lhe federal government adequate To
the eNigencies of the Union. and to
report such an act for that purpose to
the United States In Congress assem-
bled, as, when agreed to by them and
/ afterwards confirmed by the legisla
ture of every state, would effectually
provide for the same
Convention in Philadelphia.
out of this report and the request
of the Continental Congress resulted
the Constitutional Convention, which
met in Philadelphia in May, and on
September II. adopted our present
federal constitution, presenting il to
the states to be ratified by the legis.
latures thereof, severally the consti.
tuition providing that when nine of the
states had ratified the constitution,
the government established thereby
should go into operation. We all
know that the ratification of sufii-
cient number of states was not OBJ
tained until 1883, when the govern
ment provided for by the constitution
was inaugurated, with George Wash
inston as its first president. The
states of North Carolina and Rhode Is.
land, however, did not ratify and be-
come members of the Union until af-
forwards.
The Constitution, though framed
by the convention assembled i'm Phila-
delphia. owes its force and effect
as charter of government. to the rat
ihcat'oHs by the several states. Bv
these re,ifcauons, the States formed
a complete common or federal gov
ornment to which were committed
powers and jurisdictions that con
cerned matters and interests com
mon to all the States, and which
could be better maintained and Sc
cured by a general government for
the common benefit of all the people
These powers and jurisdiction may be
briefly enumerated as follows: The
common defense. the control of the
exterior and foreign relations of the
states, the creation and maintenance
OF an army and navy. the regulation
| OF commerce with foreign nations and
among the several states. the estab.
lishment OF uniform rules of natural.
lzauon, uniform laws on the subject of
bankruptcy throughout the United
states. the coming of money. and reg.
ulating the value thereof. and the fix
ing OF the standard of weights and
measures, the power to provide for
the punishment OF counterfeiting the
securities and coin of the United
states, TO establish postonices. and
post roads. to define and punish Mira.
cles and telonies on the high seas and
ohenses against the law of nations
10 declare war, grant letters of maruue
and ieprisal, and make rules concern.
ing captures on land and water. 10
provide for calling forth the militia
to execute the laws of the Union. Ia
repress insurrectiOns and repel inva
sions' TO providing. organizing. armine
and disciplining the militia of the
States, or such part as may be EN-
ployed in the service of the United
states, reserving to the states, respec
lively. the appointment OF the officer.
and the authority of training the mil
itia according to the discipline pre-
scribed by Congress. and TO make
rules and regulations for the govern
ment of the common territory of the
United States, as well as for the Dis
liiCl Vi 0OlulDld
Breaches of Government.
The federal government was, as you
know, organized under the constitu.
tion in three branches, consisting OF
the executive branch. represented by
the President; the judicial, repre-
sented by the Supreme Court OF the
United States and such inferior courts
as should from time to time be es-
tablished by Congress; and the legis-
iatiVe, represented by Congfess
composed OF Senate and House Of
representatives. This bi-cameral, or
tWo-chamber, method OF legislation
was wen known and common to our
ancestors in their colonial assem-
nlies and in the constitution of par
lament, by the House of Lords and
the House Of Commons. Such. too