JULY 12, 1776.-REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.

The Committee appointed to prepare articles of confederation brought in a draft which was read.-Manuscript Journal of Congress, Vol. 3.

JULY 12, 1776.-DICKINSON'S DRAFT.

Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union between. the Colonies of New Hampshire or at Philadelphia the Day of

1776

Art. 1st The Name of this Confederacy shall be The United States of America."

Art.' 2d The said Colonies unite themselves so as never to be divided by any Act whatever, and hereby severally enter into a firm League of Friendship with each other, for their common Defence, the Security of their Liberties, and their mutual and general Welfare, binding the [said] Colonies to assist one another against all Force offered to or Attacks made upon them or any of them, on Account of Religion, Sovereignty, Trade, or any other Pretence whatever.

Art.' 34 Each Colony shall retain and enjoy as much of its present Laws, Rights [and Custo]ms, as it may think [fit, and] reserves to itself the sole and exclusive Regulation and Government of its internal Police, in all Matters that shall not interfere with the Articles of this Confederation.

Art.' 4th No Colony or Colonies, without the Consent of the United States assembled shall send any Embassy to or receive any Embassy from, or enter into any Treaty, Convention or Conference with the King or Kingdom of GreatBritain, or any foreign Prince or State, nor shall any Colony or Colonies, nor any Servant or Servants of the United States, or of any Colony or Colonies, accept of any Present Emolument, Office, or Title of any kind whatever, from the King or Kingdom of Great-Britain, or any foreign Prince or State; nor shall the United States assembled, or any Colony grant any Title of Nobility.

Art.' 5th No two or more Colonies shall enter into any Treaty, Confederation or Alliance whatever between them, without the previous and free Consent and Allowance of the

United States assembled, specifying accurately the purposes for which the same is to be entered into, and how long it shall continue.

Art: 6th The Inhabitants of each Colony shall henceforth always have the same Rights, Liberties, Privileges, Immunities and Advantages, in the other Colonies, which the said Inhabitants now have, in all Cases whatever, except in those provided for by the next following article.

Art. 7th The Inhabitants of each Colony shall enjoy all the Rights Privileges, Immunities, & Advantages, in Trade Navigation &. Commerce, in any other Colony, and in going to & from the same from and to any Part of the World, which the Natives of such Colony [, or any Commercial Society established by its Authority, shall] enjoy.

Art.' 8th Each Colony may assess or lay such Imposts or Duties as it thinks proper, on Importation or Exportations, provided such Imposts or Duties do not interfere with any Stipulations in Treaties hereafter entered into by the United States assembled, with the King or Kingdom of Great-Britain, or any foreign Prince or State.

Art.' 9th No standing Army or Body of Forces shall be kept up by any Colony or Colonies in Time of Peace, except such a Number only as may be requisite to garrison the Forts necessary for the Defence of such Colony or Colonies: But every Colony shall always keep up a well regulated and disciplined Militia, sufficiently armed and accoutred; and shall provide and constantly have ready for Use in public Stores, a due Number of Field Pieces and Tents, & a proper Quantity of Ainmunition and Camp Equipage.

Art' 10th When Troops are raised in any of the Colonies for the Common Defence, the Commission Officers. proper for the Troops raised in each Colony, except the General Officers, shall be appointed by the Legislature of each Colony respectively, or in such Manner as shall by them be directed.

Art.' 11th All Charges of Wars and all other Expences that shall be incurred for the Common Defence, or general Wellfare, and allowed by the United States Assembled, shall

be defrayed out of a Common Treasury, which shall be supplied by the several Colonies in Proportion to the Number of Inhabitants of every Age, Sex and Quality, except Indians not paying Taxes in each Colony, a true Account of which distinguishing the white Inhabitants, shall be triennially taken & transmitted to the Assembly of the United States. The Taxes for paying that Proportion shall be laid & levied by the Authority and Direction of the Legislatures of the several Colonies, within the Time agreed upon by the United States assembled.

Art.' 12th Every Colony shall abide by the Determinations of the United States assembled, concerning the Services performed and Losses or Expences incurr'd by every Colony for the Common Defence or General Wellfare, and no Colony or Colonies shall in any Case whatever endeavor by Force to procure Redress of any Injury or Injustice supposed to be done by the United States to such Colony or Colonies in not granting such Satisfaction, Indemnifications, Compensation, Retributions, Exemptions or Benefits of any Kind, as such Colony or Colonies may think just or reasonable.

Art.' 13th No Colony or Colonies shall engage in any War without the previous Consent of the United States assembled, unless such Colony or Colonies be actually invaded by Enemies, or shall have received certain Advice of a Resolution being formed by some Nation of Indians to invade such Colony or Colonies, & that Danger is so imminent as not to admit of a Delay, till the other Colonies can be consulted: Nor shall any Colony or Colonies grant Commissions to any Ships or Vessels of War, nor Letters of Marque or Reprisal, except it be after a Declaration of War by the United States assembled, and then only against the Kingdom or State and the Subjects thereof, against which War has been so declared, and under such Regulations as shall be established by the United States assembled.

Art.' 14th No Purchases of Lands hereafter to be made of the Indians by Colonies or private Persons before the Limits of the Colonies are ascertained, to be valid; all purchases of Lands not included within these Limits, when ascertained, to be made by Contracts between the United

States assembled, or by Persons for that Purpose authorized by them, and the great Councils of the Indians, for the general Benefit of all the united Colonies.

Art.' 15th When the Boundaries of any Colony shall be ascertained by Agreement, or in the Manner hereinafter directed, all the other Colonies shall guarantee to such Colony the full & peaceable Possession of and the free and entire Jurisdiction in and over the Territory included within such Boundaries.

Art.' 16th For the more convenient Management of the general Interests of the United States, Delegates shall be annually appointed in such Manner as the Legislature of each Colony shall direct, to meet at the City of Philadelphia, in the Colony of Pennsylvania, untill otherwise ordered by the United States assembled, which Meeting shall be on the first Monday of November in every Year, with a Power reserved to those who appointed the said Delegates respectively to recal them or any of them at any time within the Year, and to send new Delegates in their stead for the Remainder of the Year. Each Colony shall support its own Delegates in a Meeting of the States, and while they act as Members of the Council of State, hereinafter mentioned.

Art.' 17th In determining Questions each Colony shall have one Vote

Art. 18th The United States assembled, shall have the sole and exclusive Right & Power of determining on Peace and War, except in the Cases mentioned in the thirteenth Article-of establishing Rules for deciding in all Cases, what Captures on Land or Water shall be legal-in what Manner Prizes taken by Land or naval Forces in the Service of the United States shall be divided or appropriated-granting Letters of Marque & Reprisal in Time of Peace-appointing Courts for the Trial of all Crimes Frauds and Piracies committed on the High Seas, or on any navigable River, not within the Body of a County or Parish-establishing Courts for receiving and deterraining finally Appeals in all Cases of Capture-sending and receiving Ambassadors under any Character. Entering into Treaties and Alliances.-settling all Disputes and Differences now subsisting or that hereafter may

arise between two or more Colonies concerning Boundaries, Jurisdictions, or any other Cause whatever-coining Money and regulating the Value thereof-regulating the Trade, and managing all Affairs with the Indians-limiting the Bounds of those Colonies, which by Charter or Proclamation, or under any Pretence, are said to extend to the South Sea, and ascertaining these Bounds of any other Colony, that appear to be indeterminate-assigning Territories for new Colonies, either in Lands to be thus separated from Colonies and heretofore purchased or obtained by the Crown of Great Britain from the Indians, or hereafter to be purchased or obtained from them-disposing of all such Lands for the general Benefit of all the United Colonies-ascertaining Boundaries to such new Colonies, within which Forms of Government are to be established on the Principles of Liberty-establishing and regulating Post Offices throughout all the United Colonies, on the Lines of Communication from one Colony to anotherappointing General officers of the Land Forces in the Service of the United States--commissioning such other Officer of the said Forces as shall be appointed by Virtue of the tenth Article-appointing all the officers of the naval Forces in the Service of the United States-Making Rules for the Government and Regulation of the said Land and Naval Forces-appointing a Council of State, and such Committees and civil officers as may be necessary for managing the gen eral affairs of the United States, under their Direction while assembled, and in their Recess, of the Council of State-Appointing one of their number to preside, and a suitable person for a secretary.—& adjourning to any Time within the Year.

The United States assembled shall have Authority for the Defence and Wellfare of the United Colonies and every of them, to agree upon and fix the necessary Sums and Expences to emit Bills or to borrow Money on the Credit of the united Colonies-to raise naval Forces-to agree upon the Number of Land Forces to be raised, and to make Requisitions from the Legislatures of each Colony, or the persons therein authorized by the Legislature to execute such Requisitions, for the Quota of each Colony, which is to be in Proportion to the Number of white Inhabitants in that Colony, which Requisitions shall be binding, and thereupon the Legis