RATIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION
Volume XVII
aommentaries on the
_Aonstitution
ublic and Private
Volume 5
1 April to 9 May 1788
Editors
JOHN P. KAMINSKi        GASPARE J. SALADINO
Senior Associate Editor                  Associate Editor
RICHARD LEFFLER                 CHARLEs H. SCHOENLEBER
a more perfed Union, eftablifh Juftic
Tranquility, provide for the comm
mote the General Welfare, and. fec
Liberty to Ourfelves and our Poflerity. do ordO
Staces, which ihali confit of a Senate and Houie o e ipeldnt"tvcs.
Sea. 2. The Houfe of Reprefentatives 1hall be compofed of members chofen every fecond year
by the people of the feveral fHates, and the ekdors in each flate (hall have the qualifications re
fite for eleaors of the moft numerous branch of the flate legiflature.
No perfon thall be a reptefenative who thall not have attained to the ageof twenLy-five years.
been (even years a citizen of the United States, and who thall not, when ckedd, be an inhab
of that flate in which lie (hall be c'ofen.
Reprefentatives and dired taxes ihall be apportioned among the feveral flates which may b-
cluded within this Union,according to their refpeaive numbers, which thall be determined by a
ing to the whole number of free perfons, including thofe bound to fervice for a term of years,
and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other perfous. The anual enumeration thal
be made within three years after the firft meeting of the Congres of the United States, and within
every fub(equient term of ten yets, in fuch manner as they thail by law dire&. The number of
reprefentatives ball not exceed one for every thirty thoufand, but each flate fhall have at leaft one