any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof; but Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each house, remove such disability. SEC. 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned; but neither the United States, nor any State, shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebeliion against the United States, or any claims for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations, and claims shall be held illegal and void. SEC. 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article: Therefore, Be it resolved by the general assembly of the State of Indiana, That said proposed amendments to the Constitution of the United States are hereby accepted and ratified on the part of the State of Indiana. And be it further resolved, That the governor be authorized and requested to forward an authenticated copy of this joint resolution to the Secretary of State of the United States. STATE OF INDIANA, Office Secretary of State, ss: I, Nelson Trusler, secretary of state for the State of Indiana, do hereby certify that the above and foregoing is a full, true, and complete copy of enrolled joint resolution No. 1, from which the same was taken, now on file in the office of secretary of state, for the said State of Indiana. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hd an affixed the seal of the said State of Indiana, at the city of Indianapolis, this second day of [SEAL.] February, A. D. 1867. NELSON TRUSLER, BREAKWATER ON BLOCK ISLAND. RESOLUTIONS OF THE LEGISLATURE OF RHODE ISLAND, RELATIVE TO A breakwater on Block island. FEBRUARY 9, 1867.-Referred to the Committee on Commerce and ordered to be printed. Whereas this general assembly, duly appreciating the exposed position of the island of Block island, and the importance to the commerce of the country at large, as well as to the commerce carried on from that island, believe that there should be a suitable harbor there for the purpose of sheltering vessels during storms and adverse winds; and believing that this desirable end may be attained at a very moderate cost in comparison to the benefits to be conferred, it is therefore Resolved, That the senators and representatives in Congress from this State be, and they hereby are, requested to bring this subject to the attention of the respective houses of Congress, and to use their best exertions to procure an appropriation from Congress for the purpose of building a breakwater, or of securing a safe harbor for vessels at said island. Resolved, That the secretary of state be, and he hereby is, directed to forward a copy of the aforegoing preamble and resolution to each of our senators and representatives in Congress, with a request that they would bring the same before their respective houses. A true copy: JOHN R. BARTLETT, A proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States. FEBRUARY 11, 1867.-Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary and ordered to be printed. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, OHIO, Secretary of State's Office: I, William Henry Smith, secretary of state of the State of Ohio, do hereby certify that the annexed is a true copy of a joint resolution of the general assembly of the State of Ohio, "relative to an amendment of the Constitution of the United States," passed January 11, 1867, as taken from the original rolls on file in this office. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name and [SEAL.] affixed the great seal of the State of Ohio, at Columbus, the 15th day of January, A. D. 1867. WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, Whereas the general assembly has received official notification of the passage by both Houses of the thirty-ninth Congress of the United States, at its first session, of the following proposition to amend the Constitution of the United States, by a constitutional majority of two-thirds thereof, in the words following, to wit: JOINT RESOLUTION proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, (two-thirds of both houses concurring,) That the following article be proposed to the legislatures of the several States as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which, when ratified by three-fourths of said legislatures, shall be valid as a part of the Constitution, namely: ARTICLE XIV. SECTION 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States, and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. SEC. 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial officers of a State, or the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State. SEC. 3. No person shall be a senator or representative in Congress, or elector of President or Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who having previously taken an oath as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each house, remove such disability. SEC. 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations, and claims shall be held illegal and void. SEC 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce by appropriate legislation the provisions of this article. And whereas three-fourths of the legislatures of the States composing the United States are required to give assent to the said proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States before it becomes a part thereof: Therefore Resolved by the general assembly of the State of Ohio, That we hereby ratify, on behalf of the State of Ohio, the above recited proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Resolved, That certified copies of the foregoing preamble and resolution be forwarded by the governor of Ohio to the President of the United States, to the presiding officer of the United States Senate, and the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Adopted January 11, 1867. ED. A. PARROTT, Speaker of the House of Representatives. President of the Senate. |