XIV. To declare war, upon examination of the facts submitted to it by the executive.

XV. To regulate the manner in which letters of marque may be issued; to enact laws according to which the prizes on sea and land shall be adjudged good or bad; and to frame the maritime law of peace and war.

XVI. To permit or to forbid the entrance of foreign troops into the territory of the Federation, and to permit fleets of other powers to be stationed in the waters of the Republic for more than one month.2

28

XVII. To permit the departure of national troops beyond the borders of the Republic.28

XVIII. To raise and maintain the army and navy of the Union, and to regulate their organization and service.

XIX. To make regulations for the purpose of organizing, arming, and disciplining the national guard, reserving respectively to the citizens who compose it the appointment of the commanders and officers, and to the states the power of instructing it in conformity with the discipline prescribed by such regulations.

XX. To consent to the use by the executive of the national guard outside of its respective states and territories, determining the strength of the force required.28

XXI. To enact laws on naturalization, colonization, and citizenship.

XXII. To enact laws on the general means of communication and on post-roads and post-offices.

XXIII. To establish mints, regulate the conditions of coinage, determine the value of foreign coins, and to adopt a general system of weights and measures.

XXIV. To make rules for the occupation and alienation of public lands and concerning the prices thereof.

28 By amendment of November 13, 1874, these matters were placed within the exclusive power of the Senate. See sec. B of this article.

XXV. To grant pardons for offenses cognizable by the tribunals of the Federation.

XXVI. To grant rewards or recompense for eminent services rendered to the country or to humanity.20

XXVII. To extend for thirty working days the first period of its regular sessions.

XXVIII. To make rules for its internal government and take the necessary measures to compel the attendance of absent members, and to punish the faults or omissions of those present.

XXIX. To appoint and remove freely the employees in the offices of its secretaryship, and those of the chief auditorship, which offices shall be organized as the law may provide.

XXX. To enact all laws which may be necessary and proper for the execution of the foregoing powers and of all other powers granted by this constitution to the authorities of the Union.30

[A.31 The House of Deputies shall have exclusive power: I. To constitute itself an electoral college for the exercise of the powers granted to it by law, with respect to the election of the President and vice-president of the Republic, members of the Supreme Court of Justice, and senators for the Federal District. 32

II. To accept or to decide concerning the resignations and leaves of absence of the President and vice-president of the Republic, and concerning the resignations of the members of the Supreme Court of Justice. 38

As amended June 2, 1882.

80 Two clauses were added by amendment of April 24, 1896, and were repealed May 6, 1904. They related to the election of President ad interim and to the granting of leave of absence to the President.

81 Added by amendment of November 13, 1874.

32 As amended May 6, 1904.

33 As amended May 6, 1904. Clause II had also been amended April 24, 1896.

III. By means of an inspecting committee from its own body, to watch over the exact performance of the duties of the chief auditorship.

IV. To appoint the principal officers and other employees of the chief auditorship.

V. To constitute itself a jury of accusation, for the high functionaries mentioned in Art. 103.

VI. To examine the accounts which the President shall annually present, to approve the annual estimate of expenses, and to initiate the taxes which in its judgment should be levied to defray such expenses.]

[B.34 The Senate shall have exclusive power:

I. To approve the treaties and diplomatic conventions concluded by the executive with foreign powers.

II. To confirm the nominations which the President of the Republic may make of ministers, diplomatic agents, consulsgeneral, superior officers of the treasury, colonels and other superior officers of the national army and navy, in the manner provided by law.

III. To authorize the executive to permit the departure of national troops beyond the borders of the Republic, the passage of foreign troops through the national territory, and the stationing of fleets of another power in the waters of the Republic for more than one month.

IV. To consent to the use by the executive of the national guard outside of its respective states and territories, determining the strength of the force required.

V. To declare, when the constitutional legislative and executive powers of a state shall have disappeared, that the time has arrived for the appointment of a provisional governor of such state, who shall call elections in conformity with the constitutional laws of the state. The appointment of a governor shall be made by the federal executive with the approval of the Senate, or in its recess of the Permanent Committee. Such apAdded by amendment of November 13, 1874.

pointed governor shall not be elected constitutional governor in the elections which are held by virtue of his summons.

VI. To decide any political questions which may arise between the powers of a state, if any one of them applies to the Senate for this purpose, or when the constitutional order shall have been interrupted by armed conflict in consequence of such questions. In such a case, the Senate shall make its decision in conformity with the general constitution of the Republic and with the constitution of the state.

The exercise of the powers specified in this and in the preceding clause shall be regulated by law.

VII. To constitute itself a court of impeachment, in conformity with Art. 105 of the constitution.]

[C.35 Each of the houses shall have power, without the intervention of the other:

I. To pass economic resolutions with reference to its internal organization.

II. To communicate with the other house and with the executive of the Union, by means of committees from its own body.

III. To appoint the employees of its secretariat, and to make the internal regulations for this office.

IV. To issue summons for extraordinary elections to fill vacancies in their respective memberships.]

PARAGRAPH IV. THE PERMANENT COMMITTEE

ART. 73. During the recesses of Congress there shall be a Permanent Committee composed of twenty-nine members, fifteen of whom shall be deputies and fourteen senators, appointed by their respective houses on the evening before the day for the close of the session. 36

ART. 74. The Permanent Committee shall have the fol

Added by amendment of November 13, 1874.

26 As amended November 13, 1874.

lowing powers [without prejudice to others which this Constitution confers upon it].87

I. To give its consent to the use of the national guard in the cases mentioned in Art. 72, clause XX.

II. To determine, by itself or upon the proposal of the executive, after hearing him in the first case, upon the convocation of Congress or of one of its houses into extraordinary session, the vote of two-thirds of the members present being necessary in either case. The summons shall set forth the object or objects of the extraordinary session.88

III. To approve the appointments referred to in Art. 85, clause III.

IV. To administer the oath of office to the President of the Republic, and to the members of the Supreme Court of Justice, in the cases provided for by this constitution. 39

V. To report upon all matters which have not been acted upon, in order that the next legislature may immediately take them up as unfinished business.

ART. 75.

SECTION II. THE EXECUTIVE POWER

The exercise of the supreme executive power of the Union shall be vested in a single individual, who shall be called "President of the United Mexican States."

ART. 76. The election of the President shall be indirect in the first degree, and by secret ballot, in such manner as may be prescribed by the election law.

ART. 77. In order to become President it is necessary to be a Mexican citizen by birth, in the exercise of his rights, thirty-five years of age at the time of the election, not to belong to the ecclesiastical order, and to be a resident of the country at the time when the election is held.

ART. 78. The President and vice-president of the Repub

37 Amended May 6, 1904.

38 As amended November 13, 1874.

"See Art. 4 of additions to the constitution, of September 25, 1873.