The Articles of Confederation
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regulating the trade and managing all affairs with the Indians, not members of any of the States,
provided that the legislative right of any State within its own limits be not infringed or violated --
establishing or regulating post offices from one State to another, throughout all the United States,
and exacting such postage on the papers passing through the same as may be requisite to defray
the expenses of the said office -- appointing all officers of the land forces, in the service of the
United States, excepting regimental officers -- appointing all the officers of the naval forces, and
commissioning all officers whatever in the service of the United States -- making rules for the
government and regulation of the said land and naval forces, and directing their operations.
The United States in Congress assembled shall have authority to appoint a committee, to sit in
the recess of Congress, to be denominated 'A Committee of the States', and to consist of one
delegate from each State; and to appoint such other committees and civil officers as may be
necessary for managing the general affairs of the United States under their direction -- to appoint
one of their members to preside, provided that no person be allowed to serve in the office of
president more than one year in any term of three years; to ascertain the necessary sums of
money to be raised for the service of the United States, and to appropriate and apply the same for
defraying the public expenses -- to borrow money, or emit bills on the credit of the United States,
transmitting every half-year to the respective States an account of the sums of money so
borrowed or emitted -- to build and equip a navy -- to agree upon the number of land forces, and
to make requisitions from each State for its quota, in proportion to the number of white
inhabitants in such State; which requisition shall be binding, and thereupon the legislature of
each State shall appoint the regimental officers, raise the men and cloath, arm and equip them in
a solid-like manner, at the expense of the United States; and the officers and men so cloathed,
armed and equipped shall march to the place appointed, and within the time agreed on by the
United States in Congress assembled. But if the United States in Congress assembled shall, on
consideration of circumstances judge proper that any State should not raise men, or should raise
a smaller number of men than the quota thereof, such extra number shall be raised, officered,
cloathed, armed and equipped in the same manner as the quota of each State, unless the
legislature of such State shall judge that such extra number cannot be safely spread out in the
same, in which case they shall raise, officer, cloath, arm and equip as many of such extra number
as they judeg can be safely spared. And the officers and men so cloathed, armed, and equipped,
shall march to the place appointed, and within the time agreed on by the United States in
Congress assembled.
The United States in Congress assembled shall never engage in a war, nor grant letters of marque
or reprisal in time of peace, nor enter into any treaties or alliances, nor coin money, nor regulate
the value thereof, nor ascertain the sums and expenses necessary for the defense and welfare of
the United States, or any of them, nor emit bills, nor borrow money on the credit of the United
States, nor appropriate money, nor agree upon the number of vessels of war, to be built or
purchased, or the number of land or sea forces to be raised, nor appoint a commander in chief of
the army or navy, unless nine States assent to the same: nor shall a question on any other point,
except for adjourning from day to day be determined, unless by the votes of the majority of the
United States in Congress assembled.
The Congress of the United States shall have power to adjourn to any time within the year, and
to any place within the United States, so that no period of adjournment be for a longer duration