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or, with intent to steal or destroy, shall take and carry away any record, paper, or proceeding of a court of justice, filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of such court, or any paper or document or record filed or deposited in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer, shall, without reference to the value of the record, paper, document, or proceeding so taken, be deemed guilty of felony, and, on conviction in any court of the United States having jurisdiction thereof, shall pay a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars, or suffer imprisonment in a penitentiary not exceeding three years, or both, as the court in its discretion shall adjudge.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That any officer having the custody of any record, document, paper, or proceeding specified in the last preceding section of this Act, who shall fraudulently take away, or withdraw, or destroy any such record, document, paper, or proceeding filed in his office, or deposited with him, or in his custody, shall be deemed guilty of felony in any court of the United States having jurisdiction thereof, and, on conviction, shall pay a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars, or suffer imprisonment in a penitentiary not exceeding three years, or both, as the court in its discretion shall adjudge, and shall forfeit his office, and be for ever afterwards disqualified from holding any office under the Government of the United States.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That if any person or persons shall, directly or indirectly, promise, offer, or give, or cause or procure to be promised, offered, or given, any money, goods, right in action, bribe, present, or reward, or any promise, contract, undertaking, obligation, or security for the payment or delivery of any money, goods, right in action, bribe, present, or reward, or any other valuable

thing whatever, to any member of the Senate or House of Representatives of the United States after his election as such member, and either before or after he shall have qualified and taken his seat, or to any officer of the United States, or person holding any place of trust or profit, or discharging any official function under, or in connection with any department of the Government of the United States, or under the Senate or House of Representatives of the United States, after the passage of this Act, with intent to influence his vote or decision on any question, matter, cause, or proceeding, which may then be pending, or may by law, or under the Constitution of the United States be brought before him in his official capacity, or in his place of trust or profit, and shall be thereof convicted, such person or persons so offering, promising, or giving, or causing or procuring to be promised, offered, or given, any such money, goods, right in action, bribe, present, or reward, or any promise, contract, undertaking, obligation, or security for the payment or delivery of any money, goods, right in action, bribe, present, or reward, or other valuable thing whatever, and the member, officer, or person, who shall in any wise accept or receive the same, or any part thereof, shall be liable to indictment, as for a high crime and misdemeanor, in any court of the United States having jurisdiction for the trial of crimes and misdemeanors; and shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not exceeding three times the amount so offered, promised, or given, and imprisoned in a penitentiary not exceeding three years; and the person convicted of so accepting or receiving the same, or any part thereof, if an officer or person holding any such place of trust or profit as aforesaid, shall forfeit his office or place; and any person so convicted under this section shall for ever be disqualified

to hold any office of honour, trust, or profit, under the United States.

SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That the provisions of this Act, and of the Act of July twenty-ninth, eighteen hundred and forty-six, entitled "An Act in relation to the payment of claims," shall apply and extend to all claims against the United States, whether allowed by special Acts of Congress, or arising under general laws or treaties, or in any other manner whatever.

SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That nothing in the second and third sections of this Act contained shall be construed to apply to the prosecution or defence of any action or suit in any judicial court of the United States. Approved February 26, 1853.

CONSTITUTION

OF THE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

WE, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

ARTICLE I.

SECTION 1.

1. All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a congress of the United States, which shall consist of a senate and house of representatives.

SECTION 2.

1. The house of representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states, and the electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature.

2. No person shall be a representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty-five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which he shall be chosen.

3. Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states which may be included within this Union, according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other persons.

The actual enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct. The number of representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand, but each state shall have at least one representative; and, until such enumeration shall be made, the state of New Hampshire shall be entitled to choose three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.

4. When vacancies happen in the representation from any state, the executive authority thereof shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies.

5. The house of representatives shall choose their speaker and other officers, and shall have the sole power of impeachment.

SECTION 3.

1. The senate of the United States shall be composed

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