ernment only.

The act created great excitement among the colonists, and was soon repealed.

The attempt made to raise a revenue by imposing duties on articles imported, met with similar and even more determined opposition. Remonstrances and appeals to the king and parliament being without effect, Massachusetts recommended the assembling of a Continental Congress to deliberate on the state of affairs. The recommendation was adopted by the colonies. Delegates were chosen in some cases by the lower houses of the legislatures, and in other cases by conventions of the people. This congress met in Phila delphia Sept. 4, 1774. In this congress a rule was adopted which was adhered to till the adoption of the Federal Constitution. The rule gave to each colony one vote on questions coming before congress. This congress adopted a Declaration of Rights, and addresses to the people of England and of the neighboring colonies, and to the king, setting forth their grievances and claims for redress.

A second congress assembled in May, 1775. The delegates were chosen partly by the popular branches of the legislatures and partly by conventions of the people.

This congress took measures for raising an army, and appointed Washington commander-in-chief. They authorized the emission of two million dollars in bills of credit, and published a solemn declaration of the

causes of their taking up arms, an address to the king and an address to the people of Great Britain. Or July 4, 1776, they declared independence of Great Britain.

From this time, if not before, Congress assumed the powers of a national government by the general consent of the people of the colonies. It assumed power to declare war and make peace, to authorize captures, to control military and naval operations, to form alliances and make treaties, to contract debt and to issue bills of credit on the faith of the nation.

It is true that the acts of Congress for the most part were in the form of recommendations, yet they had all the authority of laws.

This government by the Continental Congress has been called the Revolutionary government, in distinction from the government of the Confederation. Till the articles of confederation were adopted, the Continental Congress exercised the powers of a national government.

OUR revolutionary fathers intended to form a gov ernment for the United States, as soon as they had declared them to be independent of Great Britain. On the 11th day of June, 1776, the day on which the committee for preparing the Declaration of Independence was appointed, Congress appointed a committee to prepare and digest a form of Confederation to be entered into by the colonies about to become independent States. This committee consisted of one member from each colony.

In about a month the committee reported a draft which was debated for several days, and on the 20th of August, Congress, in committee of the whole, reported a new draft, which was ordered to be printed for the use of the members. When the articles of Confederation were agreed upon in Congress, a circular was addressed to the legislatures of the sev eral States, requesting them to authorize their dele

gates in Congress to subscribe to the Articles of Confederation in behalf of the States. The articles were not to be binding till they were ratified by all the States. This ratification did not take place till March, 1781, nearly five years after the Declaration of Independence.

The articles were called "Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union between the States." It was not designed to form a national government, but a league of friendship. The second article declares, "Each State retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States in Congress assembled;" and the third article, "The said States hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defence, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare."

Thus it appears that the Confederation was designed to be merely a league between the States, and not a national government.

Provision was made for a Congress as follows:

"For the more convenient management of the general interests of the United States, delegates shall be annually appointed in such manner as the legislature of each State shall direct, to meet in Congress on the first Monday in November in every year, with a power reserved to each State to recall its delegates,

or any of them, at any time within the year, and to send others in their stead for the remainder of the year.

"No State shall be represented in Congress by less than two, nor by more than seven members, and no person shall be capable of being a delegate for more than three years in any term of six years; nor shall any person, being a delegate, be capable of holding any office under the United States, for which he, or another for his benefit, receives any salary, fees, or emoluments of any kind.

"Each State shall maintain its own delegates in a meeting of the States, and while they act as members of the committee of the States.

"In determining questions in the United States in Congress assembled, each State shall have one vote."

It will be observed that the Congress of the Confederation, like the Revolutionary Congress, consisted of only one House; that the members were chosen by the legislatures of the States; that they were chosen for a year, but might be recalled at any time if the legislature saw fit to do so; that the salaries of the members were paid by the States appointing them, and that the method of voting was by States—each State having one vote. A majority of the delegates from a State determined the vote of that State. they were evenly divided on a question, the vote of the State was lost.

If