Contemporary: Bill of Rights

DESCRIPTION OF CIVIL OATHS, H. E. FIRST EMENDATIONS, TEN IN NUMBER, ON THE 7TH DAY BEFORE THE KALENDS OF OCTOBER, IN THE YEAR P. C. N. 1789, FROM THE CONGRESS PASSED ON THE 18TH DAY BEFORE THE KALENDS.

IAN. ANNO P. C. N. MDCCXCI A CIVITATIBUS PERLATAE

JAN. IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1791, BROUGHT BY THE CITIES

EMENDATIO I

EMENDATION 1

Ne quam legem perferto Congressus quae efficiat ut ulla de rebus divinis opinio vel ulla sacrorum forma publice constituatur, vel quae sanciat quominus omnes ea sacra quae sibi placeant libere colant; vel quae ius libere loquendi vel scripta per prelum edendi minuat; neu, cum populus ius habeat cum bona pace conveniendi, ulla lex sanciat quominus conveniat populus et a magistratibus iniuriarum remedium postulent.

Let no law be brought to the concluded Congress which effects that any opinion about divine matters or any form of sacred rites be publicly established, or which ordains that not all those sacred rites which please them be freely worshipped; or which lessens the right of free speaking or of publishing written works through the press; nor, since the people have the right to meet in good peace, let any law ordain that the people may not assemble and demand from the magistrates a remedy for injuries.

EMENDATIO II

EMENDATION 2

Cum, nisi arma habebit exercita pubes, incolumis stare res publica non possit, ne adimunto ius civile armorum habendorum et ferendorum.

Since, unless the youth trained in arms possess them, the res publica cannot stand unharmed, let not the civil right of having and bearing arms be taken away.

EMENDATIO III

EMENDATION 3

Ne collocanto pace milites in ullis aedibus invito domino neu bello nisi ut lege provisum erit.

Do not quarter, in peace, soldiers in any houses against the will of the master, nor in war except as the law shall have provided.

EMENDATIO IV

EMENDATION 4

Cum id iuris populus habeat ut sancti omnes sint quominus vel ipsi vel domus, res, scripta eorum ab ullo sine iusta causa rapiantur excutianturve, ne violanto hoc ius neve ulli concedunto magistratui ut quemquam excutiant quicquamve rapiant nisi quis iure iurando vel affirmatione sollemni obstrictus causam veri similem adferat subtiliterque describat quem locum scrutari quasque res rapere oporteat.

Since the people have this right, that all be held sacred, so that neither they themselves nor their houses, goods, or writings be seized or searched by anyone without just cause, — and this right not being violated, nor shall it be granted to any magistrate to search or to seize anything from anyone — unless someone, bound by oath or by solemn affirmation, adduces a cause verisimilar and describes with precision which place is to be searched and which things ought to be seized.

EMENDATIO V

EMENDATION 5

Ne quem citanto reum sceleris capitalis vel alioquin flagitiosi nisi a concilio iudiciali maiore accusatur, iis facinoribus exceptis quae, dum in bello praesenti militatur vel in discrimine publico, in militia admissa erunt terrestri vel navali vel inter cuiusvis civitatis vexillarios; neu quemquam eiusdem admissi bis reum faciunto, neu cogunto, dum sceleris reus est, in se testimonium dicere; neu vita, libertate, bonis privanto nisi rite secundum leges cognitum erit; neve in usum publicum bona propria civium sumunto nisi pretio aequo soluto.

Let no one, by citation, be accused as guilty of a capital crime or otherwise infamous except by a greater judicial council, those offenses excepted which, while he is serving in the present war or in public peril, shall have been committed in admitted military service, whether on land or at sea or among the vexillaries of any city; and let no one who has been thus admitted be twice made accused of the same thing, nor compelled, while he is accused of a crime, to give testimony against himself; nor let any be deprived of life, liberty, or goods unless duly adjudged according to the laws; nor let private property of citizens be taken into public use unless an equal price be paid.

EMENDATIO VI

EMENDATION 6

Si quis cuiuspiam criminis reus est, id iuris habeto ut coram sine mora incorrupte atque integre a concilio iudiciali iudicetur quod eiusdem sit Civitatis in qua facinus admissum sit eiusdemque regionis (quae regiones lege antea constitutae sunto), et ut certior fiat cuius rei accusatus sit et quam ob causam, et ut coram accusantes audiat, et ut habeat quo modo testes adesse cosat qui pro se dicere possint, et ut advocati ope in defensione uti liceat.

If anyone is accused of any crime, let this be held as law: that he be judged before the court without delay, incorruptly and with integrity, by the judicial council of the same City in which the offence was committed and of the same region (which regions shall have been previously established by law), and that it be made known of what thing he is accused and for what cause, and that he hear the accusers before the court, and that he have a way for witnesses to be present who can speak for him, and that it be lawful to employ the aid of advocates in his defence.

EMENDATIO VII

EMENDATION 7

In omnibus litibus quae secundum commune quod dicunt ius cognoscuntur, in quibus quidem res agantur quae pluris viginti thalerorum aestimantur, ius habento litigantes ut a concilio iudiciali lis iudicetur; et si de quavis re a concilio iudiciali iudicatum erit, ne quis iudex, postmodo appellatus, de eadem re aliter iudicato quam concilio iudiciali fretus secundum commune quod dicunt ius.

In all suits which are decided according to the common law, as they call it, in which indeed matters are at issue that are estimated at more than twenty thalers, let litigants have the right that the dispute be tried before the judicial council; and if concerning any matter a judgment has been given by the judicial council, let no judge, afterwards appealed to, decide the same matter otherwise than according to the judgment of the judicial council resting on the common law, as they call it.

EMENDATIO VIII

EMENDATION 8

Vadimonium nimium ne exigunto neu multas imponunto nimias neu poenas saevas vel inusitatas sumunto.

Let them not exact excessive vadimonia (bail), nor impose excessive multas (fines), nor exact harsh or unusual poenas (penalties).

EMENDATIO IX

EMENDATION 9

Quod in hac Constitutione quaedam iura enumerantur, non idcirco adimuntur minuunturve cetera iura a populo retenta.

Because certain rights are enumerated in this Constitution, that is not therefore to say that other rights retained by the people are thereby taken away or diminished.

EMENDATIO X

EMENDATION 10

Quae iura haec Constitutio nec Civitatibus Foederatis impertit nec Civitatibus singulis denegat haec omnia vel Civitatibus singulis servantur vel populo.

The rights which this Constitution neither grants to the United States nor denies to the individual States, all these shall be reserved either to the individual States or to the people.