A MONOGRAPH ON THE UNITED STATES WASHINGTON: 1929 AIMBORLIAQ JK 168 18 PREPARED BY M. A. MUSMANNO M. A., LL. M., S. J. D., LL. D. MEMBER OF THE BAR OF THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA MEMBER PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATURE HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 82 Submitted by Mr. Kelly IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, January 9, 1928. Resolved, That the compilation made by M. A. Musmanno from the Congressional Record of the facts regarding all amendments of the Constitution of the United States proposed since 1889 be printed as a public document. Attest: WILLIAM TYLER PAGE, 220443 Clerk. PREFACE In 1899 Prof. Herman V. Ames published a treatise on the 1,300 amendments introduced in Congress during the first 100 years of the Constitution's history. Since then, or in only 39 years, another 1,300 amendments have been presented (1,370, to be exact), a fact capable of much interpretation. Professor Ames's treatise was never extended to embrace these latter resolutions, so that prior to the publication of this work there was nothing in the field which would give students of governmental affairs an up-to-date comprehensive idea on this most phenomenal phase of constitutional activity and development. Although in this monograph I treat particularly the amendments introduced since 1889, such being the main burden of the work, yet I include in every section of the text a brief and succinct account of the amendments proposed from 1789 to 1889, if any were presented on the subject under discussion in that particular section. In this way I have endeavored to achieve a certain unity in the work, so that at a moment's glance one may tell what has been the trend of the times on each particular phase of Constitution amending since 1789, which year is now definitely established as the date of the real beginning of the American Commonwealth. M. A. MUSMANNO. |