trength of the government would secure peace and safety to the frontier
states.

_Clause 4.--Naturalization and Bankruptcy._

_To establish a uniform rule of naturalization[1] and uniform laws on the
subject of bankruptcies[2] throughout the United States._

[1] Naturalization is the process by which an alien becomes a citizen. The
mode is given on page 319.

[2] A bankrupt is one who has been declared by a court to be owing more
than he can pay.

The purposes of a bankrupt law are:

1. To secure an equitable distribution of all the debtor's property among
the creditors.

2. To secure to the debtor a complete discharge from the indebtedness.

_Clause 5.--Coinage and Measures._

_To coin money,[1] regulate the value thereof[2] and of foreign coin,[3]
and fix the standard of weights and measures.[4]_

[1] This is another "sovereign power," and cannot be exercised by states,
counties or cities. Coinage by the United States secures uniformity in
value, and thereby facilitates business.

To "coin money" is simply to stamp upon a precious metal the value of the
given piece. [Footnote: When metals were first used as money, they were
weighed and their purity was determined by testing. This invited fraud.]
For convenience in business transactions, these are coined of certain
sizes. To discourage the mutilation of coins for sinister purposes, they
are "milled" on the edges, and the stamp covers each face so that the
metal could hardly be cut off without the coin showing defacement.

[2] The value is shown by the stamp.

[3] Otherwise, foreign coin would become an article of commerce, and it
would be more difficult to regulate the value of domestic coin.

[4] This power congress has never exercised. But see Johnson's Cyclopedia,
article Gallon.

_Clause 6.--Punishment of Counterfeiting._

_To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and
current coin of the United States._

This is "an indispensable appendage" of the power granted in the preceding
clause, that of coining money.

To discourage counterfeiting, the "securities" are engraved with rare
skill and upon peculiar paper. The penalties for counterfeiting are
printed on the back of some of the "greenbacks."

Under "securities" are included bonds, coupons, national currency,
"greenbacks," revenue and postage stamps, and all other representatives of
value issued under any act of congress.

_Clause 7.--Postoffices._

_To establish pos