1. The Alien and Sedition Acts
  2. Fifth Congress of the United States: 1798
  3. I. The Alien Friends Act
  4. An Act Concerning Aliens • June 25, 1798
  5. SECTION 1
  6. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
  7. United States of America in Congress assembled, That it shall
  8. be lawful for the President of the United States at any time
  9. during the continuance of this act, to order all such aliens
  10. as he shall judge dangerous to the peace and safety of the
  11. United States, or shall have reasonable grounds to suspect are
  12. concerned in any treasonable or secret machinations against
  13. the government thereof, to depart out of the territory of the
  14. United States, within such time as shall be expressed in such
  15. order, which order shall be served on such alien by delivering
  16. him a copy thereof, or leaving the same at his usual abode,
  17. and returned to the office of the Secretary of State, by the
  18. marshal or other person to whom the same shall be directed.
  19. And in case any alien, so ordered to depart, shall be found at
  20. large within the United States after the time limited in such
  21. order for his departure, and not having obtained a license from
  22. the President to reside therein, or having obtained such license
  23. shall not have conformed thereto, every such alien shall, on
  24. conviction thereof, be imprisoned for a term not exceeding
  25. three years, and shall never after be admitted to become a
  26. citizen of the United States.
  27. SECTION 2
  28. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the
  29. President of the United States, whenever he may deem it necessary
  30. for the public safety, to grant to such alien as may have been
  31. ordered to depart from the United States, a license to remain
  32. therein for such time and at such place and with such sureties
  33. as he may designate.
  34. SECTION 3
  35. And be it further enacted, That every master or commander of
  36. any ship or vessel which shall come into any port of the United
  37. States after the first day of July next, shall immediately on
  38. his arrival make report in writing to the collector or other
  39. chief officer of the customs of such port, of all aliens, if
  40. any, on board his vessel, specifying their names, age, the
  41. place of nativity, the country from which they shall have come,
  42. the nation to which they belong and owe allegiance, their
  43. occupation and a description of their persons, as far as he
  44. shall be informed thereof.
  45. SECTION 4
  46. And be it further enacted, That the circuit and district courts
  47. of the United States, shall respectively have cognizance of all
  48. crimes and offences against this act. And all marshals and other
  49. officers of the United States are required to execute all
  50. precepts and orders of the President of the United States
  51. issued in pursuance or by virtue of this act.
  52. SECTION 5
  53. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for any
  54. alien who may be ordered to be removed from the United States
  55. by virtue of this act, to take with him such part of his goods,
  56. chattels, or other property, as he may find convenient; and
  57. all property left in the United States by any alien, who may
  58. be removed, as aforesaid, shall be, and remain subject to his
  59. order and disposal, in the same manner as if this act had not
  60. been passed.
  61. SECTION 6
  62. And be it further enacted, That this act shall continue and be
  63. in force for and during the term of two years from the passing
  64. thereof.
  65. II. The Sedition Act
  66. An Act for the Punishment of Certain Crimes • July 14, 1798
  67. SECTION 1
  68. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
  69. United States of America, in Congress assembled, That if any
  70. persons shall unlawfully combine or conspire together, with
  71. intent to oppose any measure or measures of the government of
  72. the United States, which are or shall be directed by proper
  73. authority, or to impede the operation of any law of the United
  74. States, or to intimidate or prevent any person holding a place
  75. or office in or under the government of the United States, from
  76. undertaking, performing or executing his trust or duty, and if
  77. any person or persons, with intent as aforesaid, shall counsel,
  78. advise or attempt to procure any insurrection, riot, unlawful
  79. assembly, or combination, whether such conspiracy, threatening,
  80. counsel, advice, or attempt shall have the proposed effect or
  81. not, he or they shall be deemed guilty of a high misdemeanor,
  82. and on conviction, before any court of the United States having
  83. jurisdiction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding
  84. five thousand dollars, and by imprisonment during a term not
  85. exceeding five years; and further, at the discretion of the
  86. court may be holden to find sureties for his good behaviour in
  87. such sum, and for such time, as the said court may direct.
  88. SECTION 2
  89. And be it further enacted, That if any person shall write, print,
  90. utter or publish, or shall cause or procure to be written,
  91. printed, uttered or published, or shall knowingly and willingly
  92. assist or aid in writing, printing, uttering or publishing any
  93. false, scandalous and malicious writing or writings against the
  94. government of the United States, or either house of the Congress
  95. of the United States, or the President of the United States,
  96. with intent to defame the said government, or either house of
  97. the said Congress, or the said President, or to bring them, or
  98. either of them, into contempt or disrepute; or to excite against
  99. them, or either or any of them, the hatred of the good people
  100. of the United States, or to stir up sedition within the United
  101. States, or to excite any unlawful combinations therein, for
  102. opposing or resisting any law of the United States, or any act
  103. of the President of the United States, done in pursuance of any
  104. such law, or of the powers in him vested by the constitution
  105. of the United States, or to resist, oppose, or defeat any such
  106. law or act, or to aid, encourage or abet any hostile designs
  107. of any foreign nation against United States, their people or
  108. government, then such person, being thereof convicted before
  109. any court of the United States having jurisdiction thereof,
  110. shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars,
  111. and by imprisonment not exceeding two years.
  112. SECTION 3
  113. And be it further enacted and declared, That if any person shall
  114. be prosecuted under this act, for the writing or publishing any
  115. libel aforesaid, it shall be lawful for the defendant, upon the
  116. trial of the cause, to give in evidence in his defence, the
  117. truth of the matter contained in publication charged as a libel.
  118. And the jury who shall try the cause, shall have a right to
  119. determine the law and the fact, under the direction of the
  120. court, as in other cases.
  121. SECTION 4
  122. And be it further enacted, That this act shall continue and be
  123. in force until the third day of March, one thousand eight
  124. hundred and one, and no longer: Provided, that the expiration
  125. of the act shall not prevent or defeat a prosecution and
  126. punishment of any offence against the law, during the time it
  127. shall be in force.
  128. Jonathan Dayton, Speaker of the House of Representatives
  129. Theodore Sedgwick, President pro tempore of the Senate
  130. APPROVED, July 14, 1798
  131. John Adams, President of the United States