Constitution (Emperor George I)

The Albany Plan of 1754, with obvious and slight modifications, proved to be the basis for a constitutional document for the new Empire of North America, as provided for by the Treaty of Paris 1783. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, became the Imperial Capital.

The Constitution Act of 1787 provided for a unicameral Congress, seated in Philadelphia, which was modeled after Benjamin Franklin's idea of a Great Council. The Congress would be apportioned according to each State's revenue brought to the Empire, just as in the Albany Plan, rather than by equal suffrage or by proportion of population, as was proposed by the Suffragist and the Populist factions, respectively, at the Constitutional Convention. The Assembly or Lower House of each State would elect the Members of Congress (MCs) as it would see fit. The Emperor's Assent would be required for passage of all bills.

The Act also provided for an executive, in the form of the Governor-General, drawn from the ranks of the State Governors appointed by the Emperor (with the advice and consent of the State Assemblies.) The Governor-General would form a Cabinet of five Secretaries heading the Foreign, Treasury, War, Interior and Post Offices, as well as several Secretaries without Portfolio to advise with various matters.

Finally, the Act proposed a Supreme Court to advise the Emperor--who as Chief Justice, would adjudicate constitutional and other disputes among the States as well as provide for an appeal of last resort for common and criminal cases. Justices of the Supreme Court would be appointed by an Act of Congress to serve an indefinite term.

The removal of government officials was provided for by the mechanism of impeachment, whereby a majority of Congress would have no confidence in the officials, and thence send them to the Supreme Court and the Emperor for trial.