...before us. Mr. Madison, Federalist, No. 43, thus explains the policy and objects of this provision : "Bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligation of contracts, are contrary to the first principles of the social compact, and to every principle of sound legislation....

...powers of legislative bodies from the enactment of unjust and oppressive laws, such, for instance, as bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligation of contracts ? All such acts would have been by their very nature, in a republican government, outrages upon justice,...

...Congress, and James Mudisoii, in the Federalist, speaking of the prohibition used the following language : Bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligation of contracts are contrary to the first principles of the social compact and to every principle of Hound legislation....

...are grouped contiguously a prohibition against three distinct classes of retrospective laws ; namely, bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligation of contracts. As the clause was first adopted, the words concerning contracts were not in it,- because it was supposed...

...are grouped contiguously a prohibition against three distinct classes of retrospective laws, namely, bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligation of contracts. As the clause was first adopted, the words concerning contracts were not in it, because it was supposed...

...affecting rights are prohibited. The next class of prohibitions contained in this section consists of bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligation of contracts. Here, too, we observe, as I think, members of the same family, brought together in the most intimate...

...exhibited with great clearness and force by one of the distinguished persons who framed that instrument. " Bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligation of contracts, are contrary to the first principles of the social compact, and to every principle of sound legislation....

...that in the British North America Act are not contained our familiar provisions as to eminent domain, bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligation of contracts. All these diversities, and other points of interest, may be found in paragraphs 12, 24, 31-33, and...

...punishable to the extent or in the manner prescribed." In Ogden v. Saunders, 12 Wheat. 213, 267, in speaking of bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligation of contracts, it was said: " The first two of these prohibitions apply to laws of a criminal, and the last to laws...

...debts, is withdrawn from the States, on the same principle with that of striking of paper currency. Bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligation of contracts, are contrary to the first principles of the social compact, and to every principle of sound legislation....