Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-20
NASHVILLE, TENN. TUESDAY. AUGUST 30. 1861
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
Confederate States Of America.

CONO i Il - Il lON
Confederate States Of America,
we the people of the Confederate States, each State
acting in its sovereign and independent character
order 70 form permanent federal government estab
lish justice, insure domestic tranquility, and secure
the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our poser
do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
Confederate States Of America.
ARTICLE L
SECTION !.
All legislative powers herein delegated shall be vested
in Congress of the Confederate States, which shall
consist of Senate and House of Representatives.
SECTION g.
l. The House of Representatives shall be composed
OF members chosen every second year by the people
of the several states and the electors in each State
shall be citizens of the Confederate States and have
the qualifications requisite for electors of the most
numerous branch of the State Legislature but no
States, shall be allowed for any officer, civil
POLITICAL State or Federal.
2. No person shall be Representative, who shall
not have attained the age of twenty-five years. and
be citizen of the Confederate States, and who shall
not when elected, be inhabitant of that State in
which he shall be chosen.
g. Representatives and Direct Taxes shall be appor
toned among the several States, which may be in
spective numbers, which shall be determined by ad-
ding TO the whole number OF free persons, including
thoss bound TO service for term of years, and
cludiag Indians not taxed three-ffths of all slaves
The actual enumeration shall be made within three
after the first meeting of the Congress of the
Confederate Staes and within every subsequent term
of ten years, in such manner they SHALL by law,
direct. The number of Representatives shall
ceed for every fifty Thousand but each State shall
have at least one Representative and until such
meration shall be made the State of South Carolina
shall be entitled TO choose sx-the State of Georgia
ten-the State of Alabama Dine-the State of Florida
fVgn- he he Of
isiana six, and the State of Texas six.
4. When vacancies happen in the representation
from any State, the Executive authority thereof shall
issue writs of election fill such vacancies.
g. The House of Representatives shall choose their
speaker and other officers; and shall have the sole
power OF impeachment; except that any judicial
other federal officers resident and acting solely within
the limits of any State, may be impeached by
of two-thirds OF both branches OF the Legislature
thereof
SECTION 8.
l. The Senate of the Confederate States shall be COM
posed of Senators from each State chosen for
years by the legislature thereof at the regular session
next Immediately preceding the commencement of
the term of service and each Senator shall have one
vote
2. Immediately after they shall be assembled in
consequence of the first election they shall be divided
equally as may be into three classes. The seats of
the Senators of the first class shall vacated the
expiration of the second year of the second class at
the expiration of the fourth and of the third class
at the expiration of the sixth year that onethird
may be chosen every second year and if vacancies
happen by resignation, or otherwise, during the re-
thereof may make temporary appointments until the
next meeting of the Legislature, which shall then I'LL
such vacancies
g. No person shall be a Senator who shall not have
attained the age Of thirty years, and be citizen of the
Confederate States and who shall not when elected,
be an nhabitant of the State for which he shall be
chosen.
4 The Vice President of the Confederate States shall
be President Of the Senate but shall have no vote, un
less they shall be equally divided.
5. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
also President teDore in the absence of the Vice
has hall fhon aRfI
dent of the Confederate States.
g. The Senate shall have the sole power try all
peachments Whenslt for that purpose, they shall
be on oath affirmation When the President of the
Confederate States is tried, the Chief Justice shall pre-
side and person shall be convicted without the
concurrence of two-thirds of the members present.
l. Judgment in cases of Impeachment shall not ex-
tend further than to removal from office and dsGuali-
icaton hold and enjoy any office of honor profit
under the but the party convicted
shall, nevertheless, be liable and subject TO indct
ment, trial, judgment and punishment according TO
law.
SECTION L.
1. The time, place and manner of holding elections
for Senators and Representatives shall prescribed
in each State by the legislature thereof subject
provisions of this Constitution but the Congress may
at any time, by law, make or alter such regulations,
except to the times and places of choosing Senator's
The Congress shall assemble at least in every
year and such meeting shall be the first Monday in
December unless they shall, by law, appoint differ
ent day.
1. Each House shall be the Judge of the elections,
returns and qualifications of its own members, and a
majority of each shall constitute quorum do busi-
ness /; but smaller number may adjourn from day TO
day and may be authorized to compel the attendance
of absent members, in such manner and under such
penalties each House may provide.
2 Each House may determine the rules of its pro-
ceedngs punish its members for dsordery behavior,
and with the concurrence of twothirds of the whole
number, expel member.
8. Each House shall keepa journal of its proceed
ings and from time to time publish the excepting
such parts may in their judgment require secrecy
and the and of the members of either
House, any question: shall, at the desire of one-h
of those present, by entered on the journal.
4. Neither House, during the session of Congress,
SHALL without the consent of the other, adjourn for
than three days. any other place than that
in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
SECTION o.
l. The Senators and Representatives shall receive a
compensation for their services to be ascertained by
law and paid of the treasury of the Confederate
States They shall in all cases. except treason and
breach of the peace be privileged from arrest during
their attendance at the session of their respective
Houses, and in going TO and returning from the same
and for any speech or debate n either House, they
shall not be questioned In any other place.
2 No Senator or Representative shall, during the
time for which he elected, be appointed to any
civil office under the authority Of the Confederate
States, which shall have been created, the emou
ments whereof shall have been increased during such
time and person holding any office under the Con-
federate States shall be member of either House
during his continuance in office. But Congress may
by law grant to the principal officer in each of the Ex
ecutive Departments seat upon the floor of either
House, with the privilege of discussing any measures
appertaining to his department.
SECTION 7.
l. All bills for raising revenue shall originate the
House of Representatives; but the Senate may pro-
pose concur with amendments other bills.
2. Every bill which shall have passed both Houses
shall, before it becomes law, be presented to the
President of the Confederate States if he approve he
shall sign it but if he shall il with his OBJ
jectons the House in which it shall have originated
who shall enter the objections at large their journ
ais proceed to reconsider it, If after such reconsid
Grafton, twothirds of that House shall agree to pass
the BILL il shall be sent together with the objections
10 the other House, by which it shall likewise be re
considered, and if approved by twothirds of that
House, it shall become law But in all such cases
the votes of both Houses.sha be determined by yeas
and nays, and the persons voting for and against the
bill shall be entered the journal of each House
spectIvey. If any bill shall not be returned by the
President within ten days (Sundays excepted) after
shall have been presented to him. the same shall be
law, in like manner he had signed it, unless tbs
Congress- by their adjournment, prevent its return
which case it shall not be law. The President may
approve any appropriation and disapprove any othel
appropriation in the bill. In such case he shall
signing the BILL designate the appropriations disap
proved; and shall return copy of such appropria
tions, with his objections, TO the House In which th'
bill shall have originated and the same proceeding
shall then be had in case of other bills dsapprovet
| by the President.
| g. Every order resolution or vote which the con
currence of both Houses may be necessar Except OF
question of adjournment) shall be presented to tn
Presiden. of the Confederate States; and before TN
same shall take effect, shall be approved by him;
being disapproved by him, may be repassed by two
thirds of both Houses according TO the rules AID mi
tations prescribed in case OF a bill.
| SECTION
| The Congress shall have power
l. To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, ana ex
cises for revenue necessary pay the debts provid
| for the common defence, and carry on the govern
ment of the Confederate States, but no pounes sai
be granted from the treasury nor shall any ou.ies
taxes on importatons from foreign nations De iaio
promote or foster any branch Of industry and an du
ties mposts and excuses shall be uniform Throughout
| the Confederate States:
3. To borrow money on The credit of the confeder
ate States: .., -, ..,ov, -,
among the several States and with the Indian tribes
| nut neither this, nor any other Eclause contain
ed in the constitution shall be construed TO dele
cate the power Congress TO appropriate money TO
snv internal Improvement intended TO facilitate com
merce; except for the purpose Of iurnlsning ngnis
| the coasts and the Improvement OF harbors and tn
removing of distractions in river navigation, In a