Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-07-30
CONSTITUTION
a-.-.--- OF THE r.s
Confederate States Of America.


Confederate States Of America
We, the people of the Confederate States each Stat.
acting in its sovereign and independent character il
order N form permanent federal government estab
ilsh JUSTICE insure domestic tranquility and
the blessings of liberty TO ourselves and posteri
ty-invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty GoC
do ordain and establish this Constitution Tor tn,
Confederate States Of America
ARTICLE l.
SECTION 1.
All legislative powers herein delegated shall be vested
in Congress OF the Confederate States which shall
consist of a Senate and House Of Representatives..
SECTION g 80
1. The House of Representatives shall be composed
OF members chosen every second year by the people
OF the sevsral states and the electors in each
shall be citizens OF the Confederate States aud
the qualifications requisite for electors of the
numerous branch Of the state Legislature but no
person OF foreign birth Citizen OF the Confederate
States, shall be allowed vote tor any officer civil or
politi al, State Federal
2. No person shall be Representative who shall
not have attained the age TWENTY-FIVE years and
be citizen OF the Confederate states and who shall
which he shall be chosen.
g. Representatives and Direct Taxes shall be appor-
toned among the several States, which may be in
cluded within this Confederacy, according their
spective numbers, which shall be determined by ad-
ding 10 the whole number of free persons, including
those bound TO service for term OF years and ex
Guiding Indians taxed, three ifths of all slaves
The actual enumeration shall be made within three
years after first meeting of the Congress OF the
Confederate States, and within subsequent term
of ten years, in such manner they shall. by Isw.
direct The number OF Representative shall not /
coed one for every hty thousan but each State shall
have at least Representatives and until such
meration shall be made the State of South Carolina
shall be entitled TO choose six-the State of Geo ga
ten-the State OF Alabama nne-the State of Florida
two-the State OF Mississippi seyen-the State CT Lou
siana six, and the State of Texas
1. When vacancies happen in the Representative
from State, the Executive authority thereof shall
issue wrts OF election to ill such vacancies.
5. The House of Representatives shall choose their
speaker and other officers; and shall have the sole
power OF impeachment; except that any judicial or
her federal officers resident and acting solely within
the limits of any State, may be impeached by vote
of two-thirds Of both branches Of the Legislature
thereof.
SECTION s.
l. The Senate OF the Confederate States shall be
posed of Senators from each State chosen for six
years by the legislature thereof 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 be into three classes The seats of
the of the first class shall be vacated the
expiration of the second of the second class
the expiration of the fourth third
at the expiration of the sixth wear so that
may be chosen every second year and il vacancies
happen by resignation or otherwise, during the
of the legislature of any State, the executive
thereof may make temporary appointments until the
next meeting of the Legislature, which shall then n
such ,nces.
g. NO person shall be Senator who shall not have
attained the Of thirty and be citizen OF the
Confederate States and who shall not, when elected,
be inhabitant OF the State for which he shall be
chosen.
The Vice President of the Confederate States shall
President of Senate, but shall vote,
less they shall be equally divided
5. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
also President pro ore in the absence of the Vice
han haG hal ~
dent of the Confederate States.
g. The Senate shall have the sole power try all i'm
peachments When sitting that purpose they shall
be n oath or affirmation. When the President of the
Confederate States tried the Chief Justice shall
side and no person shall be convicted without the
concurrence of two-thirds of the members present
Z. Judgment in cases of Impeachment shall not ex-
tend further than TO removal from Office and disquali
hcaton TO hold and enjoy any Office of honor profit,
under the Confederate States but the purity convicted
shall, nevertheless, be liable and sub ect ndict-
ment, trial, Judgment and punishment according to
law.
SECTION 4.
1. The time, place and manner of holding elections
Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed
in each State by the egsl thereof subject to the
provisions of this Constitution but the Congress may
any time, by law, make or alter such regulations,
except to the times and places of choosing Senator's
2 The Congress shall assemble at least in every
year meeting shall be the first Monday in
December, unless they shall, by law, appoint dier
ent day
SECTION D.
l. Each House shall be the Judge OF the elections
returns and qualifications of its members, and a
majority OF each shall constitute quorum do bust
ness but a smaller number may adjourn from day to
day and may be author zed TO compN 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-
ceedings, punish its members for dsordery behavior
and with the concurrence of twothrds OF the whole
number, eXpel a member.
g. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
ngs and from time to time publish the excepting
such parts as may in their require secrecy
and the yeas and nays of the members of either
House, on any question, shall at the desire of oneh
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 9.
l. The Senators and Representatives shall receive a
compensation their services be ascertained By
law and paid out of the treasury Of the Confederate
States They shall, in all cases, except treason and
breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during
Houses and in going to and returning from the
and for any speech debate in either House, they
shall not be questioned IN any other place.
2. No Senator OF Representative shall, during the
time for which he was elected, be app nted 10 any
civil Office under the authority of the Confederate
States which shall have been created or the emolu
whereof shall have been increased during such
time and no person holding any Office under the Con-
federate States shall be a member of either House
by grant to the principal officer in each of the Ex
ecutive Departments seat upon the floor of either
House, with the privilege OF discussing
appertaining TO his department.
SECTION Z.
1. Ali bills for raising revenue shall originate in the
House of Representatives; but the Senate may pro-
pJse or concur with amendments as on other bills.
2. Every bill which shall have passed both uses,
shall, before it becomes law, be presented to the
President of the Confederate States if he approve he
shall sign but if not he shall return it with his OBJ
lectons to the House in which it shall have originated
who shall the objections large their journ
ais proceed to reconsider it, IT. after such reconsid
eration twothirds of that House shall agree pass
the BILL il shall be SENT together with the objections
the other House, by which it shall likewise be
considered, and If approved by two-thirds OF that
House. ii shall become law. But in all such
the Of both Houses shall be determined by yeas
and nays and the persons voting for and against the
bill shall be entered on journal each House
spectively If any bill shall returned by the
President within ten days (Sundays excepted alter it
shall have been presented to him. the game shall be
law in like manner if he had signed it, unless the
Congress- by their adjournment prevent its return IN
which case IL shall not be law. The President may
approve any appropriation and disapprove any other
appropriation the same bill. In such case he shall
signing the BILL designate the appropriations disap
proved; and shall return copy of such appropria-
lions with his objections the House in which the
bill shall originated, the proceedings
shall then be had in case Of other bills dsapproved
By the President
currence OF both Houses may be necessary (except on
question of adournment) shall be presented 10 the
President of the Confederate States and before the
same shall take effect shall be approved by him; or
beng disapproved by him, may be passed by two
thirds of both Houses according to the rules and mi-
tations prescribed in case OF bill --.-
sa SECTION s. .=.-F--
The Congress- shall have power l..
l. To lay and collect taxes, duties, mposts, and
cises necessary pay the debts, provide
for the common Defence and carry on the govern
of the Confederate States but bounties shall
be granted from the treasury; shall any duties
taxes importatons from foreign nations be laid to
promote foster any branch Of industry; and all
ties mposts and excuses shall be uniform throughout
the Confederate States:
3 To borrow money on the credit of the Confeder-
ate States:
among the several states and with the Indian tribes
but neither this, nor any other clause contain
ed In the constitution, shall be construed dele
gate the power TO Congress TO appropriate money for
any internal Improvement intended facilitate
merce; except for the purpose Of furnishing lights
beacons and buoys, and other aids 70 upon