Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-07-18
NASHVILLE, TENN. THURSDAY, JULY Is, 1861
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
Confederate States Of America.

tOnltdefdte STATES 0I America
we the people of the Confederate States, each Stat
acting in its sovereign and independent character
order 70 form permanent federal government estab
lish justice, insure domestic tranquility, and
the blessings of liberty 10 ourselves and posteri
tyinvoking the faver and guidance of Almighty Go,
do ordan and establish sthis Constitution for 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 q Senate and House of Representatives,.
4,s- e.sr --s= SECTION 2. a-a
l. The House of Represent shall be composed
OF members chosen every second year by the people
of the several states and the electors in each
shall be citizens of the Confederate States and have
the qualifications requisite for electors of the
numerous branch of the State legislature but no
person of foreign BIRTH not citizen of the Confederate
States shall be allowed 10 vote for any officer, civil
political, State or Federal.
2. No person shall be a 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 an 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-
cluded within this Conederacy, according to their re-
spectiye numbers, which shall be determined, by
ding TO the whole number OF free persons including
those bound 10 service for term of years, and
cluding Indians taxed three fths of all slaves
The actual enumeration shall be made within three
years after the first meeting of the Congress OF the
Confederate States and within every subsequent term
of ten years, in such manner they shall, by law,
direct. The number of Representatives shall not ex
ceed one for fty thousand but each State shall
have least Representatives and until such emu
meration shall be made the State OF South Carolina
shall be entitled to choose six-the State of Georgia
ten-the State of Alabama nine-the State of Florida
twO-the State of Mississippi seven-the of Lou
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 to fill 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
other federal officers resident and acting solely
the limits of any State, may be impeached by vote
of two-thrds of both branches of the Legislature
thereof.
SECTION 8.
l. The Senate of the Confederate States shall be COM
posed of two Senator'S from each State chosen for
years by the legislature thereof the regular
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 may be into three classes The of
the of the first class shall be vacated the
expiration of the second year. of the second class
at the expiration of the sixth year that one-thrd
may be chosen every second year and if 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 ill
such vacancies.
3. 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 inhabtant OF the State for which he shall be
chosen.
A. The Vice President of the Confederate States shall
be President of Senate, but shall have vote,
less they shall be equally divided.
s. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
also President pro tempOre in the absence of the Vice
President when he shall exercise the Office Of Pres
dent of the Confederate States.
g. The Senate shall have the sole power TO try all i'm
peachments When sitting for that purpose they shall
he on IL of q
Confederate States tried the Chief Justice shall pre-
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
tend further than to removal from Office and disqua
under the Confederate but party convicted
SHALL nevertheless, be liable and subject indict-
ment, trial, judgment and punishment according 10
law
SECTION A.
1. The time, place and manner of holding elections
for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed
each State by the legis ture thereof subject the
provisions of this Constitution but the Congress may
at any time, by law, make alter such regulations
except the times and places of choosing Senator's
2. The Congress shall assemble al least in every
year and such meeting shall be on the first Monday
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 members. and a
ness but smaller number may adjourn from day 10
day and may be authorized to compel the attendance
of absent members, such and under such
penalties as each House may provide.
e Each House may determine the rules Of its pro-
ceedngs, punish its members for dsordery behavior,
and with the concurrence Of two thirds of the whole
number, expel member.
8. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
ings, and from time TO time publish the same, excepting
such parts may in their judgment require secrecy,
and the yeas and nays of the members of either
House, any question, SHALL at the desire Of fth
Of those present, by entered on the journal.
a. Neither House, during the session of Congress,
SHALL without the consent Of the other, adjourn for
than three days. TO other place than that
in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
SECTION g.
l. The Senators and Representatives shall receive
for their services to be asceraned by
law and paid out of the treasury of the Confederate
States They shall, in all cases, except treason, and
their attendance at the session of their respective
Houses, and in going TO and returning from the
and for any speech or debate 10 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 no 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 each of the Ex
ecutive Departments seat upon the floor of either
House. with the privilege of discussing any
appertainng 10 his department.
SECTION 7.
l. All bills for raising shall originate the
House of Representatives. but the Senate may pro-
pose concur with amendments as on other bills.
q Every bill which shall have passed both Houses,
SHALL before il becomes a law, be presented TO the
President the Confederate States if he approve he
shall sign but if not he shall return it with his OBJ
ections the House in which it shall have originated
who shall enter the objections at large their jOurn
ais and proceed to reconsider it, IT. after such reconsid
Grafton, thirds of that House shall agree pass
the bill shall be sent together with the Objections
the other House, by which it shall likewise be
and if approved by two-thirds OF that
House. it shall become law But in all such cases,
Of both hall had
and nays and the persons voting for and against the
bill shall be entered the journal of each House re-
spectivey. If any bill shall not be returned by the
President within days (undays excepted) after it
shall have been presented to him. the shall be
law, in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the
Congress, by their adjournment prevent its return in
which il shall not be law. The President may
approve any appropriation and disapprove any other
appropriation in the same bill In such case he SHALL
signing the BILL designate the appropriations disap
proved; and shall return copy of such appropria
ons with his objections, to the House in which the
bill shall have originated, and the proceedings
shall then be had as in case of other bills disapproved
by the President
g. Every order resolution or vote TO which the con-
currence of both Houses may be necessary Except
question of adournment) shall be presented TO the
President of the Confederate States; and before the
shall take effect shall be approved by him;
being disapproved by him, may be re-passed by two
thirds of both Houses according TO the rules and mi
tations prescribed in case Of bill.
SECTION s.
The Congress shall have power
l. To lay and collect taxes, duties imposts and ex-
cises for revenue to 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 du
ties mposts and excises shall be uniform throughout
The Confederate States:
2. To borrow money on the credit of the Confeder-
ate States:
8. To regulate commerce with foreign nations and
among the several States and with the Indian tribes
but neither this, 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 10 facilitate
merce except for the purpose Of furnishing lights,
beacons and buoys, and other aids TO upon
the coasts, and thei improvement OF harbors and the
removing of distractions in river navigation, in all
which cases, such duties shall be laid on the navga
tion facilitated thereby, may be necessary TO pay
the costs and expenses thereof:
f. To establish uniform laws Of naturalization, and.