Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-09-07
NASHVILLE, TENN. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1861
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
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 to form permanent federal government estab
lsh Justice insure tranquility and secur,
the blessings of liberty 10 ourselves and pOsteri
ty-nvoking the faver and guidance Of Almighty Cos
do ordain and establish this Constitution Tor Ihs
Confederate States of America.
ARTICLE L
| SECTION l.
All legislative powers herein delegated shall be vested
in Congress of the Confederate States which shall
consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
2.
l. The House of Representatives shall be composed
OF members chosen every second year by the people
of the several states; and the electors each State
shall be citizens of the Confederate states and have
the qualifications requisite for electors the most
numerous branch of the State Legislature but no
person of foreign BIRTH citizen of the Confederate
States shall be allowed o vote for any officer civil or
political, State or Federal
g No person shall be a Representatives who shah
not have attained the age OF twenty five years and
be citizen of the Confederate States and who shall
not, when elected be nhabitaut of that State in
which he shall be chosen.
g. Representatives and Direct Taxes shall be appor
TONED among the sever'l States, which may be in
cuded within this Confederaey, according their re-
spective numbers, which shall be determined by sd-
ding 10 the whole number of free aTsons including
those bound TO service for term OF year, and ex
Eoding It4Gans taxed three-fifths ei a. slaves
The actual enumeration shall be made within three
years after the first meeting the Congress OF the
Confederate States within every slseo.Ieat term
of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law
direct The number of Representatives, sila faot ex
ceed one for every fifty thousand each State shall
meraton shall be made the State of South Carolina
shall be entitled to choose six-the State of gia
ten-the State of Alabama nne-the State Of Florida
two-the State of Mississippi seven-the State of Lou
isana 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 10 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 or
her federal officers resident and acting solely within
the limits of any State, may be impeached by vote
OF twO-thrds of both branches OF the Legislature
thereof.
SECTION 3.
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 at the regular
next Immediately preceding the commencement of
the term OF service and each Senator shall have one
vote.
q Immediately after they shall be assembled, in
consequence of the first election, they shall be divided
equally may be into three classes The seats of
the Senators of the first class shall be vacated the
expiration of the second of the second class at
the expiration of the fourth and of the third class
the expiration of the sixth year that
may be chosen every second year and if vacancies
happen by resignation, otherwise, during the
cess of the legislature of any State, the executive
thereof may make temporary appointments until the
next meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill
such vacancies
5. No person shall be a Senator who shall not have
attained the of thirty years. and be citizen of the
Confederate States and who shall not, when elected,
be inhabitant OF the State for which he shall be
chOsen-
l. The Vice President of Confederate States shall
be President of the Senate but shall have vote
less they shall be equally divided
s. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
also President pro tepOre in the absence of the Vice
President, when he shall exercise the Office of Presi
dent of the Confederate States.
g. The Senate shall have the sole power try all i'm
peachments When sitting for that purpose they shall
be 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
!: Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not
tend further than to removal from Ofce and disqua
fcation to hold and enjoy any office of honor profit,
under the Confederate States but the party convicted
SHALL nevertheless, be liable and subject to indict
ment, trial, judgment and punishment according TO
law.
SECTION 4.
1. The time, place and manner of holding elections
for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed
each State by the legs ture thereof subject the
provisions of this Constitution but the Congress may
at any time, by law make alter such regulations,
except to the times and places of choosing Senator'S
2. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every
year and meeting shall be the first Monday in
December, unless they shall, by law, appoint differ
ent day.
SECTION 5.
/. Each House shall be the judge of the elections
returns and qualifications OF its members, and a
majority of each shall constitute quorum do
ness but a smaller number adjourn from day to
day, and may be authorized compel the attendance
of absent members, i'll such manner and under such
penalties as each House may provide
2 Each House may determine the rules of its pro-
ceedings, punish its members for disOrderly behavior
and, with the concurrence of wothirds of the whole
number, expe a member.
g. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
ngs 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 fifth
Of those present. by entered on the journal
4. Neither House, during the session of Congress,
shall without the of the other adjourn for
in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
SECTION 8.
1. The Senator's and Representatives shall receive
compensation for their services, be ascertaned by
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
heir attendance at the of their respective
Houses and in going to and returning from the
md for any speech debate 10 either House, they
shall not be questioned IN any other place.
2. No Senator Representative shall, during the
lime for which he was elected, be app 'mted to any |
civil office under the authority of the Confederate
states, which shall have been created, or the emou
nents whereof shall have been increased during such
line and no person holding any office under the Con-
ederate States shall be a member of either House
Turing his continuance in office. But Congress may
law grant to the principal officer in each of the
ecutive Departments seat upon the floor OF either
House, with the privilege of discussing any
lppertaining TO his department.
SECTION T. |
l. all bills for raising shall originate in the
House Of Representatives.; but the Senate may pro-
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 not he shall return it with his OBJ
ectons TO the House in which it shall have originated,
who shall enter the objections at large their ourn
lis proceed reconsider it, IT, after such reconsd
grafton two thirds of that House shall agree to pass
he BILL it shall be sent together with the objections,
70 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.
he votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas
bill shall be entered the journal of each House
spectIvely. 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 the
Congress- by their adjournment prevent its RETURN in
which il shall be a law. The President may
approve any appropriation and dsapprove any other
appropriation in the same bill. In such case he shall,
signing the BILL designate the appropr iations disap
tons with his objections to the House in which tn,
bill shall have originated, ano the same proceedings
shall then be had as in case of other bills dsapproved
by the President
of both Houses may be necessary Except on
question of adjournment) shall be presented to the
President Of the Confederate States; and before the
same shall effect shall be approved by him;
beng dsapproved by him, may be re-passed by two |
thirds of both Houses according TO the rules and ml
tations prescribed in case OF bill.
SECTION
The Congress shall have power
l. To lay and collect taxes duties, imposts, and ex
for revenue necessary pay the debts provide
for the common defence, and carry on the govern
ment of the Confederate States, but no bountes shall
taxes ON imporatons from foreign nations be laid to
promote or foster any branch of industry; and ali du
ties imposs and excuses shall be uniform throughout
the Confederate States:
q To borrow money the credit of the Confeder- |
ate States: ---.--
g. To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and
among the several States and with the Indian tribes
but neither this, any other Lclause contain
the constitution shall be construed TO dele
any internal improvement intended facilitate
merce except for the purpose OF furnishing lights,
beacons and buoys and other aids to navigation upon
the coasts and the Improvement of harbors and the
of distractions in river navigation, in all
which cases. such duties shall be laid the nayiga
tion facilitated thereby, may be necessary to pay
sl,ecr ufca and da.rsar tharao