Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-02
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
Confederate States Of America,

we the people of the Confederate States each Stat
acting in its sovereign and independent character,
order to form permanent federal government, estab
lish justice, insure domestic tranquility and
the blessings of liberty ourselves and poster
ty-nvoking the faver and guidance of Almighty Co
do ordain and establish this Constitution for tn
Confederate States of America.
ARTICLE L
SECTION l.
All legislative powers herein delegated shall be vestec
in Congress of the Confederate States which shal
consist of Senate and House of Representatives,.
SECTION 2.
1. 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 Stat
shall be citizens of the Confederate States, and have
the qualifications requisite for electors of the mos
numerous branch of the State Legislature but nc
of foreign BIRTH not citizen of the Confederate
States shall be allowed to vote for any officer, civil
POLITICAL State Federal
q 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.
3. Representatives and Direct Taxes shall be appor-
toned among the several States, which may be in
cluded within this Confederacy according to their
spective numbers, which shall be determined by ad-
ding to the whole number of free persons, including
those bound to service for term of years, and
cludng Indians not taxed three fths of ali 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 as 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 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
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 TO fill such vacancies.
s.. 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 within
the limits of any State, may be impeached by vote
of twO-thirds of both branches Of the Legislature
thereof
SECTION g.
l. The Senate of the Confederate States shall be
posed of two Senators from each State chosen for six
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 senators of the first class shall be vacated at 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 snail then I'LL
such vacancies
g. No perscn shall be a Senator who shall not have
attained the thirty and or the
Confederate States and who shall not when elected,
be inhabitant Of the State for which he shall be
chosen.
4 The Vice President of the Confederate States shall
be President Senate but shall have VOTE
less they shall be equally divided.
5. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
President pro teBOre 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
be oath or affirmation When the President of the
Confederate States is tried the Chief Justice shall pre-
side and no person shall be convicted without the
concurrence of twO-thirds of the members present.
T. Judgment in cases of Impeachment shall not ex-
tend further than removal from Office and disaua
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 tC
law.
SECTION A.
l. The time, place and manner of holding elections
for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed
each State by the egsl ture thereof subject the
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 Senators
The Congress shall assemble at least once in every
year and such meeting shall be the first Monday in
December, unless they shall, by law, appoint di1er
ent day.
l. Each House shall be the judge of the elections
returns and qualifications of its members, and
majority of each shall constitute quorum to do bus
but a smaller number may adjourn from day tC
day and NAV be authorized compel the attendance
penalties each House may provide.
2. Each House may determine the rules of its pro
ceedings, punish its members for dsorderly behavior
and with the concurrence OF twothirds of the whole
number, expel a member.
8. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
ngs and from time to time publish the excepting
such parts in their judgment require secrecy
and the yeas and nays of the members of ethel
House. any question, SHALL the desire of ftl
of those present, by entered on the Journal.
q. Neither House, during the session of Congress
shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn fol
than three days, to any other place than tina
in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
SECTION 8.
l. The Senators and Representatives shall receive
compensation for their services to be ascertained By
law and paid out of the treasury of the Confederate
States They shall in all cases except treason anC
breach of the peace be privileged from during
their attendance at the session of their respective
Houses and in going to and returning from the
and for any speech debate 10 either House, the,
shall not be questioned IN any other place.
2. No Senator or Representative shall, during tn
time for which he was elected, be appointed to an
civil office under the authority of the COnfederat
States, which shall have been created, the emou
ments whereof shall have been increased during sue
time and person holding any Office under the Con
federate States shall be a member of either Hous
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 ethe
House, with the privilege of discussing any
appertaining to his department
SECTION 7.
l. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in tn
House of Representatives, but the Senate may pro
pose or concur with amendments on other bills.
2 Every bill which shall have passed both Houses
SHALL before it becomes a law, be presented to tn
President of the Confederate States if he approve,
shall sign but if not he shall return it with his oh
econs TO the House in which it shall have originated
who shall enter the objections at large their journ
ais and proceed reconsider it. If after such reconsd
Grafton two-thrds of that House shall agree pas
the BILL it shall be seDt together with the objections
to the other House. by which it shall likewise be re
considered, and if approved by twO-thirds Of tina
House, il shall become a law. But IN all such cases
the of both Housessshall be determined by yea
and nays, and the persons voting for and against tn
bill shall be entered the journal of each House
spectivey If any bill shall not be returned by tn
President within ten days (Sundays excepted after
shall have been presented to him, the shall be
law, in like manner as he had signed 1t, unless tn
Congress, by their adjournment, prevent its return
which il shall not be law. The President ma
approve any appropriation and disapprove any othe
appropriation in the same bill In such case he shal
in signing the BILL designate the appropriations disaI
proved; and shall return copy of such approprlf
lions, with his objections TO the House in which III
bill shall have originated, and the same proceeding
shall then be had in case of other bills disapprove
"a Every order resolution or vote to which the col
currence Of both Houses may be necessary except
a question of adournment) shall be presented TO Il
President of the Confederate States and before Il
same shall take effect, shall be approved by him;
being disapproved by him, may be re-passed by tw'
thirds of both Houses according TO the rules and linn
tations prescribed in case OF a BILL
| SECTION 8.
The Congress shall have power
l. To lay and collect taxes, duties imposts, and e
cises for necessary pay the debts, provit
| for the common defence, and carry on the goyer
ment of the Confederate States but no bounties shs
be granted from the treasury; nor shall any duties
taxes importations from foreign nations be laid
promote foster any branch of industry; and all
ties imposts, and excuses shall be uniform througho
| the Confederate States:
2 To borrow money on the creolt OF the ConIeue
ate States:
g. Te regulate commerce with foreign nations, al
among the several States and with the Indian tribe
l knt thar any