Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-31
NASHVILLE TENN. SATURDAY, AUGUST 81. 1861.
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
Confederate States Of America.

IL Il Il Il Il
OF THE
Confederate States Of America,
We the people of the Confederate States each Stat.
acting in its sovereign and independent character
order u form permanent federal government, estab
lish justice domestic tranquility, and secure
the blessings OF liberty 10 ourselves and our poster
ty-inyoking the faver and guidance of Aimg God
do ordain aud establish this Constitution the
Confederate States of America
ARTICLE 1.
SECTION l..
All legislative powers herein delegated shall be vested
in Congress of the Confederate States which shall
consist of Senate and House OF Representatives
SECTION 2.
/. 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 of the most
numerous branch of the State Legislature but no
States, shall be allowed TO vote for any officer, civil
potiral, State or Federal.
2. No person shall be a Representative, who shall
not have attained the age OF twenty five years. and
be a citizen Of the Confederate states, and who shall
not, when elected, be inhabtant of that State in
which he shall be chosen.
g. Representatives and Direct Taxes shall be appor-
toned among the sever Il States, which may be
euded within this Confectionery, according their
ding TO the whole number of free persons, including
those bound 10 service Tor term of years and ex-
cluding Indians not taxed, threeffths 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
Of ten years, in such manner they shall. by law,
direct. The number of Representatives shall not ex
ceed for every fifty thousand each State shall
have al least Representatives and until such emu
meration shall be made the State Of South Carolina
shall be entitled to choose six-the State of Geo gia
ten-the State of Alabama nne-the State of Florida
tYO-the State of Mississippi seven-the State of Lou
isiana SIX and the State of Texas SIX.
4. When vacancies happen in the representation
from State the Executive authority thereof shall
writs of election to fill such vacancies.
3. The House of Representatives shall choose their
speaker and other officers; and shall have the sole
power of impeachment; except that any judicial
her federal officers resident and acting solely
the limits OF any State, may be impeached by vote
of twO-thiris uf both branches of the Legislature
thereof. ...
l. The Senate of the Confederate States shall be
posed of two Senators from each State chosen for six
by the legislature thereof at the regular session
next Immediately preceding the commencement of
the term of service and each Senator shall have
vote.
consequences 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 year of the second class at
the expiration of the fourth year and of the third class
at the expiration of the sixth year that third
may be chosen every second year and If vacancies
happen by resignation, or otherwise, during the
of the legislature of State, the executive
thereof may make temporary appointments until the
next meeting of the Legislature, which shall then ill
such vacancies.
g. 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 an inhabitant of the State for which he shall be
chosen.
The Vice President of the Confederate States shall
be President of the Senate but shall have vote un
less they shall be equally divided
;. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
a President absence o
President, when he shall exercise the Office Presi
dent of the Confederate States.
D. The Senate shall have the sole power to try all i'm
peachmens. When sitting for that purpose they shall
be TN oath or affirmation When the President of the
Confederate States tried the Chief Justice shall pre-
side and no person shall be convicted without the
of two-thirds of the members present.
I: Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not
tend further than TO removal from office, 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 indict
ment, trial, Judgment and punishment according to
law.
SECTION 4.
L. The time, place and manner of holding elections
for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed
each by the legisl thereof subject
provisions this Constitution but the Congress may
al any time, by law, make alter such regulations
except the times and places of choosing Senator'S
= The Congress shall assemble at least once in every
year and such meeting shall be ON the FIRST Monday in
December, unless they shall, by law, appoint differ
ent day.
SECTION 5.
l. 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 bust
ness but smaller number may adjourn from day to
day and 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-
ceedings, punish its members for disordery 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 tne publish the same excepting
such parts may in their judgment require secrecy,
and the yeas and nays of the members OF either
House, on 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 consent of the other, adjourn for
more than three days. to any other place than that
in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
SECTION 6.
L The Senators and Representatives shall receive
for their services be ascertaned 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 during
their attendance at the session of their respective
Houses, and in going to and returning from the same
and for any speech debate 10 either House, they
shall not be questioned III any other place.
2. No Senator or Representative shall, during the
time for which he was elected, be app inted TO any
civil Office under the authority of the Confederate
States which shall have been created, the emolu
nents 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 in each of the Ex
ecutive Departments seat upon the floor of either
House with privilege of discussing any measures
appertainng to his department
SECTION Z. s-- E-A
l. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the
House of Representatives; but the Senate may pro-
pose concur with amendments as 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 not he shall return it with his OBJ
jections to the House in which it shall have originated
who shall enter the objections large on their iourn
ais and proceed TO reconsider it, IT, after such reconsid
eration twothrds 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 re-
considered, and if approved by twothrds OF that
House, il shall become law. But in all such cases
the votes of both HOusess shall be determined by
and nays, and the persons voting for and against the
bill shall be entered on the journal of each House
spectNely. II any bill shall not be returned by the
President within ten days (Sundays excepted) after it
shall have been presented to him, the shall be
law in like manner he had signed it, unless the
Congress- by their adjournment, prevent its return
which case il shall not be a law The President NAV
approve any appropriation and disapprove any other
appropriation in the same bill. In such he shall,
signing the BILL designate the appropriations disap
proved; and shall return a copy of such appropra-
tons with his objections, the House in which the
bill shall have originated, and the same proceedings
shall then be had as IN case of other bills dsapproyed
by the President.
g. Every order resolution or vote TO which the con-
currence of both Houses may necessary (except
question of adjoprnmen) shall be presented to the
shall take effect, shall be approved by him;
being dsapproved by him, may be re-passed by two
thirds of both Houses according to the rules and mi
tations prescribed in case Of a bill.
SECTION
The Congress shall have power
1. To lay and collect taxes duties, imposts and
cses for revenue necessary to pay the debs provide
for the common defence, and carry on the govern
ment of the Confederate States but bounties shall
be granted from the treasury; nor shall any duties
importations foreign nations laid to