Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-10-24
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
Confederate States Of America.

C0n1t6tTdt6 StdttS VI dmtTICds
we the people Of the Confederate States each State
acting in its sovereign and independent character
order TO form permanent federal government, estab
Iish Justice insure domestic tranquility, and secure
the blessings liberty ourselves and posteri
ty-inyoking the faver and guidance of Almighty God
do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
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 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 aud have
the qualifications requisite for electors OF the most
numerous branch of the State Legislature but no
person of foreign BIRTH citzeu of the Confederate
states shall be allowed vote TOR any Officer civil
political State or Federal.
2 No person shall be a Representative who shall
not have attained the age oi twenty-five years. and
bcS citizen OF the Confederate states, and who shall
not when elected, be an nhabItant 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
spectiye numbers, which shall be determined, by ad
ding the whole number OF free persons, including
those bound to service Tor term OF years, and
GLIDING Indians not taxed hreeffths OF all slaves.
The actual enumeration shall be made within three
after the nrst meeting 0 the Congress oil the
Confederate States and within every subsequent rm
of ten years. in such manner as they shall, by law,
direct The number of Representatives shall not
ceed fifty thousand but each State shall
have least Representatives; and until such
meration shall be made the State OF South Carolina
shall be entitled to choose six-the State of Georgia
ten-the State of Alabama Dine-the State of Florida
two-the State of Mississippi seven-the State OF Lou
isiana six, and the State of Texas
f. When vacancies happen in the representation
from any State 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 CT impeachment; except that any Judicial or
Other federal officers resident and acting solely within
the limits of any State, may be mpeached by vote
of o-thirds of both branches OF the Legislature
thereof.
SECTION 8.
l. The Senate of the Confederate States shall be
posed of two Senators from each State chosen for six
years by the legislature thereof at the regular session
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 at 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 onethird
may be chosen every second year and if vacancies
happen by resignation, otherwise, during the re-
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.
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 o the State for which he shall be
chosen.
a The Vice President of the 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 eDpOre 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 to try all i'm
peachments When sitting that purpose they shall
q
Confederate States is 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
under the Confederate States but the party convicted
shall, nevertheless, be liable and subject TO indct
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
provisions of this Constitution the Congress may,
any time by law make alter such regulations,
The Congress shall embie al al least once ia every
year and such meeting shall be the first Monday in
December, unless they shall, by law appoint difer
ent day
l. Each House shall be the judge of the elections,
returns and qualifications of its own members, and
majority of each shall constitute quorum to do bust
but a smaller number may adjourn from day to
day. and may be authorized compel the attendance
penalties each House may provide.
9 Each House may determine the rules of its pro-
ceedngs, punish its members for disorderly behavior,
and, with the concurrence of twothirds OF the whole
number, expel member.
s. 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, on any question, shall at the desire of ne-fth
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
in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
SECTION 8.
1. The Senators and Representatives shall receive
compensation for their services, to 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
tnelT attehuahCe at the scssioh oi tneH IesPoO1Ne
Houses and in going to and returning from the same
and for any speech debate in 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, OF the emou-
whereof shall have been increased during such
time and person holding any office under the Con-
federate States shall be a 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 a seat upon the floor OF either
House. with the privilege of discussing any measures
appertaniDg to his department.
SECTION Z.
l. All bills for raising shall originate in the
House of Representatives; but the Senate may pro-
9 Every bill which shall have passed both Houses,
shall, before il becomes law, be presented TO the
President of the Confederate States he approve, he
shall sign but if he shall return it with his OBJ
jections to the House in which it shall have originated
who shall enter the objections at large their journ
ais and proceed reconsider IT. after such reconsid-
Grafton twothrds of that House shall agree to pass
the BILL il shall be sent together with the objections
to the other House, by which it shall likewise be
considered, and if approved by two-thirds Of that
House. it shall become law. But all such cases.
the of both Houses shall be determined by yeas
and nays and the persons voting for and against the
bill shall be entered the journal of each House
spectIvely. any bill shall not be returned by the
President within ten days Sundays exceptedl after it
shall have been presented TO him. the same shall be
law in like manner as If he had signed it, unless the
Congress- by their adjournment prevent its return in
which case it hall not be law. The President may
approve any a ropriation and dsapprove any other
appropriation " the same bill In such case he shall
in signing the SN, designate the appropriations dsap
proved; and Shall return copy Of such appropria
tions, with hf objections the House in which the
bill shall ha originated, the same proceedings
shall then be had in Of other bills disapproved
/ by the President.
g. Every order resolution vote to which the con
currence of both Houses may be necessary Except
question Of adjournment shall be presented the
President of the Confederate states and before ths
same shall take effect, shall be approved by him; OF
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 a bill
The Congress shall have power
/. To lay and collect taxes, duties, mposts and ex
cise lor revenue necessary 10 pay tne ceDts proSlu
| for the common defence, and carry on the govern
ment of the Confederate States but bountes shal
be granted from the treasury nor shall any duties o.
taxes mportations from foreign nations be laid Il
promote or foster any branch of industry; and all du
| ties, mposts, and excses 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 l.ations ans
among the several States and with the Indian tribes
but neither this, any other clause contain
ed in the constitution shall be construed 70 dele
gate the power to Congress 10 appropriate money 10
any internal Improvement intended 10 facilitate com
merce; except for the purpose OF furnishing lights
beaeons and buoys and other aids TO navigation np0i
the coasts, and the Improvement of harbors and IN,
removing Of distractions in river navigation, IN al
which cases such duties shall be laid the naviga
tion facilitated thereby, may be necessary 70 pay
| the costs and expenses thereof: