Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-10-20
s. CONSTITUTION,
OF THE a.ils
Confederate States Of America.

Confederate States Of America
We the people of the Confederate States each Stat,
acting in its sovereign and independent character
order 10 form permanent federal government estao
the blessings of liberty TO ourselves and our posteri
ty-invokng the faver and guidance Of Almighty God
do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
| Confederate States Of America.
ARTICLE 1.
| SECTION 1. t
All legislative powers herein delegated shall be vested
| in Congress of the Confederate States, which shall
consist OF a Senate and House of Representatives.
| ssi SECTION 2.
l. The House of Representatives shall be composed
of members chosen every second year by the people
of the states and the electors in 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
person of foreign BIRTH not citizen of the Confederate
States shall be allowed to vote for any officer civil or
| political, State or Federal. FL
9 No person shall be Representative who shall
not have attained the age OF tTenty-nve years, ana
not when elected be inhabitaRt Of that State in
which he shall be chosen
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 the whole number OF free persons including
those bound 10 service for term of years, and
Guiding Indians not taxed, three-lfts Vi ali es
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 lazy
direct The number Of Representatives shall not
coed for every fifty thousand, but each State sha
have at least Representative; and until such
meraton shall be made the State of South Carolina
shall be entitled 10 choose six-the State Of Georgia
tea-the State of Alabama nine-the State OF Florida
two-the State of Mississippi seven-the State of Lou
isiana six and the State of Texas six.
T. When vacancies happen in the representation
from State, the Executive authority thereof shall
WrItS OF election to NIL such vacancies.
s. The House of Representatives shall choose their
speaker and other officers; and shall have the sole
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. 'i-'t 81 ''
- r- SECTION 3. ,--s--
The Senate of the Confederate States shall be com.
posed of two Senators from each State chosen for six
years the legislature thereof at the regular
next Immediately preceding the commencement of
the term Of service and each Senator shall have one
vote. g.. .s+-'s... t-.a-ti f5'"
2. 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 fourthSea and of the third class
at the expiration of the sixth year so that onethrd
may be chosen every second year and if vacancies
happen by resignation, otherwise, during the re-
cess of the legislature of any State the executive
thereof may make temporary appointments until the
next meeting OF the legislature which shall then NIL
such vacancies.
D. .
atained 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
The Vice President of the Confederate States shall
be President of Senate but shall have no vote, un
less they shall be equally DIVIDED. ~ all .
5. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
also President tepore in the absence of the Vice
President when he shall the office of Presi
dent of the Confederate States. l-.' --.
g. The Senate shall have the sole power to try all i'm
peachments Whensittng for that purpose they shall
larfo Of
Confederate States tried the Chief Justice shall pre-
side 1; and person shall be convicted without the
concurrence of two-thirds of the members present.
!. Judgment in of impeachment shall not
tend further than to removal from office, and dSquall
under the Confederate but the party convicted
SHALL nevertheless, be liable and subject to indict
ment, trial, Judgment and punshInent according TO
law. ..tt fsa. rs- s=E-r
1. The time, place and manner of holding elections
for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed
in each by the legis ture thereof subject TO the
provisions of this Constitution but the Congress may
at any time by law, make alter such regulations
year and such ing shall be the first Monday
December, unless they SHALL by law, appoint differ
snt day. at.E. 81. s-H aE
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 bust
ness but smaller number may adjourn from day 10
day and may be authorized to compel the attendance
penalties each House may provide. --
2. Each House may determine the rules of its pro-
ceedings, punish is members for GsOrdery behavior,
and with the concurrence Of twothirds of the whole
number, expel a member.
8. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
Egs and from time TO te 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, the desire of onefth
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 thI days. nor to any place than that
in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
SECTION g.
l. The Senator's and Representatives shall receive
compensation for their services TO be asceTtaned by
law and paid out of the treasury of the Confederate
States. They SHALL in all cases except treason and
breach ef the peace be privileged from arrest during
their attendance at the session of their respective
Houses and in going to and returning from the
and for any speech debate ia 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 10 any
civil office under the authority of the Confederate
States, which shall have been created, or the emou
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 the privilege of discussing any measures
appertaining TO his department.
TH-G 10 SECTION q. Hl
l. All bills raising shall originate in the
House of Representatives; but the Senate may pro-
pose or concur with amendments as on other bills.
2 Every bill which shall have passed both Houses,
shal before 1t becomes a law, be presented to the
President OF the Confederate States if he approve he
shall sign it but if not he shall return with his OBJ
ections to the House in which shall have originated
enter the objections at large their journ
ais and proceed to reconsider it, r. after such reconsd
Grafton, twothirds Of that House shall agree to pass
the BILL it shall be sent together with the objections,
TO the other House, by which it shall likewise be
considered, and If approved by twothirds OF that
House. it shall become law. But in all such cases
Shalf he nRd hy
and nays, and the persons voting for and against the
bill shall be entered the journal of each House
spectyely. 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 If be had signed it, unless the
Congress- by their adjournment prevent its return in
which case il hall aot be law. The President may
approve any iropriation and disapprove any other
appropriation " the BILL In such he shall
in signing the "a designate the appropriations dsap-
proved; and snail return copy of such appropria-
tions with b objections to,ths House in which the
bill shall ha7 originated, and the same proceedings
shall then befhad in Of other bills dsapproved
| by the President rf-l-l 3eu Fatf. .sarss Is. .
g. Every order resolution or vote to which the con.
currence OF both Houses may be necessary (except
question of adjournment) shall be presented the
President Of the Gonfederss States and before the
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 10 the rules and m
tations prescribed in case Of bill. r-.-s..
| sEcTIoN
The Congress sffsll have bower
1. To lay and collect taxes duties imposts, and
cses for revenue necessary TO pay the debts, provide
| for the common defence, and carry on the govern
ent of the Confederate States, but bounties shall
be granted from the treasury; shall any duties or
taxes on impOtations from foreign nations be laid 70
promote foster any branch Of industry and all du
ties mposts excuses shall be uniform throughout
!! the Confederate States: ~ -
| ate States: s'-
g. To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and
among the several States and with the Indian tribes
but neither this nor any other clause contain
ed in the constitution shall be construed 70 dele
any internal intended facilitate COM
merce: except for the purpose Of furnishing lights,
beacous and beoys and other aids 70 navigation upon
the coasts and the Improvement OF harbors and the
reyoving of distractions in river navigation, in all
Which cases such duties shah be laid the nayiga
ton facilitated thereby as may DC necessary 70 pay
| the costs and expenses thereof:
q 1 establish uniform laws of naturalization and
uniform laws the subject Of bankruptcies through
-, ~ -(,pfaderate States but no OF COngress