Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-15
NASHVILLE, TENN. THURSDAY, AUGUST Is, 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,
order form permanent federal government, estat
ish justice insure domestic tranquility and secur
the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our poster
tyIinvoking the fayer and guidance of Almighty Go
Confederate States of America.
ARTICLE I.
SECTION l.
All legislative powers herein delegated shall be veste,
in Congress of the Confederate States which shal
consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
SECTION 2.
L. The House of Representatives shall be composec
of members chosen every second year by the peop
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
person of foreign birth not citizen of the Confederate
States shall be allowed TO vote fs any officer civil
political, State or Federal.
q No person shall be a 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
which he shall be chosen.
g. Representatives and Direct Taxes shall be appor-
toned among the several States, which may be in
cuded within this Confederacy, according to their
spectve 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
e--0N2 "
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 as they shall, by law,
direct The number of Representatives shall not
ceed for every fifty thousand but each State shall
have at least one Representative; and until such
meratiOn shall be made the State of South Carolina
shall be entitled choose six-the State of Geo gia
ten-the State of Alabama nine-the State of Florida
tWo-he State of Mississippi seyen-the State of Lou
isiana six, and the State of Texas SIX.
f. When vacancies happen in the representation
from 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
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 8.
l. The Senate of the Confederate States shall be
posed of two Senators from each State, chosen for six
years by the thereof at the regular session
next Immediately preceding the commencement of
the term Of service and each Senator shall have one
vote.
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
at the expiration of the sixth year that ethird
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
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 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,
less they shall be equally divided
8. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
also President pro teore 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 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 person shall be convicted without the
concurrence of two-thirds of the members present.
I. Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not ex-
tend further than to removal from office, and dsquali-
under the Confederate party convicted
shall nevertheless, be liable and sub ect to indct-
ment, trial, judgment and punishment according to
law.
1. The time, place and manner of holding elections
for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed
each State by the legis ,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 such meeting shall be the first Monday
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 members and
majority of each shall constitute quorum do bust
day, and may 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 disorderly behavior
and, with the concurrence of wothrds of the whole
number, eXpel member.
8. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
ngs and from time 10 tie publish the 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 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 q
compensation for their services be ascertaned by
law and paid out of the treasury of the Confederate
States They shall, all cases. except treason and
breach of 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 in either House, they
shall not be questioned IN any other place.
2. No Senator or Representative shall, during the
time for which he was elected, be appointed to any
civil Office under the authority of the Confederate
States, which shall have been created, or the emolu
whereof shall have been increased during sucl
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 eithe
House. with the privilege of discussing any
appertaining TO his department.
SECTION Z.
l. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in tn
House of Representatives,; but the Senate may pro
pose concur with amendments as 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 be shall return it with his OBJ
iecions the House in which it shall have originated
who shall enter the objections at large their ourn
ais proceed to reconsider it, IT, after such reconsd
Grafton thirds of that House shall agree pas
bp together
the other House, by which it shall likewise be re
considered, and if approved by two-thirds OF tina
House. it shall become law. But in all such cases
the votes of both HOuses.sha be determined by yea
and nays, and the persons voting for and against tn
bill shall be entered on the journal of each House re
spectIvely. II any bill shall not be returned by tn
President within days (Sundays excepted) after
shall have been presented to him, the same shall be
law, in like he had signed it, unless tn
Congress- by their adjournment prevent ils return;
which it shall not be law. The President ma,
approve any appropriation and disapprove any othe
appropriation in the same bill. In such case he shall
in signing the BILL designate the appropriations dsap
proved; and shall return a copy of such appropria
tions with his objections, to the House in which tn
bill shall have originated, and the same proceeding
shall then be had in OF other bills disapprove
by the President
g. Every order resolution vote, to which the con
currence of both Houses may be necessary Except o
a question of adjournment) shall be presented to tn
President of the Confederate States; and before tn
same shall take effect, shall be approved by him; Q
beng disapproved by him, may be repassed by two
thirds of both Houses accordiI to the rules and linn
tations prescribed in case of bill.
SECTION 8.
The Congress shall have power
l. To lay and collect taxes, duties imposts and eS
cises necessary TO pay the debts, provid
for the common defence, and carry on the govern
of the Confederate States, but no bounties sha
be granted from the treasury shall any duties
taxes on importations from foreign nations be ald
promote foster any branch of industry and all du
ties imposs and excses shall be uniform throughou
the Confederate States:
q To borrow money the credit of the Confeder
ate States
3. Te regulate commerce with foreign nations, an
the several states and with the Indian tribes
| but neither this, any other clause contain
ed in the constitution shall be construed TO dele
gate the power Congress to appropriate money 10
any internal Improvement intended 70 IacinIate CON
merce: except for the purpose OF furnishing lights
beacons and buoys, and other aids 70 navigation qpo
the coasts and the improvement OF haroors and IN
removing of distractions in river navigation, IN
which cases such duties shall be laid on the navgs
t;on facilitated thereby as may be necessary TO pa
| the costs and expenses thereof:
70 establish uniform laws of naturalization, an