Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-10-09
NASHVILLE, TENN. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1861.
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
Confederate States Of America.

We the people of the Confederate States each State
acting in its sovereign and independent character, in
lish justice, domestic tranquility, and
the blessings Of liberty to ourselves and our posteri
ran ans sns essbsb his for the
| Confederate States of America
ARTICLE /.
| 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.
| SECTION 2.
| l. The House of Representatives shall be composed
of members chosen every second year by the people
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 foreign birth citizen of the Confederate
States, shall be allowed to vote for any officer, civil or
| political, State or Federal
not have attained the age of twenty-five years. and
ba citizen OF the Confederate States and who shall
not when elected, be inhabiant 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
cluded within this Confederacy according 10 their
Spectve numbers, which shall be determined, by ad
those bound to service for term of years, and
Guiding 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 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 Representatives and until such
meraton 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 seyep-the State of lou
| isiana six and the State of Texas six.
| 4. When vacancies happen in the representation
any State, Executive authority thereof shall
| issue writs of election to I'LL such vacancies.
5. The House of Representatives shall choose their
speaker and other officers; and shall have the sole
power of impeachment; except that any judicial
other federal officers resident and acting solely within
the limits of any State, may be impeached by vote
tnf hfric hOfh hror Of
| thereof.
| SECTION 8.
l. The Senate of the Confederate States shall be COM
posed of 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
equally may be three classes. The seats
the Senators of the first class shall be vacated the
expiration of 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, or otherwise, during the re-
of the legislature of any State the executive
thereof may make temporary appointments until the
such vacancies.
3. No person shall be 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 inhabtant Of the State for which he shall be
chosen.
4 The Vice President of the Confederate States shall
be President OF the Senate but shall have VOTE
less they snail De equally divided.
5. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
also President pro enpore the absence of the Vice
President when he shall exercise the office of Presi
dent of the Confederate States.
6. The Senate shall have the sole power to try i'm
peachments When sitting for that purpose they shall
be oath affirmation When the President of the
Confederate States tried the Chief Justice shall pre-
side; and no person shall be convicted without the
concurrence of two-thirds of the members present
Z. Judgment in of Impeachment shall not
tend further than to removal from Office and dsauali
cation to hold and enjoy any Office of honor profit
theCO
SHALL nevertheless, liable and subject to indict
ment, trial, judgment and punishment according to
law.
SECTION f.
l. The time place and manner of holding elections
for Senators and Representatives shall prescribed
in each State by the egsl ture thereof subject
provisions of this Constitution but the Congress may
at time, by law, make or alter such regulations,
except to the times and places of choosing Senator's
The Congress shall assemble once in every
year and such meeting shall be on the FIRST Monday in
December, unless they shall, by law, appoint differ
snt day.
1. Each House shall be the judge of the elections
returns and qualifications of its members, and
majority of each shall constitute quorum do bust
but smaller number may adjourn from day to
day and may be authorized compel the attendance
of absent members, in such manner and under such
penalties as each House may provide.
2 Each House may determine the rules of its pro-
ceedings punish its members for dsorderIy behavior
and with the concurrence Of twothrds of the whole
number, eXpel member.
8. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
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 one-h
of those present, by entered on the journal.
a. Neither House, during the session of Congress, |
tSa tSre se 0a rne oser of
in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
SECTION g.
1. The Senators and Representatives shall receive
compensation for their services, be by
law and paid of the treasury of the Confederate
States. They SHALL in all cases. except treason and
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, they
shall not be questioned IN any other place.
2 No Senator Representative shall, during the
time for which he elected, be appointed any
civil Office under the authority of the Confederate
States which shall have been created or the emolu-
ments whereof shall have been increased during such
time and no 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 aw 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
apper tanning TO his department
SECTION 7.
1. All bills for raising shall originate in the
House of Representatives but the Senate may pro-
pose concur with amendments as on other bills.
g. Every bill which shall have passed both Houses,
shall, before it 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 it with his OBJ
jections the House which it shall have originated
shall enter the objections at large on their journ
ais and proceed to reconsider it, IT, after such reconsid
GRAFTON, tWothirdS that House shall
the bi it shall be sent, together with the objections,
to the other House, by which it shall likewise be re-
considered, and if approved by twothirds of that
House, it shall become law. But in all such cases,
the votes of both Houses.sha be determined by yeas
and nays, and the persons voting for and against the
bill shall be entered the journal of each House
lSpectvey If any bill shall not be returned by the
president within ten days Sundays excepted) after
shall have been presented to him. the same shall be
law, in like he had signed it, unless the
Congress- by their adjournment prevent its return in
which case it hall not be law. The President may
appropriation p the bill In such he shall,
in signing the biz, designate the appropriations dsap
lions with hasobjectiens to the House in which the
bill shall haze orgirsred, and the proceedings
shall then hehad as IN case of other bills disapproyed
3. Every order resolution or vote to which the con-
currente OF both Houses may be necessary Except on
question Of adjournmenf) shall be presented to the
President Of the Confederate States and before the
same shall take effect, shall be approved by him;
being disapproyed by him, may be re passed by two
thirds of both Houses according to the rules and i
tations prescribed in case of bill :
SECTION = s5f-as
The Congress shall have power. -. .fsf :.
l. To lay and collect taxes duties, imposts, and
cses for necessary to pay the debts provide
ior the common defence ana erTy On tne gossan si
be granted from the treasury nor shall any duties or
taxes mportations from foreign nations be laid TO
promote foster any branch of ndusry and all du-
ties imposts and excuses shall be uniform throughout
| the Confederate States:
4 ate States:
| g. To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and
among the several tates and with the Indian Tribes
| but neither this, nor any other clause contain
ed in the constitution, shall ever be construed TO dele
gate the power Congress 10 appropriate money for
anv internal Improvement intended to facilitate cons
merce except for the purpose Of furnishing lights
beacons and bIoys and other aids 20 upon
the coasts and the Improvement OF harbors and the
removing of distractions in river navigation In all
which cases. such duties shall be laid on the naviea
ton facilitated thereby, may be necessary TO pay
the costs and expenses thereof 80
4 10 establish uniform laws Of and
uniform laws subject of bankruptcies through
shall discharge any contracted before the passage
4 Of the game: l.ss.- .,y.4a5. :.
s. To coin money, regulate the value thereof and Of
foreign coin, and ix the standard Of weights and
measures 5liii sl-1t
| a To provide for the punishment OF counterfeitng