Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-07
NASHVILLE TENN. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1861
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
Confederate States of America.


OF THE
Confederate States of America
We the people of the Confederate States each Stat,
acting its sovereign and independent character
order to form permanent federal government, estab
the blessings of liberty to ourselves and posteri
ty-nvoking the fsyer and guidance of Almighty God
do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
Confederate States Of America.
ARTICLE /.
SECTION /.
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.
1. The House of Representatives shall be composed
of members chosen every second year by the people
of the several Staes 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 vote for any officer, civil
political, State or Federal.
2 No person shall be Representative, who shall
have attained the age of twenty five years, and
be 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 shah be appor
toned among the several States, which may be in
cluded within this Conederacy according to their re-
speetive numbers, which shall be determined, by ad
ding to the whole number of free persons, including
Guiding Ilsians not taxed, three-fths of ali 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 fifty thousand but each State shall
have at least one Representatives and until such
meration shall be made the State of South Carolina
shall be entitled to choose sx-the State of ga
ten-the State OF Alabama nine-the State of Florida
two-the State of Mississippi seventhe State of Lou
isiana six, and the State of Texas SIX.
4. When vacancies happen in the representation
from any State, the Executive authority thereof shall
issue writs of election to fill 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
of twO-thirds Of both branches of the Legislature
thereof
SECTION 8.
l. The Senate of the Confederate States shall be COM
posed of two Senators from each State chosen for
years by the legislature thereof at the regular session
next Immediately preceding the commencement of
the term of service and each Senator shall have
vote.
2 Immediately after they shall be assembled, in
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 year of the second class at
the expiration of the fourth 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
of the legislature of any State, the executive
thereof may make temporary appointments until the
next meeting of the Legislature which shall then ill
such vacancies.
8. 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 nhabitant OF the State for which he shall be
chosen.
be President of the Senate but shall have no vote
less they shall be equally divided.
5. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
also President tepOre in the absence of the Vice
President when he shall exercise the Office Of Pres
dent of the Confederate States.
6. TIE Senate shall have the sole power try all i'm
peachmens. 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 person shall be convicted without the
concurrence of two-thirds of the members present.
. Judgment in of Impeachment shall not ex-
tend further than to removal from office, and disqual
fcatOn TO hold and enjoy any office of honor profit
under the Confederate but the party convicted
shall nevertheless, be liable and subject to indct-
ment, trial, Judgment and punishment according TO
law.
SECTION T.
l. The time, place and manner of holding elections
for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed
in each State by the legislature thereof subject the
provisions of this Constitution but the Congress may,
at any time, by law, make or alter such regulations,
except 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 in
December, unless they shall, by law, appoint differ
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 busi-
ness but smaller number may adjourn from day to
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 dsOrdery behavior
and with the concurrence Of two thirds of the whole
number, expel member.
8. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
ings, and from time to tme publish the same excepting
parts may in their judgment require secrecy
and the yeas and nays of the members of either
House, any question: SHALL at the desire of oneh
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.
1. The Senators and Representatives shall receive
compensation for their services be ascertained by
law and paid out of treasury of the Confederate
States. They SHALL in 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 10 either House, they
shall not be questioned In any other place.
q No Senator 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 emou
whereof shall have been increased during such
time and 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 the principal officer in each of the Ex
ecutive Departments seat upon the floor of either
House, with the privilege of discussing any measures
appeftdlniug W us uepdrl lLneHi.
SECTION Z.
l. All bills for raising revenue 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
SHALL before it becomes law, be presented to the
President of the Confederate States; if he approve, hs
shall sign but if not he shall return it with his OBJ
the House in which it shall have originated
who shall enter the objections large their journ
ais proceed to reconsider it. If after such recOnsid
Grafton two-thirds of that House shall agree to pas
rhen CrfnnE
TO the other House, by which it shall likewise be re
considered, and if approved by two-thirds of thai
House ~ s9a peG1e Geah h d,ined a sain h 80
and nays and the persons voting for and against tht
bill shall be entered the journal of each House
spectivey 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 manner as he had signed it, unless the
Congress- by their adjournment prevent its return;
which case it shall not be law. The President may
approve any appropriation and disapprove any othe
appropriation in the same bill In such case ne sna,
proved; and shall return copy of such approprla
tions with his objections, TO the House IN which TN
bill shall have originated and the same proceeding
shall then be had in case of other bills disapprovef
| by the President
q Every order resolution vote, to which the con
currence of both Houses may be necessary
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;
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 bill.
| SECTION 8.
| The Congress shall have power
1 To Law and collect taxes duties, imposts, and ez
cises for necessary to pay the debts provid
| for the common defence, and carry on the govern
ment of the Confederate States, but no Dountes sh
be granted from the treasury; shall any duties o
taxes on importatons from foreign nations be iaid
promote or foster any branch of Industry and al Gu
ties imposts and excises shall be uniform throughou
To borrow money on the credit of the Confeder
a Te regulate commerce with foreign nations, an
among the several States and with the Indian tribes
but neither this, nor any other Gciause contain
ed in the constitution shall be construed TO dele
ata the power to Congress to appropriate money 70
any internal improvement intended to facilitate com
merce; except for the purpose OF furnishing ngnis @