Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-18
..ss-.-.s NASHVILLE, TENN. SUNDAY, AUGUST 49, 1861
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
Confederate States Of America.

So OF THE
Confederate States Of America.
We the people of the Confederate States each State
acting sovereign and independent character in
order To form permanent federal government, estab
lsh justice, insure domestic tranquility, and secure
the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posteri
ty-invoking the aver and guidance of Almighty God
do ordan and establish this Constitution for the
Confederate States of America
ARTICLE L
sEcrIoNI
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 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 vote for any officer civil
political, State or Federal
2. No person shall be 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 inhabtant of that State in
which he shall be chosen.
8. Representatives and Direct Taxes shall be appor-
toned among the several States, which may be in
cIuded within this Confederaey according 10 their re-
spectve numbers which shall be determined, by adj
ding to the whole number of free persons including
those bound to service for term Of years, and ex
cuding Indians not taxed, threefths 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
of ten years, in such manner as they shall, by law
direct The number of Representatives shall not ex-
ceed for every ty thousand, but each State shall
have at least one Representatives; and until such
meratOn shall be made the State of South Carolina
shall be entitled to choose siX-the State of Geo gia
ten-the State of Alabama nne-the State of Florida
two-the State OF Mississippi seven-the State OF Lou
isiana six and the State of Texas X.
T. When vacancies happen in the representation
from any State the Executive authority thereof shall
issue writs Of election 10 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
Oher federal officers resident and acting solely within
the limits of any State, may be impeached by vote
of twothrds Of both branches ol the Legislature
thereof.
l. The Senate of the Confederate States shall be COM
posed of Senators from each State chosen for six
years the legislature thereof at the regular session
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
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 and of the third class
the expiration of the sixth year that onethird
may be chosen every second year and If vacancies
happen by resignation, otherwise, during the
cess of the legislature of any State the executive
thereof may make temporary appointments until the
such vacancies
g. 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 when elected,
be nhabtant of 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 no VOTE un
less they shall be equally divided.
also President pro teHOre 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
peachmens. When sitting for that purpose, they shall
be en- oath 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.
= l. Judgment in cases of Impeachment shall not
tend further than to removal from office, and dsquali
hctOn To hold and enjoy office of honor profit,
under the states but the party convicted
shall, nevertheless, be liable and subject TO indct
ment, trial, judgment and punishment according 10
law.
SECTION 4.
1. The time, place and manner of holding elections
for and Representatives shall be prescribed
in each State by legs thereof subject
provisions OF TINS put the congress may,
at any time, by law, make or alter such regulations,
except to the times and places of choosing Senator's
2. The Congress shall assemble at least in every
year and such meeting shall be the first Monday in
December unless they shall, by law, appoint differ
ent day.
SECTION s.
l. Each House shall be the Judge of the elections
returns and qualifications Of its own members, and a
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-
ceedngs punish it's members for dsorderiy behavior
and with the concurrence of twothirds of the whole
number, expel member.
ings, and from time to time 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 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
than three days. to any other place than that
in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
SECTION 9.
1. The Senators and Representatives shall receive
compensation for their services be ascertained 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 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 elected, be app pnted TO any
civil office under the authority of the Confederate
States which shall have been created, the emolu-
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 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
appertainng TO his department.
SECTION Z.
l. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the
House of Representatives; but the Senate may pro-
pose concur with amendments other bills.
2 Every bill which shall have passed both Houses,
shall, before il becomes a law, be presented to the
President Of the Confederate States if he approve he
shall sign but if not he shall return it with his OBJ
jections the House in which it shall have originated
who shall enter the objections at large their journ-
ais proceed to reconsider it, IT, after such reconsd-
Grafton, twothrds of that House shall agree pass
the BILL it shall be SENT together with the objections
to the other House. by which it shall likewise be re-
nuSida and ad nv luO-f nf hat
House, it shall become law. But in all such cases,
the votes of both Houses shall be determined by
and nays and the voting for and against the
bill shall be entered the journal of each House
spectyely. If bill shall be returned by the
President within ten days sundays excepted after it
shall have been presented to him. the shall be
law in like he had signed it, unless the
Congress- by their adjournment prevent its return; in
which il shall not be a law The President may
approve any appropriation and dsapprove any other
appropriation in the same BILL In such case he shall
in signing the bill, designate the appropriations dsap
proved and shall return copy of such appropria-
tons with his objections TO the House in which the
bill shall have originated, and the same proceedings
shall then be had in case Of other bills dsapproved
by the President.
g. Every order resolution vote, to which the con-
of both Houses may be necessary Except on
question of adournment) shall be presented to the
President Of the Confederate States and before the
same shall take effect shall be approved by him;
beng disapproyed by him, may be re-passed by two
thirds of both Houses according 10 the rules and m
| tations prescribed in case Of bill.
| SECTION
The Congress shall have power
l. To lay and collect taxes duties imposts, and ex
eses for revenue necessary pay the debts provide
| for the common defence, and carry on the govern
ment of the Confederate States, but bounties shall
be granted from the treasury; shall any duties OF
taxes importations from foreign nations be laid tc
promote foster any branch Of industry and al dn
ties impost and excuses shall be uniform throughout
4 the Confederate States:
| 2 To borrow money on ths credit OF the Confeder-
4 ate States:
a To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and
among the several States and with the Indian tribes
| but neither this, any other Eclause lcontaln
ed in the constitution shall be construed to dele
gate the power Congress TO appropriate money or
any internal Improvement intended 70 facilitate com
merce; except for the purpose OF furnishing lights
beacons and buoys and other aids 10 navigation upon
the coasts and the Improvement of harbors and the
remoyipg of distractions in river navigation in al
which cases such duties shall be laid on the navga