Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-16
NASHVILLE, TENN. FRIDAY, AUGUST Is, 1861.
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
Confederate States Of America.


OF THE
Confederate States Of America,
We the people of the Confederate States each State
acting its sovereign and independent character in
order to form permanent federal government, estab
the blessings of liberty to ourselves and p0seri
ty-invoking the faver and guidance of Almighty God
do ordain and establish this Constitution 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
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 for any officer, civil
political, State or Federal.
q No person shall be Representative, who shall
not have attained the age of twenty i've years, and
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
cluded within this Conederacy according to their
spective numbers, which shall be determined, by ad
ding the whole number of free persons, including
those bound to service for term of years, and
cludng Indians taxed three-ffths 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 they shall, by law
direct. The number of Representatives shall ex
ceed one for every fty thousand but each State shall
have at least one Representative; and until such emu
meraticn shall be made the State of South Carolina
shall be entitled to choose sx-the State of Geo ga
tenthe State OF Alabama nine-the State OF Florida
t4o-the State of Mississippi seven-the State of Lou
siana 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 or
oher federal officers resident and acting solely within
the limits of any State, may be mpeached by vote
of twO-thirds of both branches OF the Legislature
thereof.
l. The Senate of the Confederate States shall be COM
posed of Senators from each State chosen for
years legislature thereof at 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
consequence of the first election they shall be divided
equally may be into three classes The seats of
the of the first class shall be vacated at the
expiration of the second of the second class at
the expiration OF the fourth year and OF the third class
the expiration of the sixth year that third
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 fill
such vacancies.
g. No person shall be Senator who shall not have
attained the of thirty years. and be citizen of the
Confederate States and who shall not when elected,
be an inhabitant OF the State for which he shall be
chosen.
The Vice President of the Confederate States shall
be President of theSenate, but shall have vote
less they shall be equally divided.
8. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
also President tepore in the absence Of the Vice
rxybQ he's hall tna
dent of the Confederate States.
g. The Senate shall have the sole power to try all i'm
peachments Whenstting for that purpose, they shall
be oath or affirmation When the President Of the
Confederate States tried the Chief Justice shall
side; and no person shall be convicted without the
concurrence of two-thirds of the members present.
Z. Judgment in cases of Impeachment shall not ex-
tend further than TO removal from Office and dsQuai-
cation to hold and enjoy any office of honor profit
under the Confederate States but the party convicted
shall, nevertheless, be liable and subject TO indct-
ment, trial, judgment and punishment according to
law.
l. The time, place and manner of holding elections
for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed
in each State by the egsl thereof subject to the
provisions of this Constitution but the Congress may
at any time by law make or alter such regulations,
except to the times and places of choosing Senator's
year and such meeting shall be the first Monday in
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 disOrdery behavior
and, with the concurrence of twothirds of the whole
number, expel a member.
8. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
ngs and from time to time publish the excepting
such parts as may in their judgment require secrecy
and he m hpr n Elf lpr
House, any question, SHALL at the desire Of one fifth
Of those present, by entered on the journal.
d. Neither House, during the session of Congress
SHALL without the consent of the other, adjourn fol
than three days, any other place than tha
in which the two Houses shall be sitting
SECTION 6. ...
l. The Senator's and Representatives shall receive
compensation for their services TO be ascertained BY
law and paid out of the treasury of the Confederate
States They SHALL in all cases. except treason
breach of the peace be privileged from arrest during
their attendance the session of their respective
Houses and in going to and returning from the same
and for any speech debate n either House, the!
shall not be questioned IN any other place.
2. No Senator or Representative shall, during tn
time for which he elected, be appointed to
civil Office under the authority of the Confederat
States which shall have been created, or the emolu
ments whereof shall have been increased during suc
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 grant the principal officer in each of the E1
ecutive Departments seat upon the floor of ethe
Il
| appertaining TO his department
| SECTION 7.
1. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in tn
| 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 House:
shall, before it becomes a law be presented to th
President of the Confederate States if he approve,
shall sign it but if not he shall return it with his oil
iectons the House in which shall have originated
who shall enter the objections at large their jour-
ais and proceed reconsider it. IT, after such reconsiC
tyyD- q that hal
the BILL shall be SENT together with the objections
to the other House, by which it shall likewise be n
| considered, and if approved by two-thirds OF ths
House. it shall become law. But in all such case
the of both Houses shall be determined by yea
and nays ana the persons % ior % a anJ s u
spectIvely. If any bill shall not be returned by II
President within ten days Sundays excepted after
shall have been presented to him. the shall be
law, in like manner # he had signed il, unless IL
Congress- by their adjournment prevent its return;
which case il shall not be a law. The President ma
approve any appropriation and disapprove any 9th,
appropriation in the bill In such case he sha
signing the BILL designate the appropriations dlsa
proved; and shall return copy OF such appr9Pr, :.
tions, with his objections, TO the House IN which u
bill shall have originated, and the same proceeding
shall then be had in of other bills disapprovt
by the President.
| g. Every order, resolution or vote, to which the CO
currence of both Houses may be necessary except
| a question of adjournment) shall be presented to u
| President of the Confederate States; and before Il
| same shall take effect shall be approved by him;
beng disapproyed by him, may be re-passed by tw
thirds of both Houses according TO the rules and lin
| tatons prescribed in case of a bill.
| SECTION s.
| The Congress shall have power
l. To lay and collect taxes, duties, mposts, and
cises for necessary TO the debts, provl
| for the common defence, and carry on the cover
ment of the Confederate States, but no bountes sh
be granted from the treasury nor shall any duties
taxes on importations from foreign nations De iaid
promote or foster any branch of industry: and ell q
ties imposts, and excuses shall be UNIFORM throueho
the Confederate States:
2 To borrow money on the credit OF the Confede
ate States .,..
2 Te regulate commerce with foreign nations, Al
among the several States, and with the Indian tribe
but neither this, any other clause contai
ed in the constitution, shall ever be construed 70 de
cate the power to Congress to appropriate money
snv internal Improvement intended TO facilitate COZ
merce: except for the purpose of furnishing ligh
heacons and buoys and other aids 10 navigation up
| the coasts and the Improvement OF harbors and t
| remoyipg of distractions in river navigation, in