Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-23
NASHVILLE, TENN. FRIDAY, AUGUST %, 1861.
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
Confederate States of America,

we the people of the Confederate States each Stat
acting In its sovereign and independent character il
order To form permanent federal government estab
llsh justice insure domestic tranquility and secr
the blessings of liberty ourselves and our nosteri
ty-invoking the faver and guidance of Almighty Go,
do ordain and establish this Constitution tor tn
| Confederate States of America.
ARTICLE l.
| SECTION l.
All legislative powers herein delegated shall he
in Congress of the Confederate States which shaI
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 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 citizen of the Confederate
States shall be allowed to 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
not, when elected be inhabitant of that State in
/ which he shall be chnsen.
J. Representatives and Direct Taxes shall be appor-
toned among the sever, States, which may be in-
cuded within this Conederacy, according their re-
spective numbers, which shall be determined by ad-
ding TO the whole number of free persons including
those bound 10 service for term of years and ex-
cuding Indians not 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 subseq
of ten years. in such manner as they shall by law
direct. The number of Representatives shall not ex
coed for every fifty thousand but each shall
have at least Representative; and until such
meration shall be made the State of South Carolina
shall be entitled to choose siX-the State of gi4
ten-the State of Alabama nine-the State of Florida
twothe State of Mississippi seven-the 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 vote
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 Stae 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 three classes The seats of
the Senators of the first class shall be 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 onethird
may be chosen every second year and if vacancies
happen by resignation, or otherwise, during the
cess 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.
g. No person shall be a 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 the Senate, but shall have VOTE
less they shall be equally divided.
s. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
also President pro epOre in the absence of the Vice
President when he shall exercise the office Presi
dent of the Confederate States.
g. The Senate shall have the sole power try all
peachments When sitting for that purpose they shall
be oath or 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.
I. Judgment in cases of Impeachment shall not
tend further than TO removal from office, and dsqual
hcaon to hold and enjoy any Office of honor profit,
under the Confederate States but the party
shall, nevertheless, be liable and subject to ndic-
ment, trial, judgment and punishment according TO
law
1. The time, place and of holding elections
for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed
in each State by the egs ture thereof subject
provisions of this Constitution but the Congress may
except the times and places of choosing Senator'S
2 The Congressional assemble Al isasl sssry
year and such meeting shall nrsl Monday IN
December, usiiess they shall by Law, apIont differ
sErases 5
L Each House. shnii pc the Judged the elections.
returns and Qualifications OF its members, and
majority of eac Shall quorum do busi-
ness 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 dsordery behavior
and with the concurrence of twothirds OF the whole
number, expel member
3. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
ngs and from time to te publish the same, excepting
such 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 one nth
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 10 other place than that
in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
SECTION g.
1. The Senators Representatives shall receive
n he nv
law and paid out 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 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, the emou-
ments whereof shall have been increased during such
time and no 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 to the principal officer in each of the Ex
ecutve Departments seat upon the floor of either
House, with the privilege of discussing any measures
appertaining to his department.
SECTION T.
1. All bills for raising revenue shall originate the
House of Representatives.; but the Senate may pro-
pose or concur with amendments 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 he
shall sign il but if not he shall return it with his
ectons to 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, two thirds of that House shall agree to pass
the bill, il snail be sent together with the objections
the other House, by which it shall likewise be re-
considered, and if approved by two-thirds of that
House, it shall become a law But in all such cases
the votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas
and nays and the persons voting for and against the
bill shall be entered on the journal of each House re-
spectlvey II any bill shall not be returned by the
President within ten days (Sundays excepted) after il
shall have been presented TO him. the same shall be a
law, I'D ike manner as he had signed it, unless the
Congress- by their adjournment prevent its return; in
which case il shall not be law. The President may
approve any appropriation and disapprove any other
appropriation in the BILL In such case he SHALL
in signing the BILL designate the appropriations dsap
proved; and shall a copy of such appropria-
tions, with his objections to the House in which the
bill shall have originated, and the proceedings
shall then be had as in case of other bills disapproved
by the President.
currepce of both Houses may be necessary Except
question of adjournment) shall be presented to the
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 m
tations prescribed in case of a bill.
SECTION
The Congress shall have power \
1. To lay and collect taxes, duties imposts, and ex
cses for revenue necessary TO the debts provide
ment of the Confederate States but bounties shall
be granted from the treasury shall any duties or
taxes importatioDs from foreign nations be laid TO
promote foster any branch of industry and all du
ties imposts and excses shall be uniform throughout
the Confederate States: ts<
2. To borrow money the credit of the Oonfeder-
ate States:
3. Te regulate commerce with foreign nations, and
among the several States and witt the Indian trbes
but neither this, any other iclause contain
ed in the constitution, shall ever be construed to dele
gate the power to Congress TO appropriate money for
any internal Improvement intended 70 facilitate COM
merce; except for the purpose of furnishing lights,
beacons and buoys, and other aids 70 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 the navigs-
facilitated thereby, may be necessary 70 pay
the costs and expenses thereof:
L. 10 establish uniform laws of naturalization, and