Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-08
NASHVILLE, TENN THURSDAY AUGUST s. 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
order to form permanent federal government, estab
lsh justice, insure domestic tranquility, and secure
the blessings Of liberty ourselves and poserl
ty-nvoking the aver and guidance of Almighty God
do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
Confederate States of America.
ARTICLE 1.
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.
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
of foreign BIRTH not citizen of the Confederate
States shall be allowed to vote for any Officer civil or
POLITICAL State or Federal.
2. No person shall be a 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 inhabitant 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 Conederacy, according to their
spectiye numbers, which shall be determined, by ad
ding the whole number of free persons, including
those DOunQ 10 service IOr term OF years, ana eX
cludng 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 term
of ten years, in such manner they SHALL by law,
direct The number of Representatives shall not ex-
coed for every 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 six-the State of Georgia
ten-the State of Alabama nine-the State of Florida
two-the 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 or
oIher federal officers resident and acting solely within
the limits of any State, may be mpeached by a vote
of two-thirds of both branches of the Legislature
thereof.
SECTION g.
l. The Senate of the Confederate States shall be COM
posed of two Senators from each State chosen for six
years by the 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
as equally may be three classes. The of
the of the first class shall be vacated at the
expiration of the second year of the second class
the expiration of the fourth and of the third class
at the expiration of the sixth year that onehird
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
meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill
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 not when elected,
be an nhabitant of the State for which he shall be
chosen.
T. 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 tempore the absence of the Vice
President or when he shall exercise the office Of Presi
dent of the Confederate States.
g. The Senate shall have the sole power to try all
peachments. When sitting for that purpose they shall
be oath or affirmation. When the President of the
Confederate States is tried the Chief Justice shall pre-
side and no person shall be convicted without the
concurrence of twO-thirds of the members present.
l. Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not ex-
tend further than TO removal from office, and disqual
catOn to hold and enjoy any Office of honor profit
under the Confederate States but the party convicted
shall, nevertheless, be liable and subject indict
ment, trial, judgment and punishment according to
law.
1. The time, place and manner of holding elections
for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed
in each by the legs tture 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 Senators.
2 The Congress shall assemble at least in every
year 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 members, and a
majority of each shall constitute quorum do bust
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.
q 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.
8. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
ings and from time time publish the excepting
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
- fhoCa eSapth nv Tered np the al
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.
SECTION g.
1. The Senators and Representatives shall receive
compensation for their services, to be ascertaned by
law and paid out of the treasury of the Confederate
States. They SHALL in all cases, except treason and
breach of the peace ba privileged from arrest during
their attendance at the session of their respective
Houses and in going to and returning from the same
and for any speech debate 10 either House, they
shall not be questioned In any other place.
2. No Senator or Representative shall, during th'
time for which he elected, be appointed to any
civil office under the authority of the Confederate
States, which shall have been created, the emolu
whereof shall have been increased during sucl
time and no 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 law grant to the principal officer in each of the Ex
ecutive Departments seat upon the floor of eithe
House. with the privilege of discussing any measure
| appertainng to his department.
l. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in tn
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 tn
President of the Confederate States if he approve
shall SIGN IL but if not he shall return il with his oh
iections to the House which it shall have originated
who shall enter the objections at large their journ
ais proceed to reconsider it, IT. after such reconsd
eration twothrds of that House shall agree to pas
the BILL it shall be sent, together with the objections
to the other House, by which it shall likewise be re
| considered, and if approved by wothirds Of tina
House, it shall become law But in all such cases
the of both Housessshan be determined by yea
and nays and the persons voting for and against tn
bill shall entered the journal OF each House
spectively. If any bill shall not be returned by tn
President within ten days (Sundays exceped) after
shall have been presented to him the same shall be
law in like If he had signed it, unless tn
Congress, by their adjournment, prevent its return
| which case it shall not be law. The President ma
| approve any appropriation and disapprove any othe
appropriation IN the bill. In such case he shal
10 signing the BILL designate the appropriations disaI
| proved; and shall return copy of such approprls
tons with his objections to the House which tn
| bill shall have originated, and the same proceeding
shall then be had case of other bills disapprove
by the President.
g. Every order resolution vote, to which the col
currence of both Houses may be necessary Except
question of adiournment) shall be presented to th
President of the Confederate States and before tn
same shall take effect, shall be approved by him; c
being disapproyed by him, may be re-passed by two
thirds of both Houses according TO the rules and linn
| tations prescribed in case Of a bill
SECTION 8.
The Congress shall have power
l. To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts; and e!
cises for necessary TO pay the debts provio
| for the common defence, and carry on the govern
ment of the Confederate States, but no bounties sa
be granted from the treasury; nor shall any duties
taxes on importations from foreign nations be laid
promote or foster any branch of industry and al d'
ties mposts and excises shall be uniform throngnou
| the Confederate States:
2. To borrow money the credit of the Confede
| ate States: -, ....... -
g. Te regulate commerce with foreign nations, an
\ and with the lQQ6n tTlDe7
| but neither this, any other sclause contain
ed in the constitution shall ever be construed TO de
cate the power to Congress to appropriate money
internal Improvement intended to facilitate con
merce: except for the purpose of furnishing light
beacons and buoys and other aids TO navigation upo
the coasts and the Improvement OF harbors and Il
removing of distractions In river navigation in
which cases. such duties shall be laid on the navig
tion facilitated thereby, as may be necessary 70 pa