Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-09-06
NASHVILLE, TENN. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1861
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
Confederate States Of America.


We, the people of the Confederate States each Stat
acting in its sovereign and independent character,
iisn justice insure domestic tranquility, and secur
the blessings of liberty to ourselves and pOsteri
ty-invokng the faver and guidance of Almighty Coo
do ordain and establish this Constitution for tht
Confederate States of America.
ARTICLE 1.
SECTION /.
All legislative powers herein delegated shall be vested
in a Congress of the Confederate States which shall
consist of Senate and House of Representatives,.
2.
l. The House of Representatives shall be composed
oil members chosen every second year by the people
of the several states; and the electors 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 for any officer civil or
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 nhabitant 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
cluded within this ConeGeracy according their re-
spectve numbers, which shall be determined by ad-
ding TO the whole number of free persons including
those bound to service for term of years and ex-
GLIDING Indians not taxed threefths of all slaves
The actual enumeration shall be made within three
years after the nrst meeting of the Congress of the
Confederate States, and within subsequent term
OF ten years, in such manner they shall. by law
direct The number of Representatives shall not ex
coed one for every fifty thousand each State shall
have at least one Representative; and until such emu
meration shall be made the State of South Carolina
shall be entitled to choose six-the State of ga
ten-the State OF Alabama nine--the State of Florida
two-the State of Mississippi seven-the 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
wrts of election TO fill such vacancies
r. haU ahao tbair
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 two-thirds Of both branches Of the Legislature
thereof.
SECTION 8.
J. The Senate of the Confederate States shall be com
posed of two Senators from each State chosen fer
years by 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 the
expiration of the second year of the second class
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 appoin ailments until the
next meeting of the Legislature, which shall then ill
3. 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 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 eRpore in the absence of the Vice
President when he shall exercise the Office of Presi-
dent of the Confederate States.
9. The Senate shall have the sole power to try all i'm
peachmens. When sitting for that purpose they shall
al atfrmatOl. President
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 dsQuali-
under the Confederate States but the party convicted
shall, nevertheless, be liable and subject ndict-
ment, trial, judgment and punishment according to
law.
SECTION 4.
l. The time, place and manner of holding elections
for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed
in each State by the egsl ture thereof subject to the
provisions of this Constitution but the Congress may
any timr by Ia@ make or alter such regulations,
except 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.
1. Each House shall be the judge of the elections
returns and qualifications of its members, and q
ness but a 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 disordery behavior,
and with the concurrence of wOthirds of the whole
number, expel member.
3. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
ngs and from time tiuae publish the excepting
such parts as may in their Judgment require secrecy
and the yeas and nays of the members of either
House, any question, shall at the desire of fifth
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. any other place than that
in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
SECTION 8.
l. The Senators and Representatives shall receive
compensation for their services to be ascertaned by
law paid 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 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 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 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 law grant the principal officer each of the Ex
ecutve Departments seat upon the door of either
House. with the privilege of discussing measures
appertaining TO his department
SECTION 7.
L. All bills for raising shall originate in the
pose or concur with amendments on other bills
2. Every bill which shall have passed both Houses,
SHALL before it becomes law, be presented 10 the
President of the Confederate States if he approve he
shall sign it but if he shall it with his
ections to the House in which it shall have originated,
who shall enter the objections at large their journ
ais and proceed to reconsider it, If after such reconsid
Grafton, twOthrds of that House shall agree TO pass
the BILL ii shall be sent, together with the objections,
the other House, by which it shall likewise be
considered, and if approved by twothirds OF that
House. it shall become law But in all such cases,
the votes Of both Houses shall be determined by
and nays and the persons voting for and against the
bill shall be entered the journal of each House
spectvely. If any 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 manner as he had signed it, unless the
Congress- by their adjournment prevent its return in
which case it shall not be law. The President may
approve any appropriation and disapprove any other
appropriation in the same bill. In such case he shall,
in signing the BILL designate the appropriations disap-
proved; 0and shall return copy of such appropra-
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 disapproyed
by the President. b..
currence of both Houses may be necessary Except on
question of adjournment shall be presented to the
President of the Confederate States and before the
same shall take effect, shall be approved by him; or
being dsapproved by him, may be passed by two
thirds of both Houses according the rules and mi-
tations prescribed in case of a BILL
SECTION 8
The Congress shall have power
l. To lay and collect taxes, dulles lnpOsts, aud e1
cses for necessary 10 pay the debts provide
for the common defence, and carry on the govern,
ment of the Confederate States but no bounties shall
be granted from the treasury nor shall any duties OF
taxes importations from foreign nations De ald to
promote foster any branch of industry and ali du
ties imposts and excuses shall be uniform throughout
the Confederate States:
2. To borrow money on the credit Of the Confeder
ate States:
g. To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and
among the several States and with the Indian tribes
but neither this, any other Lclause tcontain
ed in the constitution shall ever be construed to dele
gate the power to Congress to appropriate money fo
any internal Improvement intended TO facilitate com
merce except for the purpose of furnishing lights
beacons and buoys and other aids TO navigation upoi
the coasts and the Improvement of harbors and ths
removing of distractions in river navigation in al
which cases such duties shall be laid the naviga
tion facilitated thereby, as may be necessary 10 pa,
the costs and expenses thereof:
A. 10 establish uniform laws of Naturalization ans
uniform laws the subject Of bankruptcies through
out the Confederate States, but no law OF congress
discharge any debt contracted before the pasag
of the same:
g. To coin money, regulate the value thereof and O