Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-09
CONSTITUTION
OF THE =f
Confederate States of America.

/ ! & Z e
we the people of the Confederate States, each stat
acting in its sovereign and independent character,
order to form permanent federal government, estat
sh justice, insure domestic tranquility and secur
the blessings OF liberty to ourselves and our poster
ty-inyoking the faver and guidance of Almighty Go
do ordain and establish this Constitution for tn
Confederate States of America
ARTICLEL
SECTION l.
All legislative powers herein delegated shall be veste
in a Congress of the Confederate States which shal
consist of a Senate and House Of Representatives.
SECTION 2.
l. The House of Represen tatives shall be composet
of members chosen every second year by the peopl
of the several states and the electors in each Stat
shall be citizens of the Confederate States and ha
the qualifications requisite for electors of the mos
numerous branch of the State Legislature but nC
person of foreign brth not citizen of the Confederate
States, shall be allowed to for any officer, civil
political, State or Federal.
2. No person shall be Representative, who shal
not have attained the age of twenty-five years. and
be citizen of the Confederate states, and who shal
not when elected, be inhabitant of that State in
which he shall be chosen.
s. Representatives and Direct Taxes shall be appor-
toned among the several States, which may be in
cluded within this Confederacy according their re-
spective 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
Guiding 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 subsequent term
of ten years. in such manner as they shall, by law
direct The number of Representatives shall not
ceed for every fifty thousand but each State 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 Georgia
ten-the State OF Alabama Dine-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.
s. The House of Representatives shall choose their
power of impeachment; except that any judicial or
other 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.
SECTION 8.
l. The Senate of the Confederate States shall be
posed of two Senators from each State chosen for six
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
at the expiration of the sixth year that onethrd
may be chosen every second year; and vacancies
happen by resignation, or 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 i'll
such vacancies.
g. No person shall be Senator who shall not have
Confederate States and who shall not when elected
be an nhabitant 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 vote
less they shall be equally divided
s. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
also President tenOre in the absence of the Vict
President when he shall exercise the Office of Presi
dent of the Confederate States.
g. The Senate shall have the sole power try all
peachmens. enstting for that purpose, they shal
be 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
I. Judgment in cases of Impeachment shall not ex
tend further than TO removal from office land disquali
unde the Confederate States but the party
shall, nevertheless, be liable and subject to ndict
ment, trial, judgment and punishment according Il
law.
SECTION L.
1. The time place and manner of holding elections
for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed
in each State by the thereof subject to 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 Senator's
2. The Congress shall assemble at least in every
year AMI such meeting shall be the first Monday il
December, unless they shall, by law, appoint differ
ent day.
SECTION 5.
i Each Hnnse shall be the Judge of the elections
returns and qualifications of its members, and
majority of each shall constitute quorum to do bust
ness but smaller number may adjourn from day Il
of absent members, i'll such manner and under suel
penalties each House may provide.
2. Each House may determine the rules of its pro
ceedings punish its members for dsOrderly behavior
and with the concurrence of two-thirds of the whole
number expel a member.
8. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
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 eithel
House, any question, SHALL the desire of -l
of those present, by entered on the journal
4. Neither House, during the session of Congress
than three days, to any other place than tina
in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
SECTION 8.
l. The Senators and Representatives shall receive
compensation for their services be ascertaned b.
law and paid out of the treasury of the Confederat
States. They shall, in all cases, except treason AM
breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest durin
their attendance at the session of their respectiv
Houses and in going to and returning from the same
and for any speech or debate 10 either House, the
shall not be questioned any other place.
2. No Senator or Representative shall, during th
time for which he was elected, be appointed to an
civil office under the authority of the Confederat
States which shall have been created, the emolJ
ments whereof shall have been increased during sue
time and person holding any Office under the Cor
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 E
ecutive Departments seat upon the floor of eithe
House, with the privilege of discussing any measure
appertaining TO his department.
SECTION Z.
l. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in th
House of Representatives; but the Senate may pre-
pose or concur with amendments as on other bills.
2. Every bill which shall have passed both Houses
shall, before it becomes law, be presented to th
President of the Confederate States If he approve,
shall sign but not he shall return it with his oil
jectons to the House in which it shall have originated
who shall enter the objections at large on their jour-
ais and proceed to reconsider it. IT, after such recons
Grafton, two-thirds of that House shall agree to pa
the bill it shall be sent, together with the objection
to the other House, by which it shall likewise be
nd j oua0 fXn-thlFdG
House. it shall become law. But in all such case
the of both Houses;shal be determined by ye,
and nays and the persons voting for and against Il
bill shall be entered on the journal of each House
spectivey If any bill shall not be returned by Il
President within ten days (Sundays excepted) after
shall have been presented to him, the same shall be
law in like manner as he had signed it, unless Il
Congress- by their adjournment, prevent its return
which case il shall not be law The President ms
approve any appropriation and disapprove any 9th
appropriation in the same bill. In such case he sha
in signing the BILL designate the appropriations disa
proved; and shall return copy of such approprl
tions, with his objections, to the House in which Il
bill shall have originated, and the same proceeding
shall then had in of other bills disapprov'
1 by -he President.
currence of both Houses may be necessary Except
a question of adjournment) shall be presented to q
| same shall take effect, shall be approved by him;
being disapproved by him, may be re-passed by tw
thirds of both Houses according to the rules and lin
| tations prescribed in case of a bill.
L o.
| The Congress shall have power
l. To lay and collect taxes, duties, mposts, and G
cises for necessary TO the debts, provi
| for the common defence, and carry on the gover
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 all
ties imposts and excises shall be uniform througho
| the Confederate States:
2 To borrow money the credit of the Confed'
ate States; .
| 8. Te regulate commerce with foreign nations, a
among the several States and with the Indian trib,
| but neither this, any other Ecianse conta
ed in the constitution shall ever be construed TO de
gate the power to Congress to appropriate money
internal Improvement intended to facilitate Co
| merce: except for the purpose OF furnishing hgh
beacons and buoys, and other aids 70 navigation up
| the coasts and the improvement of harbors and {
| removing of distractions in river navigation, In
which cases. such duties shall be laid on the navil
ton Facilitated thereby, may be necessary 70
| the costs and expenses thereof:
a To establish uniform laws OF NATURALIZATION, a
uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throuf
| out the Confederate States, but no law OF Congr'
shall discharge any debt contracted before the pass
1 ~ thas me