Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-27

We the people of the Confederate States each STATE
acting its sovereign and independent character
ish justice, insure domestic tranquility and
the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our poster
| ty-nvoking the faver and guidance of Almighty God
do Ordain and establish this Constitution Tor the
| Confederate States Of America
ARTICLE L
SECTION 1.
All legislative powers herein delegated shall be vested
in Congress of the Confederate States, which shall
| consist of a 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 states and the electors in each State
shall 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.
| e No person shall be Representative, who shall
not have attained the OF twenty-five years. and
be citizen of the Confederate states and who shall
not, when elected be inhsbtant of thai State in
| which he shall be chosen
g. Representatives and Direct Taxes shall be appor-
tioned among the several States, which may be in
cluded within this Conederacy according their re-
spective numbers, which shall be determined by ad-
ding 10 the whole number OF free persons including
those bound TO service for term of years, and ex
cluding Indians not taxed, threefths of all slaves
1 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
ceed for every fifty thousand each shall
/ u
meratlon shall be made the State OF South Carolina
shall be entitled to choose six-the State of Geo ga
ten-the State OF Alabama nine-the State OF Florida
isana SIX and the State of Texas SIX.
4. When vacancies happen in the representation
from State, the Executive authority thereof shall
1 issue writs of election TO ill such vacancies.
8. The House of REPRESENTATIVES shall choose their
speaker and other officers; and shall have the
power of impeachment; except that any judicial OF
oher federal officers resident and acting solely within
the limits OF any State, may impeached by a vote
1 %
| thereof.
SECTION s.
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 the regular
| next Immediately preceding the commencement of
the term OF service and each Senator shall have one
1 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 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 of the third
the expiration of the sixth year that one-thrd
may be chosen every second year and if vacancies
happen by resignation, otherwise, during the
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.
3. No person shall be Senator who shall not have
attained the of thirty years and be citizen of
Confederate States and who shall not, when elected
be nhabitant OF the State for which he shall be
chosen.
The Vice President the Confederate States shall
be President of the Senate but shall have vote
o. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
also President pro tpOre in the absence of the Vice
President when he shall exercise the office Presi
dent of the Confederate States.
6. The Senate shall have the sole power to try all i'm
peachments When sitting for that purpose they shall
be oath or affirmation When the President of the
Confederate States tried the Chief pre-
side and person shall be convicted without the
concurrence of two-thirds of the members present
I. Judgment in of impeachment shall not ex-
tend further than TO removal from office, and dsqual
cation to hold and enjoy any office of honor or profit
he hur tho tod
shall, nevertheless, be liable and subject indict-
ment, trial, Judgment and punishment according to
law.
SECTION 4.
1. The time, place and manner Of holding elections |
for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed
in each State by the legs ture thereof subject the
provisions of this Constitution but the Congress may
at any time, by law, make alter such regulations,
except to the times and places of choosing
The Congress shall assemble least in every
year meeting shall be the first Monday in
December, unless they SHAH, by law, appoint dier-
ent day.
SECTION 5.
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 10
day. and may be authorized to 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-
ceedng punish Its members for dlsordery behavior,
and, with the concurrence of twothrds of the whole
number, expel member.
g. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed |
ings, and from time TO tie 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 nth
of those present, by entered on the journal.
g. Neither House, during the session of Congress,
SHALL without the of the other adjourn
than three days. to other place than that
in which the two Houses shall be sitting
SECTION 9. |
l. The Senator's and Representatives shall receiy- |
compensation for their services be ascertaned by
law and paid out of the treasury of the Confederate
States They shall, in all cases except treason, and
hrna Of ha
their attendance at the session of their respective
Houses and in going to and returning from the
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
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
ecutive Departments seat upon the floor Of either
House. with the privilege of discussing any measures
appertaning to his department
SECTION Z.
l. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the
House of Representatives.; but the Senate may pro-
pose or concur with amendments as other bills.
2 Every bill which shall havespassed both Houses, |
SHALL before it becomes a law be presented TO the
President of the Confederate States if he approve he
shall sign but if not he shall return il with his OBJ
jections TO the House in which it shall have originated
who shall enter the objections large their iourn
ais ami proceed to reconsider it. IT. after such
the BILL it shall be SENT together with objections
TO the other House, by which shall likewise be re-
House it shall become law. But in ali such eases
the votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas
and nays and the persons voting for and against the
bib shall be entered on the journal of each House
spectIvey If any bill shall be returned by the
President within ten days Sundays excepted) after
shall have been presented TO him the same shall be
law, in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the
Congress- by their adjournment prevent its return; in
which case it Shall not be law The President may
iafin md diaan thar
appropriation IN the same bill In such he shall,
in signing the BILL designate the appropriations dsap
proved; and shall return copy of such appropria-
tons, with his objections the House in which the
bill shall have originated, and the proceedings
shall then be had in Of other bills disapproved
by the President.
g. Every order resolution or VOTE to which the coa-
currenoe OF both Houses may be 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
bting disapproved by him, may be re-passed by two
thirds Of both Houses according TO the rules and mi
tations prescribed in case of a BILL
SECTION 8
The Congress shall have power
l. To lay and collect taxes, duties mposts, and ex-
cises for necessary the debts provide
for the common defence, and carry on the govern.
of the Confederate States but bounties shall
be granted from the treasury shall any duties or
taxes importaons from foreign nations be laid 70
promote foster any branch of industry and all du-
ties mposts and excuses shall be uniform throughout
the Confederate States:
q To borrow money on the credit of the Confeder-
8. Te regulate commerce with foreign nations and
among the several States and with the Indian trioes'
but neither this, nor any other sclsuse tcontain-
ed In the constitution shall ever be construed 70 dele
gate the power to Congress- TO money or
any internal Improvement intended 70 facilitate com
merce; except for the purpose of furnishing lights,
beacons and buoys, and other aids 20 Navigation 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 on the navlga
tion facilitated thereby may be necessary TO pay
the costs and expenses thereof:
4. establish uniform laws OF nsfuranza.on, anu
uniform laws on the subject Of bankruptces through