Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-10-08
NASHVILLE, TENN. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1861.
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
States Of America.

Confederate states OF America.
We the people of the Confederate States each State
acting in its sovereign and independent character in
1 order form permanent federal government estab
lish justice domestic tranquility, and
ty-invoking the fIver and guidance Almighty God
do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
| Confederate States of America
ARTICLE L
| SECTION 1.
All legislative powers herein delegated shall be vested
Congress of the Confederate States, which shall
consist of Senate and House of Representatives.
| SECTION 2.
| l. The House of Representatives shall be composed
members chosen every second year by the people
of the several States 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
person of foreign BIRTH not citizen OF the Confederate
States, shall be allowed to vote for any officer, civil
| 2. No person shall be Representative, who shall
not have attained tue age of twenty five years, and
bsa citizen of the Confederate States and who shall
not, when elected be an inhabitant of that State in
| which he shall be chosen.
3. Representatives and Direct Taxes shall be appor
| toned among the several States which may be in
cuded within this Conicderacy, according to their
spectve numbers, which shall be determined, by ad
ding the whole number OF free persons, including
th1se bound g service for term of years, and
cudiug Indians not taxed, three fths of all slaves.
The actual enumeration shall be made within three
after the first meeting OF the Congress of the
onfederate States and within every subsequent term
Of ten years, such manner as they shall, by law
direct. The number Representatives shall not ex
ceed Cor every fifty thousand, State shall
have at least one and until sucb enu
meration shall be made the State of South Carolina
shall be entitled to choose siX-the State Of Georgia
ten-the State of Alabama nne-the State of Florida
two-the State of Mississippi seven-the State of Lou
J isiana six, and the State of Texas SIX.
f. When vacancies happen in the representation
from State, the Executive authority thereof shall
1 issue writs of election 10 fill such vacancies.
s. The House of Representatives shall choose their
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.
l. The Senate of the Confederate States shall be com
posed of two Senators from each State chosen for
years by the legislature thereof the regular session
next Immediately preceding the commencement of
vote.
| 2. Immediately after they shall be assembled, in
consequence Of the first election they shall be divided
as equally as 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 year and of the third class
at the expiration of the sixth year that one-third
may be chosen every second year; and if vacancies
happen by resignation, or 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 fill
such vacancies.
8. No person shall be Senator who shall not have
attained the age of thirty years and be
Confederate States and who shall not, when elected,
be an nhabant 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 un
less they shall be equally divided.
g. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
also President pro tepOTe in the absence of the Vice
President, when he shall the Office Presi
dent of the Confederate States.
6. The Senate shall have the sole power to try all
peachments sitting for that purpose they shall
be on oath or affirmation When the President of the
Confederate States 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
tend further than to removal from oce, and dssuali
cation 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.
L The time, place and manner of holding elections
for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed
in each State by the egsl ure thereof subject the
provisions of this Constitution but the Congress may
any time, by law, make alter such regulations,
except to the times and places of choosing
2 The Congress shall assemble at least once in every
year and such meeting shall be the first Monday in
December unless they SHALL by law, appoint differ
snt day.
SECTION S.
1. Each HOUSE shall De the judge OF tae elections
returns and qualifications Of its members and
ness bt smaller naIaeer may adjourn fron day 10
gay and may be authorized compel ATTENDANCE
ef aesent snealeerss IN s'ieis nzzs and under such
penalties as each House may provide.
2. Each House may determine the rules Of its pro-
ceedngs, punish its members for disorderly behavior,
and with the of thirds of the whole
number, expel a member
8. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
ings from time time publish the same excepting
such parts may in their judgment require secrecy,
and the yeas and nays of the members of either 1
House, on 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, TO other place than that
in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
SECTION 8.
1. The Senators and Representatives shall receive a
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
breach of the peace be privileged from during
Houses, and in going and returning from the same
and for any speech debate in either House, they
shall not be questioned IN any other place.
2. No Senator 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 emou
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 to the principal officer in each of the Ex
ecutive Departments a upon the floor of either
House. with the privilege of discussing any measures
appertaining to his department.
SECTION T.
1. All bills for raising shall originate in the
House of Representatives; but the Senate may pro-
pose concur with amendments on other bills.
2. Every bill which shall have passed both Houses,
shall, before it becomes law, be presented the
President of the Confederate States if he approve he
shall sign it but if not he shall return it with his OBJ
ectons to the House in which it shall have originated
who shall enter the objections at large their journ
ais proceed reconsider it, IT, after such recOnsd
eration of that House shall agree to pass
the BILL it shall be sent together with the objections
the other House, by which it shall likewise be re-
considered and if approved by two-thiTds OF that
House, it shall become law But in all such cases,
the of both Houses.sha be determined by yeas
and and the persons voting for and against the
bill shall be entered on the journal of each House re-
SpectIvely. If any bill shall not be returned by the
president within ten days Sundays excepted) after il
shall have been presented to him, the shall be
law, in like manner he had signed it, unless the
Congress- by their adjournment prevent its RETURN in
which case ii hall not be law. The President may
approve any a ropriation and disapprove any other
appropriation y the bill. In such he shall,
signing the bs designate the appropriations dsap
proved; and shall return copy of such appropra-
bill shall have originated and the proceedings
shall then be had in of other bills disapproved
g. Every order, resolution vote TO which the
of both Houses may be necessary Except on
question of adournment) 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 re-passed by two
thirds of both Houses according the rules and ini
tations prescribed in case of a bill
SECTION
The Congress shall have power
1. To lay and collect taxes, duties imposts, and ex-
cises TO pay the debts, PROVIDE
for the common defence, and carry on the govern
of the Confederate States but no bounties shall
be granted from the treasury; shall any duties or
taxes importatons from foreign nations De lao 10
promote or foster any branch OF industry ana All oa
ties mposts and excises shall be uniform throughout
| the Confederate States:
| O. To borrow money on the credit of the Confeder-
ate States:
g. Te regulate commerce with foreign nations, and
among the several States, and with the Indian tribes
| but neither this, any other clause contain
ed in the constitution shall be construed to dele
gate power to Congress 10 appropriate money Tor
any internal improvement intended to facilitate com
merce except for the purpose Of furnishing lghts,
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 on the nAviga-
tion facilitated thereby, may be necessary 70 pay
the costs and expenses thereof:
| e. % establish uniform laws of naturalization, and
uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies through
out the Confederate States, but law OF Congress
shall discharge any debt contracted before the passage
/ of the same: