Year: 1861

Confederate States Of America,


We the people of the Confederate States, each Stat
acting sovereign and independent character
order form permanent federal government, estab
sh justice, insure domestic tranquility, and secur,
the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posteri
ty-1voking the faver and guidance of Almghty Goo
do ordan and establish this Constitution for the
Confederate States of America
ARTICLE L


SECTION Il.


All legislative powers herein delegated shall be vested
a Congress of the Confederate States, which shal
consist of Sepate and House of Representatives
SECTION g


L The House of Representatives shall be composed
of members chosen every second year by the people
of several 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 OF
political, State 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 inhabitant 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
cuded within this Confederacy, according 10 their
spectiye 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 fths of all slaves





years after the first meeting Of the Congress of the
Confederate States and within every subsequent term
OF years, in such manner they shall, by law
direct. The number of Representatives shall moi
ceed for every fifty thousand but each State shall
have at least one Representative; and until such
meration shall be made the State of South Carolina
shall be entitled to choose six-the State of Geo Egia
ten-the State of Alabama Dine-the State of Florida
two-the State of Mississippi seyen-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
aGcFtE rfC Ofn nlafrIn n CTThx rcTac


5. The House of Representatives shall choose their
speaker and other officers; and shall have the sole
power of Impeachment; except that any judicial
other 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.
1. The Senate of the Confederate States shall be
posed of two Senators from each State, chosen for
years by the legislature thereof the regular
next Immediately preceding the commencement of
the term of service and each Senator shall have one



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 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 the sixth year so that
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 ill
such vacancies.


3. NO person snail be senator VINO Shall not have
attained the of thirty years. and be citizen of the
Confederate States and who shall not, when elected,
be 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


5. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
also President pro epore in the absence of the Vice
President, when he shall exercise the office of Pres
dent of the Confederate States.


g. The Senate shall have the sole power to try all i'm
peachments When sitting for that purpose, they shall
Confederate States tried the Chief Justice shall pre-
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
tend further than to removal from Office and disaual-
cation TO hold and enjoy any Office of honor profit,
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 by the legsl thereof subject
provisions of this Constitution but the Congress
at any time by law, make alter such regulations
except to the times and places of choosing Senator's
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 a differ
ent day.


SECTION 5.


l. Each House shall be the Judge of the elections
returns and qualifications of its members, and
majority of each shall constitute quorum do bust
ness but smaller number may adjourn from day to





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-
ceedings punish its members for disordery behavior,
and, with the concurrence Of twothrds of the whole
number, expel a member.


8. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
ngs 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 either
House, any question, shall, the desire of fifth
of those present, by entered on the journal.


a. 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 arrest during
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 Representative shall, during the
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 sucf
time and person holding any Office under the Con
federate States shall be member of either Hous,
during his continuance in office. But Congress may
by grant TO the principal officer in each of the Elk
ecutive Departments seat upon the floor of eithe
House. with the privilege of discussing any
appertaning to his department


SECTION Z.


l. All bills for raising revenue shall originate tn
House of Represen tatves; but the Senate may pro
pose or concur with amendments as on other bills.
2 Every bill which shall have passed both Houses
shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to th
President of the Confederate States he approve, b.
shall sign it but he shall return it With his OBJ
jections to the House in which it shall have originated
who shall enter the objections at large their journ
ais proceed to reconsider it. If after such reconsd
GRAFTON, twOthrds of that House shall agree to pas
BILL shall be sent, together with the objections
to the other House, by which it shall likewise be re
| considered, and if approved by two-thirds OF tina
Il hall lax It1f in
the votes of both Houses.shal be determined by yea
and nays and the persons voting for and against tn
bill shall be entered the journal of each House
spectvely. If any bill shall not be returned by tn
President within ten days Sundays excepted) 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 it shall not be law. The President ma.
approve any appropriation and dsapprove any othe
AUTHORIZATION in the same bill. In such he shall
in signing the BILL designate the appropriations disap
proved; and shall return copy of such appropria
tons with his objections, to the House in which tn
bill shall have originated, and the same proceeding
shall then be had in case of other bills disapprove
| by the President


g. Every order resolution or vote, which the con
currence of both Houses may be necessary Except OF
question of adjournment) shall be preoented 70 Tn
President of the Confederate States and before tn
same shall take effect shall be approved by him;
being disapproved by him, may be re-passed by two
thirds both Houses according 10 the rules and linn
| tations prescribed in case of bill.


| SECTION 8.


The Congress shall have power


l. To lay and collect taxes, duties imposts, and ez
cses for revenue necessary 70 pay the debts provd
for the common defence, and carry on the govern
ment of the Confederate States but no bounties sha
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 all du
ties imposts and excuses shall be uniform throughou
| the Confederate States:


q To borrow money the credit of the Confedel
ate States:


g. Te regulate commerce with foreign nations, an
among the several States and with the Indian tribes
l hut neither this. any Otner Ciause Coutdl
ed in the constitution shall be construed to dele
gate the power Congress to appropriate money 10
| any internal Improvement intended 10 facilitate CON
| merce: except for the purpose of furnishing lghs
beacons and buoys and other aids to navigation upo
| the coasts and the Improvement of harbors and tf
| removing of obsiructions in river navigation, IN