Year: 1861

Confederate States Of America.


We the people of the Confederate States each State
acting in its sovereign and independent character
order to form permanent federal government, estab
lish Justice insure domestic tranquility, and secure
the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our poser
ty-invoking the faysr and guidance OF Aimghty 6od
do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
Confederate States of America


ARTICLE l. t
SECTION l.


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 citizen of the Confederate
Sates shall be allowed TO vote for any officer civil or
political, State or Federal.


q No person shall be a Representative who shall
not have attained the age of twenty-fv years. and
citizen of the Confederate States, and who shall
not when elected, be an inhabant 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 to their
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 ex
cludng Indians not taxed, threefths 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
of ten years, in such manner they shall, by law
direct. The number of Representatives shall not
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 sxthe State of Georgia
two-the State of Mississippi seven-the State of Lou
siana six, and the State of Texas SIX.


4. When vacancies happen in the representation
from any State the Executive authority thereof shall
writs of election to fill such vacancies.


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 impeached by vote
of two-thirds of both branches of the Legislature
thereof.


.t SECTION 8.


1. The Senate Confederate States com
posed of 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
vote.


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 at the
expiration of the second OF the second class at
the expiration of the fourth and of the third class
the expiration of the sixth year that onethird
NAV 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 I'LL
such vacancies.


g. No person shall be Senator who shall not have
attained the of thirty and be citizen OF the
Confederate States and who shall not, when elected,
be inhabtant of the State for which he shall be
chosen.


The Vice President of the Confederate States shall
be President of theSenate, but shall have VOTE
less they shall be equally divided.


g. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
also President pro enpore 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
be oath affirmation. When the President of the



side and 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 disqua
fcatOn to hold and enjoy any office of honor profit,
under the Confederate States but the party convicted
shall, nevertheless, be liable and subject to ndic
ment, trial, judgment and punishment according to
law.
SECTION f.


l. The time, place and manner of holding elections
for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed
by the legislature thereof subject the
provisions of this Constitution but the Congress
at any time, by law, make alter such regulations,
except the times and places of choosing Senator's


2 The Congress shall assemble at least in every
and such meeting shall be on the first Monday in
December unless they shall, by law appoint differ
ent day.
l. Each House shall be the Judge of the elections
returns and qualifications of its own members, and
majority of each shall constitute quorum TO do
ness but smaller number may adjourn from day to
day, and be authorized to compel the attendance
| of absent members, in such manner and under such
penalties as edCl House may prOVOe.
2 Each House may determine the rules of its pro-
ceedngs punish its members for dsordery behavior,
and with the concurrence of twothirds of the whole
number, expel member


g. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
ngs and from time TO tae 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 one 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 6.


l. The Senators and Representatives shall receive
compensation for their services be ascertained by
law and paid of the treasury of the Confederate
breach of the peace be privileged from during
their attendance the session of their respective
Houses, and in going to and returning from the
and for any speech or debate 10 either House, they
/ shall not be questioned IN any other place.


2. No Senator or Representative shall, during tht
time for which he was elected, be appointed to any
civil Office under the authority of the Confederat,
States, which shall have been created, the emolu
ments whereof shall have been increased during sucl
time and no person holding any office under the Con
| federate States shall be member of either Hous
| during his continuance in Office. But Congress may
ecutive Departments seat upon the floor of eithe
House, with the privilege of discussing any measures
appertaining to his department.


| SECTION I.


l. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in tn
House of Representatives.; but the Senate may pro
| pose concur with amendments as on other bills.
| q 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 b.
shall sign but if not he shall return it with his OBJ
ections the House in which it shall have originated
who shall enter the objections at large their ourn
ais and proceed to reconsider it. If after such reconsd
Grafton thirds of that House shall agree TO pas
the BILL it 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
House, it shall become law But in all such cases
the votes of both Housesssha be determined by yea
and nays, and the persons voting for and against tn
bill shall be entered the journal of each House
spectiyey 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 manner if he had signed it, unless tn
Congress, by their adjournment, prevent its return;
which case ii shall not be a law. The President MAJ
approve any appropriation and disapprove any othe
appropriation in the same BILL In such case he shall
in signing the BILL designate the appropriations disap
| proved; and shall return copy OF such appropria
tions, with his objections, to the House in which tn
bill shall have originated and the same proceeding
shall then had in of other bills disapprove


q Every order resolution or VOTE to which the con
currence of both Houses may be necessary Except
a question of adjournment) shall be presented to th
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 of both Houses according to the rules and lin
| tatons prescribed in case Of a bill


SECTION 8.


, | The Congress shall have power


l. To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and el


cises for necessary to pay the debts provd
for the common defence, and carry on the govern


ment of the Confederate States but no bountes sha
be granted from the treasury nor shall any duties


taxes on importatons from foreign nations be laid


promote or foster any branch of industry; and all dt


ties imposts and excuses shall be uniform throughou
the Confederate States:


2 To borrow money on the credit of the Confedel
| ate States


among the several States and with the Indian tribes
| but neither this, nor any other clause contain


ed in the constitution shall ever be construed TO deli
cate the power Congress to appropriate money


any internal Improvement intended 10 facilitate con
merce; except for the purpose OF furnishing light


heacons and buoys and other aids to navigation upo
| the coasts and the Improvement OF harbors and u


removing of distractions in river navigation, in a
| which cases such duties shall be laid on the navig


ton facilitated thereby, may be necessary TO pa
, .I,o caste and eypenses thereof: