Year: 1861

Confederate States Of america


We, the people of the Confederate States each Stat


acting in its sovereign and independent character


order to form permanent federal government estat


lsh justice, insure domestic tranquility, and


ty-invoking the faver and guidance Of Almighty Go
do ordain and establish this Constitution for tn
Confederate States Of America


ARTICLE L


| SECTION 1.


All legislative powers herein delegated shall be veste,
in Congress of the Confederate States, which shall
! consist of Senate and House of Representatives.


SECTION q
| 1. The House of Representatives shall be composed
Of members chosen every second year by the people
of the several states; and the each Stat
shall be citizens of the Confederate States and have
the qualifications requisite for electors of the mosi
| numerous branch of the State Legislature but nc
person Of foreign BIRTH citizen Of the Confederate
States shall be allowed TO for any officer, civil
| 2. No person shall be Representative, who shall
not have attained the age OF twentyf years, and
be citizen of the Confederate States and who shall
not, when elected be an nhabitant of that State
| which he shall be chosen.


3. Representatives and Direct Taxes shall be appor-
| TONED among the several States, which may be in
cnded within this COnederaey according their re-
spectve numbers, which shall be 1e rmIned by ad-
ding to the whole number of free persons including
those bound 10 service for term of years, and ex
cuding Indians not taxed, three fths 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, such manner as thew shall by law
direct The number of Representatives shall not ex-
ceed for every fifty thousand each State shall
have at least one Representative and until such
neration shall be made the State of South Carolina
shall be entitled choose six-the State of geo ga
ten-the State OF Alabama nne-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


5. The House of Representatives shall choose their
speaker and other officers; and shall have the sole
power of impeachment; except that any judicial
oher federal officers acting solely within
the limits of any State, may be impeached by vote
OF twothirds of both branches of the Legislature
thereof.


SECTION 3.


l. The Senate of the Confederate States shall be com
posed of two Senators from each State chosen for
years by the legislature thereof at the regular
next Immediately preceding the commencement of
the term of service and each Senator shall have
vote.


2. Immediately after they shall be assembled in
consequence of the first election they shall divided
as equally as NAV be into three classes The seats of
the Senators of the class shall be vacated at the
expiration of the second of the second class
the expiration of the fourth year and of the third class
at the expiration of the sixth year that onethird
may be chosen every second year and if vacancies
happen by resignation or otherwise, during the re-
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


3. 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 an inhabitant OF the State for which he shall be
chosen.


The Vice President of the Confederate States shall
be President of theS Senate, but shall have vote
less they shall be equally divided


5. The Senate shall choose their other officers and
President when he shall the office of Presi
dent of the Confederate States.


6. The Senate shall have the sole power to try all i'm
peachmens- When sitting for that purpose they shall
be oath affirmation. When the President of the
Confederate States is tried the Chief Justice shall
AM hall he cd xvirb faa
concurrence of twothrds of the members present.


l. Judgment in cases of Impeachment shall not ex-
tend further than to removal from office, and dsquali
cation to hold and enjoy any Office of honor profit
under the Confederate States but party convicted
shall, nevertheless, be liable and subject ndict-
ment trial, Judgment and punishment according to
law.


SECTION L.
l. The time, place and manner Of holding elections
for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed
each the legis thereof subject to 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 Senator's


The Congress shall assemble at least every
and such meeting shall be the first Monday in
December, unless they shall, by law, appoint dfer
ent day.


SECTION 5.
1. Each House shall be the Judge of the elections
returns and qualifications of its members, and
majority OF each shall constitute quorum do busi-
ness but smaller number may adjourn from day to /
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-
ceedngs, punish its members for disordery behavior
and with the concurrence of two-thrds of the whole
number, expel member.
3. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
ngs, and from time 10 time publish the excepting
and the yeas and nays of the members of either |
House, any question, SHALL at 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 6.
1. The Senators and Representatives shall receive
compensation for their services to be ascertaned by
law, and paid out of the treasury of the Confederate
States They SHALL in all cases, except and
breach of the peace be privileged from arrest during
their attendance at the session of their respective
Houses, and in going and returning from the same
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
time for which he was elected, be app inted TO any
civil office under the authority of the Confederate
States, which shall have been created, the emolu-
ments whereof shall have been increased during such
time and 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 10 the principal officer in each of the Ex
ecutive Departments seat upon the floor of either
House, with the privilege of discussing any measures
appertainng TO his department


SECTION T.
l. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the
House of Representatives; but the Senate may pro-
pose or concurwith amendments other bills.
2 Every bill which shall have passed both Houses,
shall, before it becomes a law, presented to the
President of the Confederate States if he approve he
shall sign but if not he shall return it with his OBJ
jections 10 the House in which it shall have originated
who shall enter the objections large their ourn
ais and proceed TO reconsider it. IT, after such reconsd-
eraton thirds of that House shall agree to pass
the BILL ii 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 that
House. it shall become law. But in all such cases.
the votes of both Housessha be determined by yeas
and nays, and the persons voting for and against the
bill shall be entered the journal of each House re-
spectlvely. If any bill shall returned by the
President within ten days Sundays exeepted) after
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;
which case IL shall not be law. The President may
approve any appropriation and disapprove other
appropriation in the bill. such case he SHALL
IN signing the BILL designate the appropr dsap
proyed and shall return copy of such appropria-
bill shall have originated and the proceedings
shall then be had of other bills disapproyed
by the President.
g. Every order resolution or vote to which the con-
currence of both Houses may be necessary Except
question of adjournmentl shall be presented TO the
President of the Confederate States and before the
same shall take effect, shall be approved by him; or
oelng dlsapproved by him, may be passed by two
thirds of both Houses according to the rules and %
tations prescribed in case of a bin.


SECTION s |
The Congress shall have power
L To lay and collect taxes, duties imposts, and ex-
for the common defence, and carry the govern /
ment of the Confederate States but bounties shall
be granted from the treasury nor shall any duties or
taxes on importatons from foreign nations be laid 70
promote foster branch of industry and all du-
ties mposts and excises shall be uniform throughout
the Confederate States:
2. To borrow money on the credit of the Confeder-
ate States:
g. Te regulate commerce with foreign nations, and
among the States and with the Indian tribes;
but neither this, nor any other sclause contain