Year: 1861




acting in its sovereign and independent character
order to form permanent federal government estal
lish Justice insure domestic tranquility, and
the blessings Of liberty to ourselves and our poster
ty-invoking the faver and guidance of Almighty Go
do ordain and establish this Constitution for th
Confederate States Of America


ARTICLE I.


| SECTION 1.


All legislative powers herein delegated shall be veste
in Congress of the Confederate States, which sha
consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
| SECTION 2.
| L. The House of Representatives shall be compose,
of members chosen every second year by the peopl
of the several states; and the electors in each Stat
shall be citiZss Of the Confederate States and havi
the qualifications requisite for electors of the mos
numerous branch of the State legislature, but NJ
person offOregD birth citizen of the Confederate
States shall be allowed TO vote for any officer, civil


r Ne p~Tson e q Be a representative who sl.ai
not have attained the age of txentyfv years. and
bst citizen of the Confederate States, and who shall
not when elected be inhabitant of that State in
| which nc shafi be chosen


B. Representatives and Direct Taxes shall be appor
toned among the several States, which may be in
cluded within this Conederacy, according their re-
spective numbers, which shall be determined, by ad
ding to the whole number of free persons, including
those bound to for term of years, and ex-
cluding 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 term
OF ten years, in such manner as they SHALL by law,
direct. The number of Representatives shall not ex
ceed for every fifty thousand but each State shall
have least Representatives. and until such
meration shall be made the State of South Carolina
shall be entitled to choose six-the State of Georgia
ten-the State of Alabama Dine-the State of Florida
twothe State Of Mississippi seven-the State of Lou
isiana six, and the State of Texas six.
4. When vacancies happen in the representa-


from 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 or
other federal officers resident and acting solely within
/ the limits of State he imDaachad hV vOte
OF two-thirds Of both branches of the Legislature
thereof.


SECTION 3.


1. The Senate of the Confederate States
posed of 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
vote.


| 2 Immediately after they shall be assembled in
consequence of the first election they shall be divided
equally may be three classes The seats of
the Senators of the first class shall be vacated the
expiration OF the second year OF the second class at
the expiration of the fourth year of the third
at the expiration of the sixth year so that third
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 age of thirty years. and be citizen of the
be an nhabitant OF the State for which he shall be
chosen.


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


D The Senate shall choose their other officers and
also President pro tenpOre 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 Wien sitting for that purpose, they shall
be oath affirmation. When the President of the
Confederate STATS is tried the Chief Justice shall pre-
side and person shall be convicted without the
concurrence of o-thirds OF the members present.


I. Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not
tend further than removal from office and diSuua-
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.


SECTION 4.


l. The time place and manner OF holding elections
for Senators and RepreseD ttyes shall be prescribed
peachState by the Lfis5tur thereof subject 20 the
pFovisons this Constitution but Congress may
at any time ~ law make or alter such regulations
except the times and places of choosing Senator's
p The Congress shall assem- bic at least once In every
year and such meeting shall be the first Monday in
December, unless they shall, by law, appoint dier
ent day.


SECTION 5.


1. 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
:; but smaller number may adjourn from day to
day. and may be authorized TO compel the attendance
of absent MEMBERS in such and under such
penalties each House may provide.


2. Each House may determine the rules of its pro-
ceedngs punish its members for disorderly behavior,
and with the concurrence Of twOthirds of the whole
number, expel member.


8. Each House shall keep journal of its proceed
ings, and from time to time publish the same excepting
such parts as may in their Judgment require secrecy
and the yeas and nays of the members of either
House, any question, shall at the desire of onefth
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 8.


1. The Senators and Representatives shall receive
Ornn heir tn he ~
law and paid out of the treasury of the Confederate
States. They shall in all cases, except treason, and
their attendance at the of their respective
Houses and in going to 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 appointed TO any
civil office under the authority of the Confederate
States, which shall have been created, the emou
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
appertaining 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 on other bills


2 Every bill which shall have passed both Houses,
shall, before it becomes law, be presented to the
President of the Confederate States if he approve he
shall sign but if not he shall return it with his OBJ
econs to the House in which it shall have originated,
who shall enter objections large their ourn
ais and proceed reconsider If after such reconsd
Grafton two-thirds of that House shall agree to pass
the bill, it shall be SENT together with the objections
TO the other House, by which it shall likewise be
considered, and if approved by twOthrds OF that
House. it shall become a law. But in all such cases,
the votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas
and nays, and the persons voting for and against the
bill shall be entered on the journal of each House
spectIvey If any bill shall not be returned by the
President within ten days Sundays excepted) after it
shall have been presented to him. the shall be
law, in like manner If he had signed it, unless the
Congress- by their adjournment prevent its return in
which case il shall not be a law. The President may
approve any appropriation and disapprove any other
appropriation in the same bill In such case he shall
signing the bill, designate the appropriations disa
proved; and shall return copy of such appropria-
tons with ms OBJECT to the House IN which the
shall then be had as in case of other bills dsapproved
by the President.


currence of both Houses be necessary Except
question of adjournment shall be presented the
same shall take effect, shall be approved by him; or
being disapproved by him, may be re-passed by two
thirds of both Houses according the rules and
tations prescribed in case of bill.


SECTION


The Congress shall have power


/. To lay and collect taxes, duties imposts and
for the common defence, and carry on the govern
of the Confederate States, but bounties shall
be granted from the treasury; shall duties
taxes importations from foreign nations be laid to
promote foster auy branch Of industry; and all du
ties iTnposts and excses shall be uniform throughout
the Confederate States:


2. To borrow money the credit Of the Confeder-
ate States:


5. To 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 ever be construed TO dele
gate the power to Congress to appropriate money for
any internal Improvement intended to facilitate COM
merce except for the purpose Of furnishing lights,
beacons, and buOys and other aids TO 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 the nayiga
tion facilitated thereby, may be necessary to pay
| the costs and expenses thereof:


| L. 10 establish uniform laws of naturalization, and
uniform laws the subject of bankruptcies, through
out the Confederate States, but law Of Congress
shall discharge any debt contracted before the passage
| OF the same:


s. To coin money, regulate the value thereof and o.