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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journal of the Confederate Congress --FIFTEENTH DAY--FRIDAY, December 6, 1861.
OPEN SESSION.
Congress met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Hoge.
Mr. Vest announced the presence of Thomas A. Harris, a Delegate-elect from the State of Missouri, who came forward, was duly qualified, and took his seat.
Congress then resolved itself into secret session.
SECRET SESSION.
Congress being in secret session,
Mr. Currin offered a resolution of thanks to Major-General Polk, Brigadier-Generals Pillow and Cheatham, and the officers and soldiers under their command; which was read first and second times, engrossed, read third time, and passed unanimously.
Mr. Venable, at his own request, was by common consent excused from serving on the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Venable offered the following resolution; which was read and agreed to, to wit:
Resolved, That the commissioners for the State of Kentucky accredited to the Provisional Government of the Confederate States be invited to seats on this floor.
Mr. Vest introduced a resolution; which was read and agreed to, to wit:
Resolved, That John B. Clark and R. L. Y. Peyton be admitted to seats in this Congress from the State of Missouri as Delegates at large.
Congress then proceeded to the consideration of the unfinished business of yesterday; which was the consideration of the amendment of Mr. Perkins to the first section of a bill to encourage the enlistment of volunteers for the war.
A message was received from the President, by the hands of his Private Secretary, Mr. Josselyn.
Under the resolution of Mr. Conrad of Wednesday the Chair appointed the following members on the Committee on Naval Affairs, viz: Messrs. McRae of Alabama and Venable of North Carolina.
Mr. Rhett called the question, which was upon agreeing to theamendment offered by Mr. Perkins.
The call was not sustained.
After discussion Mr. Atkins called the question; and the call being seconded, the question was put, and the amendment was not agreed to.
Mr. William Ballard Preston moved to amend by adding the following words to the first section, to wit:
That the pay of privates so enlisting and of those already enlisted, or who may hereafter enlist for three years or the war, shall be fifteen dollars per month, to commence, in the case of those already enlisted for three years or for the war, at the expiration of twelve months from the period of their enlistment.
And upon the adoption of the amendment he demanded that the yeas and nays of the whole body be recorded.
Mr. McRae, from the Committee on Engrossment, reported as correctly engrossed and enrolled
A resolution of thanks to Major-General Polk, Brigadier-Generals Pillow and Cheatham, and the officers and soldiers under their command.
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Mr. Jones of Tennessee moved to amend by striking out the amendment of Mr. Preston and substituting in lieu thereof the following words, to wit:
That the pay of all privates and noncommissioned officers who shall reenlist under the provisions of this act shall, in addition to the bounty provided in the first section, be increased two dollars per month for the first year of their service after said reenlistment and four dollars per month thereafter.
That the like increase of pay per month shalt be given to the privates and noncommissioned officers who are now in active service and shall have enlisted for three years or for the war, and to all privates and noncommissioned officers [who] shall hereafter enlist and be mustered rate the service of the Confederate States for three years or for the war.
Mr. William Ballard Preston demanded that the yeas and nays of the whole body be recorded thereon; which are as follows, to wit:
Those States voting in the affirmative are,
Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas, 5.
Those in the negative are,
Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Virginia, 5.
The States of [Alabama] and Missouri being divided.
So the amendment was not agreed to.
Mr. Sparrow moved to recommit the bill and pending amendments to the Committee on Military Affairs, and demanded the question; which was seconded;
When,
Mr. Avery, at the instance of the State of North Carolina, demanded that the yeas and nays of the whole body be recorded thereon; which are as follows, to wit:
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Those States voting in the affirmative are,
Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, and Texas, 7.
Those in the negative are,
Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, 5.
So the motion to recommit prevailed.
The Chair presented a communication from the President, transmitting to Congress certain estimates of the Secretary of War; which were referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, without being read.
Mr. Macfarland presented the memorial of Messrs. Bell, Pace, and Lavender; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, without being read.
Also, a bill to amend an act in regard to recruiting stations; which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Kenan, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported and recommended the passage of
A bill for the employment of hospital laundresses;
which was read first and second times;
When,
Mr. Conrad moved to amend the same by inserting after the word "rates," in the clause authorizing the Secretary of War to employ laundresses for hospitals, the words "and in such numbers."
The amendment was agreed to,
And the bill was engrossed, read third time, and passed as amended.
Mr. Johnson moved that Congress do now proceed to the consideration of a resolution introduced by himself in relation to adjournment.
The motion was agreed to, and the resolution was taken up for consideration;
When,
Mr. Orr moved that Congress do now adjourn.
The motion did not prevail.
Mr. Johnson moved to amend the resolution by striking out therefrom the words "adjourn on the sixteenth day of" and "Monday, third of February, eighteen hundred and sixty-one," and by inserting the words "take a recess."
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The amendments were agreed to;
When.
Mr. Miles moved to fill the blanks in the resolution with the words "sixteenth day of December" and the words "to fifteenth day of January."
A message was received from the President, by the hands of his Private Secretary, Mr. Josselyn, that he had this day approved and signed
A resolution of thanks to Maj. Gen. Leonidas Polk, Brig. Gen. Gideon J. Pillow, Brig. Gen. Benjamin F. Cheatham, and the officers and soldiers under their command, for gallant and distinguished services in the present war.
Mr. Curry called the question, which was upon agreeing to the motion of Mr. Miles to fill the blanks in the resolution in relation to adjournment, and the call was sustained;
When,
Mr. Rust moved to lay the resolution on the table.
Pending which,
Congress, on motion of Mr. Orr,
Adjourned until 12 m. to-morrow.
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