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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 --TWENTY-FIRST DAY--FRIDAY, December 13, 1861.
OPEN SESSION.
Congress tact pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Hoge.
Congress then resolved itself into secret session.
SECRET SESSION.
Congress being in secret session,
Proceeded to the consideration of the unfinished business of yesterday; which was
A bill regulating the mode of filling vacancies in the field officers of regiments and battalions.
The further consideration of which, on motion of Mr. Sparrow, was postponed for the present and made the special order of Monday next.
Mr. Craige presented the memorial of certain mail contractors; which was referred to the Committee on Postal Affairs, without being read.
Mr. McRae presented the memorial of a chaplain in the Army;
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which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, without being read.
Mr. Thomason introduced
A resolution instructing the Committee on the Judiciary to inquire into the, expediency of compensating marshals for taking the census of 1860, and also jailors, for keeping prisoners of the Confederate States; which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Wright presented the memorial of sundry citizens of Georgia, praying relief from the provisions of the sequestration act; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, without being read.
Mr. Orr introduced
A bill to perpetuate testimony in cases of slaves abducted or harbored by the enemy, and of other property seized or destroyed by them; which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. Vest introduced
A bill to pledge the credit of the Confederate States of America for certain bonds of the State-of Missouri;
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. Davis presented the memorial of sundry citizens of North Carolina relative to chaplains in the Army; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, without being read.
Mr. Jones introduced
A bill to authorize the Secretary of War to audit and settle the claims of assistant quartermasters, commissaries, and surgeons previous to their appointment by the Confederate States;
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Johnson of Arkansas offered the following resolution; which was read and agreed to, to wit:
Resolved, That the message of the President, communicating the report of Commissioner Pike, and the Indian treaties, as also the said report, be printed; and that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to be caused to be printed any of the documents accompanying the message which may appear to them necessary and proper to be printed.
Mr. House offered
A resolution instructing the Committee on Naval Affairs to inquire into the expediency of constructing one or more gunboats for the defense of the Cumberland River, etc.;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Morehead presented the resolutions of confidence in our cause of war and in the President and Army, passed by the convention of the State of North Carolina.
On motion of Mr. Venable, the injunction of secrecy was removed from the same, and they were ordered to be published.
Mr. Currin presented the memorial of certain citizens of Memphis, Tenn., praying relief for the widow and children of A. M. Bryan from the provisions of the sequestration act; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, without being read.
Mr. Atkins presented the memorial of John Wesley Hughes; which was referred to the Committee, on the Judiciary, without being read.
Mr. Brockenbrough asked and was granted leave to withdraw from the Calendar and recommit to the Committee on the Judiciary two
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bills; one, a bill regulating the fees of clerks and marshals; the other, a bill to regulate fees of district attorneys and commissioners, and for other purposes.
Mr. Brockenbrough introduced
A bill regulating the fees of clerks, and for other purposes;
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Also, a bill to amend the act relative to the fees of the attorneys of the Confederate States;
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Also, a bill to regulate the compensation to be allowed commissioners of the courts of the Confederate States;
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Also, a bill regulating the fees of marshals, and for other purposes; which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. Tyler presented, the memorial of Maria G. Clopton; which was referred to the Committee on Claims, without being read.
Also, the petition of Robert B. Craddock, messenger of the President; which was referred to the Committee on Finance, without being read.
Mr. Brockenbrough introduced
A bill authorizing the transmission of pamphlets and newspapers free of postage to the soldiers in the service of the Confederate States; which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on Postal Affairs.
Also, a resolution instructing the Committee on Military Affairs to inquire into the expediency of auditing and paying the accounts of certain military officers appointed by Brig. Gen. Henry A. Wise;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Kenner, from the Committee on Finance, reported
A bill supplementary to an act to authorize the issue of Treasury notes, and to provide a war tax for their redemption;
which was read first and second times and, on motion, placed on the Calendar and ordered to be printed.
Also, a bill further supplementary to an act to authorize the issue of Treasury notes, and to provide a war tax for their redemption;
which was read first and second times and made the special order for Saturday, after the consideration of the Arizona bill.
The hour of 1 o'clock p. m. having arrived, the hour for the consideration of the special order of the day, which was the bill to authorize the completion of the Greensboro and Danville Railroad, etc.,
Mr. Sparrow moved to postpone the consideration of the same, and that Congress do now go into executive session for the purpose of considering certain military nominations.
The motion was agreed to, and Congress resolved itself into executive session; and having spent some time therein, again resolved itself into legislative session.
A message was received from the President, by the hands of his Private Secretary, Mr. Josselyn, and is as follows, to wit:
To the Congress of the Confederate States:
The calamity which has laid in ashes a large portion of the city of Charleston seems to justify the offer of aid in the manner hereafter suggested.
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The State of South Carolina will no doubt desire to aid the people of Charleston in their hour of need; but as her resources are now taxed to the utmost in resisting an invasion of her soil, the prompt intervention of this Government may not be deemed unsuitable to the occasion.
The State of South Carolina, in common with the other States, has made liberal advances on account of the war, and this Government is unquestionably largely her debtor. With the existing pressure upon her resources, it is probable that her desire to aid the suffering city of Charleston may be restrained by other demands upon her available means. Under such circumstances, may we not exhibit our sympathy with her people by an offer to place at the control of the legislature of the State, now in session, a portion of the sum we owe her?
The magnitude of the calamity affords the reason for making an exception in her favor and promptness of action will manifest, in the most appropriate manner, the sincerity of our regard for the people of that gallant State and our entire sympathy in all that concerns them.
I recommend, therefore, that Congress make an appropriation of such amount as may be deemed sufficient for the purpose, to be placed at the control of the authorities of the State of South Carolina.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Mr. Kenner introduced
A resolution to make an advance to the State of South Carolina, on account of her claims against the Confederate States;
which was read first and second times, engrossed, read third time, and passed.
A message was received from the President, by the hands of his Private Secretary, Mr. Josselyn.
Mr. Clark of Missouri, to whom was referred the subject of inquiring into the propriety of publishing the messages of the President and the governor of Missouri in relation to the admission of that State, reported that, in the opinion of the committee, the injunction of secrecy should be removed from the same and that they be published; which was agreed to.
On motion of Mr. Kenner, the injunction of secrecy was removed from the message of the President and the action of Congress relative to the advance to the State of South Carolina.
The Chair presented certain estimates of the Secretary of the Treasury; which were referred to the Committee on Finance, without being read.
Mr. Hill moved that Congress do now adjourn.
The motion did not prevail.
On motion of Mr. Sparrow, Congress then resolved itself into executive session; and having spent some time therein, again resolved itself into legislative session.
On motion of Mr. Morton,
Congress then adjourned until to-morrow at, 12 o'clock m.
EXECUTIVE SESSION.
Congress being in executive session,
Mr. Sparrow, from Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred certain military nominations, reported and recommended the confirmation of the same, with the following exceptions, viz:
S. P. Moore, to be Surgeon-General, and L. B. Northrop, to be Commissary-General.
Mr. Perkins moved that the consideration of the report be postponed for the present.
Upon which motion Mr. Kenner demanded the yeas and nays, and the motion to postpone was lost--Yeas 3, nays 8.
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Mr. Rhett offered a resolution in relation to the nominations of major-generals,
The consideration of which was postponed.
Congress then proceeded to the consideration of the nominations before them, all of which, except the following, were confirmed on motion of Mr. Sparrow:
The following were postponed, viz:
Brigadier-general--M. L. Bonham, of South Carolina; R. Taylor, of Louisiana; W. H. Carroll, of Tennessee: H. W. Mercer, of Georgia; N. G. Evans, of South Carolina; L. T. Wigfall, of Texas.
On motion, the nominations of Surgs. David C. De Leon and Thomas H. Williams were postponed.
Mr. Waul objected to the confirmation of all surgeons and assistant surgeons.
The following nominations were, on motion, postponed, viz:
Mr. Waul moved to take up the list of surgeons and assistant surgeons; which motion was agreed to.
The following nominations were also, on motion, postponed, viz:
Mr. Farrow moved that the names of those objected to be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs; which was not agreed to.
On motion of Mr. Kenner, the nomination of R. Taylor, of Louisiana, brigadier-general, was confirmed.
Mr. Curry moved to take up the nomination of Dr. S. P. Moore as Surgeon-General.
The motion prevailed.
And the question being taken on the confirmation of Doctor Moore to be Surgeon-General of the Confederate States,
It was decided in the affirmative.
Congress then resumed business in legislative session.
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