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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 --TUESDAY, February 12, 1861.
OPEN SESSION.
The Congress met at 12 m., pursuant to adjournment.
Prayer was offered up by Rev. J. M. Mitchell, of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
The Journal of yesterday was read and approved.
The Chair announced the following standing committees:
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On motion of Mr. Stephens, the Secretary was instructed to have 100 copies of the list of committees, as above announced, printed for the use of the Congress.
The Chair laid before the Congress the following telegraphic dispatch received on this forenoon:
New Orleans, February 9, 1861.
To Hon. Howell Cobb,
President Montgomery Convention.
Sir: I am directed to communicate to you that during the session of the convention of the State of Louisiana this morning, upon the receipt of the dispatch informing us of the election of the Hon. Jefferson Davis as President and the lion. A. H. Stephens as Vice-President of the Provisional Government of the Southern Republic, Mr. President Monton immediately suspended the regular business of the convention then under consideration, and announced the agreeable intelligence to the convention; whereupon the following resolutions were offered and unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That this convention receives with the most cordial approval the intelligence, this day received by telegraph, of the election of Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, as President and Alexander H. Stephens, of Georgia, as Vice-President of the Provisional Government of the Southern Republic.
Resolved, That the secretary of ibis convention be instructed to communicate the foregoing resolution to the president of the convention at Montgomery.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. THOMAS WHEAT,
Secretary of Convention.
Ordered, That said communication be spread upon the Journal, and lie upon the table.
The Chair then proceeded to call the States in their order for the presentation of bills, petitions, memorials, etc.
Mr. Thomas R. R. Cobb presented a design for a flag, seal, and coat of arms for the Confederate States of America, forwarded by Edwin V. Sharp, of Augusta, Ga.; which, on motion of Mr. Cobb, were referred to the Select Committee on the Flag.
Mr. Nisbet offered the following resolution; which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, to wit:
Resolved, That the Committee on Foreign Affairs be requested to inquire into the propriety and necessity of sending, so soon as the President-elect shall be inaugurated, a commission to the Government of the United States of America.
Mr. Harris offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That until otherwise provided, the several officers connected with the collection of customs duties and imposts in the several States of this Confederacy be, and they are hereby, confirmed and continued in office, as officers of the Government of the Confederate States of America.
The same was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Commercial Affairs.
On motion of Mr. Thomas R. R. Cobb, the Congress then went into secret session with closed doors.
After some time spent in secret session, the Congress, at 3 p. m., adjourned until to-morrow at 12 m.
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SECRET SESSION.
On motion of Mr. Thomas R. R. Cobb. the Congress, being in open session, at 12.30 o'clock p. m. resolved to go into secret session; when the following action was had:
Mr. Walker offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee on Foreign Affairs be instructed to inquire into the propriety of sending a commission to the Governments of Great Britain and France and other European powers.
The resolution was read the second time.
Mr. Withers moved to lay the same on the table; which motion was lost.
The resolution was then read the third time and adopted.
Mr. Curry reported a bill to be entitled "An act to admit railroad iron free of duty;" which was read the second time and, on motion of Mr. Curry, referred to the Committee on Finance.
On motion of Mr. Chesnut, 100 copies of the list of the names of the members of the Congress and their respective post-offices were ordered to be printed for the use of the Congress.
Mr. Chilton offered the following resolutions:
Resolved by the Confederate, States of America in Provisional Congress assembled, Thatcommissioners be appointed by this Congress to the United States of America, to proceed forthwith to Washington City to represent this Government at, the Government of the United States.
The resolutions were read the second time and, on motion of Mr. Withers, referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Kenan offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That Fort Sumter and all other forts within the Confederate States of America, and all questions connected with them, are within the jurisdiction and protection of this Congress, which will take immediate action for their protection, and
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that the respective governmentsa of the States represented in this Congress be immediately furnished with a copy of this resolution.
[Note a: a So recorded in the Journal, but the original draft, on file in the War Department, reads "governors."]
The same was read the second time.
Mr. Clayton moved to amend by striking out all after the word "resolved" and inserting in lieu thereof the following, to wit:
That the State of South Carolina be requested to abstain from any hostile attack upon Fort Sumter until the Provisional President of the Confederate States shall be inaugurated, unless an attempt should be made to reenforce the fort by the Government of the United States, in which event the authorities of South Carolina are hereby requested to take the necessary steps to prevent it and to attack the fort if necessary to secure that end.
Mr. Chesnut offered the following as an amendment to Mr. Clayton's amendment by substituting in lieu thereof, viz:
Resolved, That the power to declare and engage in war is expressly and exclusively delegated to this Congress, subject to the exceptions contained in the second clause of the eighth section of the first article of the Constitution.
Mr. Bartow, by unanimous consent, offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That this Government takes under its charge the questions and difficulties now existing between the several States of this Confederacy and the Government of the United States relating to the occupation of the forts, arsenals, navy-yards, and other public establishments, and that the President of this Congress be directed to communicate this resolution to the governors of the States.
Mr. Chesnut withdrew his amendment.
Mr. Clayton then withdrew his amendment.
Mr. Kenan withdrew his resolution, accepting in lieu thereof that offered by Mr. Bartow.
The question being then on the resolution of Mr. Bartow, the same was read the third time and agreed to.
On motion of Mr. Conrad the injunction of secrecy was removed from the action of the Congress in agreeing to Mr. Bartow's resolution.
Mr. McRae offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That the principal Secretary be authorized to employ an additional assistant at his own expense;
which resolution, on motion of Mr. Crawford, was referred to the Committee on Accounts.
Congress then adjourned Until 12 o'clock to-morrow.
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