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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 --FORTY-FIRST DAY--SATURDAY, January 11, 1862.
OPEN SESSION.
Congress met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Hoge.
Mr. Monroe announced the presence of George B. Hodge, a Delegate-elect from the State of Kentucky, 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. Orr, from the Committee on Engrossment, reported as correctly engrossed and enrolled
An act appropriating $14,850,000 for the military service; and
An act appropriating $223,607 for the naval service.
Mr. House offered the following resolution; which was read and agreed to, to wit:
Resolved, That the President cause to be communicated to Congress the several localities in the Confederate States where pork and beef are being packed for the Government, and where flour and other provisions have been purchased or are being purchased and collected for the use of the Army, and the names of the agents employed for the purpose of purchasing and preparing said provisions, specifying the localities where each agent is employed and what instructions have been given said agents as to the prices to be paid for the same.
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Also, the following resolution; which was read and agreed to, to wit:
Whereas abuses are alleged to exist in the Commissary Department in the matter of purchasing provisions for the Army, which abuses should, in justice to the Government and the citizens of the Confederate States, be thoroughly investigated, and the fraud, corruption, or inefficiency of the parties guilty of the same exposed and punished, and said parties be made liable upon their bonds for all damages occasioned by their misconduct in the premises.
Resolved, That a special committee, to consist of one member from each State, be appointed by the President of Congress, whose duty it shall be to inquire into the best mode of investigating and exposing said abuses, and that they report as speedily as practicable, by bill or otherwise.
The Chair announced the following as the committee under the foregoing resolution, to wit:
Messrs. House of Tennessee; Smith, Alabama; Thomason, Arkansas; Ward, Florida; Crawford, Georgia; Perkins, Louisiana; Harrison, Mississippi; Bell, Missouri; Davis, North Carolina; Boyce, South Carolina; Waul, Texas; Russell, Virginia; and Hodge, Kentucky.
Mr. Jones of Tennessee presented a memorial; which was referred to the Committee on Postal Affairs, without being read.
Mr. Pryor presented the petition of Francis F. Farley; which was referred to the Committee on Claims, without being read.
Mr. Monroe offered
A resolution instructing the Committee on the Judiciary what legislation is necessary to provide clerks, a hall, and other things for the board of commissioners appointed under the sequestration act;
which was read and agreed to.
Congress then proceeded to the consideration of the unfinished business of yesterday; which was the motion of Mr. Perkins to reconsider the vote by which the House ordered the report of the Secretary of War to be published.
On motion, the consideration of the same was postponed for the present;
And Congress proceeded to the consideration of the motion of Mr. Conrad, to reconsider the vote by which the House ordered the report of General Johnston of the battle of Manassas to be published.
The motion to reconsider did not prevail.
Mr. Seddon moved to reconsider the vote by which the House refused to publish the report of General Beauregard of the battle of Manassas.
The motion prevailed.
The question then recurred upon the motion of Mr. Smith of Alabama, which, by unanimous consent, he was allowed to modify, and which is as follows, to wit:
Resolved, That the report of General Beauregard of the battle of the twenty-first of July, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, beginning at the words "The War Department having been informed by me," etc., on the third page of the manuscript read to this House be published.
Mr. Russell moved as a substitute for the same the following, to wit:
Whereas General Beauregard introduces his report of the battle of Manassas by describing a plan of operations, which was commended by the President, but not deemed practicable at the time; and
Whereas it may hereafter be found expedient to carry into effect similar operations, and therefore it is not judicious to disclose the said plan at present;
Be it resolved, That so much of said report and the papers thereto appended as relate to said plan be for the present withheld from publication and that the residue of said report and this resolution be published.
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The substitute was not agreed to.
Mr. Pryor moved as a substitute for the same the following, to wit:
Resolved, That the report of General Beauregard of the battle of the twenty-first of July, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, read to this House, with the indorsement of the President and the letters of Colonel Chesnut, be published.
Mr. Smith of Alabama called the question; which was seconded, and
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:
Yea: Arkansas, Mississippi, and North Carolina, 3.
Nay: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, 8.
Divided: Texas, 1.
Not, voting: Florida, 1.
So the substitute was not agreed to.
Mr. Harris of Missouri moved as a substitute the following, to wit:
Resolved, That so much of the official report of General Beauregard of the battle of the twenty-first of July, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, as has been read to this House be published.
The substitute was not agreed to.
And the question recurring upon the motion of Mr. Smith as modified,
Mr. Venable, 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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Yea: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, 10.
Nay: Arkansas, 1.
Divided: North Carolina, 1.
Not voting: Florida, 1.
So the motion was agreed to.
Mr. Avery offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That in printing the report of General Beauregard the clerk be directed to have it indicated by asterisks that a portion of said report is omitted.
Mr. Smith of Alabama moved to lay the same on the table.
The motion was agreed to.
Congress then proceeded to the consideration of the motion of Mr. Perkins, to reconsider the vote by which the House refused to agree to the amendment of Mr. Boyce to the motion to publish the report of General Evans of the battle of Leesburg.
The motion prevailed.
Mr. Bocock moved to reconsider the vote by which the House ordered the report to be published.
The motion prevailed.
The question then recurred upon the amendment of Mr. Boyce, and the vote being taken, the same was agreed to.
And the question recurring upon ordering the report to be published as amended, the same was agreed to.
Congress then proceeded to the consideration of the motion of Mr. Monroe, to reconsider the vote by which the House concurred in the report of the Committee on Military Affairs in relation to the report of General Bragg of the bombardment at Pensacola.
The motion prevailed.
Mr. Monroe moved to recommit the report to the Committee on Military Affairs, with instructions to report what portions of the same might be published without detriment to the public interest.
The motion was agreed to.
Congress then proceeded to the consideration of the motion of Mr. Perkins, to reconsider the vote by which the House ordered the report of the Secretary of War to be published.
The motion prevailed.
Mr. Perkins moved to recommit the same to the Committee on Military Affairs, with instructions to report what portions of the same may be published without detriment to the public interest.
The motion was agreed to.
A message was received from the President, by the hands of his Private Secretary, Mr. Josselyn, informing Congress that the President on yesterday approved and signed
An act making certain provisions in regard to Indian trust funds.
Mr. Curry introduced
A bill to amend an act to collect for distribution the money remaining in the several post-offices of the Confederate States at the time the postal service was taken in charge by said Government, approved August 30, 1861;
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which was read first and second times, engrossed, read third time, and passed.
Mr. Macfarland introduced
A bill to grant to the captors the proceeds of certain prizes;
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs.
A message was received from the President, by the hands of his Private Secretary, Mr. Josselyn, informing Congress that the President has this day approved and signed
An act appropriating $223,607 for the naval service: also
An act appropriating $14,850,000 for the military service.
Congress then proceeded to the consideration of the motion of Mr. Harris of Mississippi, to reconsider the vote on the passage of
A bill providing for the raising and organizing of additional troops, in the State of Missouri, to serve in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States.
And upon which Mr. Conrow, at the instance of the State of Missouri, demanded that the yeas and nays of the whole body be recorded; which are as follows, to wit:
Yea: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas, 6.
Nay: Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, and Virginia, 4.
Divided: Kentucky and Tennessee, 2.
Not voting: Florida, 1.
So the motion did not prevail.
The Chair presented certain estimates from the Secretary of War; which were referred to the Committee on Finance, without being read.
Mr. Johnson of Arkansas moved that the daily sessions of Congress hereafter be held at 12 o'clock m., upon which
Mr. Curry, at the instance of the State of Alabama, demanded that the yeas and nays of the whole body be recorded; which are as follows, to wit:
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Yea: Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, 7.
Nay: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and North Carolina, 4.
Not voting: Florida and South Carolina, 2.
So the motion prevailed.
Mr. Harris of Mississippi offered the following resolution; which was read and agreed to, to wit:
Resolved, That the reports of the various battles ordered to be printed and published be placed in charge of the Committee on Military Affairs, and that they instruct the Superintendent of Public Printing in relation thereto.
Mr. Waul offered the following resolution; which was read and agreed to, to wit:
Resolved, That R. H. Wynne, Doorkeeper of the Congress, be authorized to receive from the contingent fund of the Congress one hundred and seventy-one and twelve one-hundredths dollars to pay expenses incurred by him in the funeral ceremonies of John Hemphill, deceased member of Congress from the State of Texas.
On motion of Mr. Harris of Mississippi,
Congress then adjourned until 12 m. Monday.
EXECUTIVE SESSION.
Congress being in executive session,
The Chair laid before the Congress the following message of the President:
Richmond, Va., January 11, 1862.
To the Congress of the Confederate States:
On the list of nominations sent December 24, 1861, Charles G. Fontaine was nominated as a captain in the Adjutant-General's Department. I desire to recall this nomination and substitute in its place the name of Charles D. Fontaine, whom I nominate as captain in the Adjutant-General's Department, an error in the middle name of Mr. Fontaine having been made in the former nomination.
JEFF'N DAVIS.
On motion of Mr. Harris, the nomination of Charles D. Fontaine, as captain in the Adjutant-General's Department, was confirmed.
The following communication was received from the President:
Richmond, Va., January 9, 1862.
To the Congress of the Confederate States:
I nominate the officers on the accompanying list to the rank affixed to their names, respectively, agreeably to the recommendation of the Secretary of War.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
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On motion, the executive session was dissolved.
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