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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-THIRD DAY--TUESDAY, January 14, 1862.
OPEN SESSION.
Congress met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Hoge.
Mr. Crawford announced the presence of Nathan Bass, a Delegate elect from the State of Georgia, 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. Perkins introduced
A bill to remunerate owners or assignees the value of slaves lost or killed in battle while in the employment of the Confederate States; which was read first and second times and, together with a letter from
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the Quartermaster-General, was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Currin presented the memorial of sundry citizens of Memphis, Tenn.; which was referred to the Committee o the Judiciary, without being read.
Mr. Seddon introduced
A resolution instructing the Committee on Finance to inquire into the expediency of appropriating $50,000 to pay the citizens of Hampton, whose houses were burned by the order of General Magruder, etc.; which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Pryor, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the report of Colonel Johnson of the battle of Alleghany Mountain, reported the same back, with the recommendation that the same be published; which was agreed to.
Also, a bill to authorize the Secretary of War to audit and settle the claims of certain officers therein named, with the recommendation that the same be passed.
The bill was engrossed, read third time, and passed.
Mr. Pryor, from the same committee, to whom was referred the report of the attack upon Forts Walker and Beauregard, reported the same back, with the recommendation that it be published; which was agreed to.
Mr. Pryor, from the same committee, to whom was referred a joint resolution of the legislature of the State of Louisiana relative to an increase of the pay of private soldiers, reported the same back, asked to be discharged from its further consideration, and that the resolution lie on the table; which was agreed to.
Mr. Pryor, from the same committee, to whom was referred a resolution for the suppression of drunkenness in the Army, reported the same back, asked to be discharged from its further consideration, and that the resolution lie on the table.
Mr. Venable moved to recommit the resolution to the committee, with instructions to report a bill in accordance therewith.
The motion did not prevail.
And the question recurring upon agreeing to the report of the committee, the vote was taken, and the same was agreed to.
On motion of Mr. Pryor, Congress then resolved itself into legislative session; and having spent some time therein, again resolved itself into secret session.
Mr. Orr, from the Committee on Engrossment, reported as correctly engrossed and enrolled
An act supplementary to an act making appropriations for certain floating defenses, approved January 9, 1862.
Mr. Campbell, from the Committee on Accounts, to whom was referred a resolution authorizing the Doorkeeper to purchase station cry for the Congress, reported the same back, asked to be discharged from its further consideration, and that the resolution lie on the table; which was agreed to.
The Chair presented a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury in response to a resolution of the Congress inquiring as to the amount of revenue collet ted since the 1st of July last; which was referred to the Committee on Printing, without being read.
The Chair presented a message from the President; which was
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read and, together with the accompanying documents, referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and which is as follows, to wit:
Richmond, January 13, 1862.
To the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States:
I transmit herewith a report and accompanying papers from the Secretary of State, in answer to a resolution of the Congress of the Confederate States of the 10th instant.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
The hour of 1 p. m. having arrived, the hour for considering the special order of the day; which was
A bill to amend an act for the sequestration of the property and estates of alien enemies, etc.,
Mr. Orr moved to postpone the consideration of the special order, for the purpose of taking up the unfinished business of yesterday; which was the consideration of the amendment of Mr. Rives to the first section of
A bill to raise an additional military force to serve during the war.
And upon which he demanded that the yeas and nays of the whole body be recorded; which are as follows, to wit:
Yea: Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, 8.
Nay: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and Texas, 4.
Divided: Arkansas, 1.
So the motion was agreed to.
Mr. Harris moved that the bill to amend the act for the sequestration of the property and estates of alien enemies, etc., be made the special order for 1 o'clock to-morrow.
Mr. Orr moved to amend the motion by moving to make it the special order immediately after the bill under discussion is disposed of.
The amendment was agreed to.
Congress then proceeded to the consideration of the unfinished business; which was the amendment of Mr. Rives to the first section of
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A bill to amend an act to raise an additional military force to serve during the war;
And upon which Mr. Orr called the question; which was seconded; and the vote having been taken thereon, the amendment was agreed to, and the section as amended reads as follows, to wit:
The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That volunteers offering their services under the authority of the act entitled "An act to raise an additional military force to serve during the war," approved May eighth, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, may be accepted by the President, singly or in companies, to be organized by [him] into companies, squadrons, battalions, or regiments. When vacancies occur in any squadron, battalion, or regiment organized heretofore by the President under the provisions of the second section of the said act, as well as in all original appointments of officers for volunteers raised after the passage of this act, the field and company officers shall be chosen and appointed in the manner provided by the act entitled "An act providing for the granting of bounty and furloughs to privates and noncommissioned officers in the Provisional Army," approved December eleventh, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, and all vacancies occurring in the said offices after the first election made under this act shall be filled by promotion according to grade and seniority, except in case of disability or other incompetency: Provided, however, That the President be authorized to depart from the prescribed rule of promotion in favor of any person specially brought to his notice for extraordinary merit or some signal act of gallantry or military skill by his commanding general.
So the section as amended was adopted.
And the second section of the bill being under consideration; which is as follows, to wit:
Mr. Bradford moved to strike out the whole of said section and insert in lieu thereof the following, to wit:
The President is authorized from time to time to have detailed such number of recruiting officers on that service as may be necessary to keep the organization of said battalions or regiments full and complete against all disease, disability, and the casualties of war; and the President, at his pleasure, may increase each company to one hundred men, rank and file.
The amendment was not agreed to.
Mr. Orr moved to amend by striking out the words "under the provisions of this act" and inserting in lieu thereof "for three years or for the war."
The amendment was agreed to.
Also, to amend by striking out the words "in the neighborhood in which said company was raised."
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Waul moved to amend by striking out the following words, to wit: "That the third section of said act shall read as follows, to wit."
The amendment was agreed to, and the section as amended reads as follows, to wit:
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the commander of each of said squadrons, battalions, or regiments, organized as aforesaid, may detail one commissioned officer and one noncommissioned officer and one or more privates from each of the companies of his command, with the approval of the brigadier-general of the brigade to which said squadron, battalion, or regiment may be attached, to recruit men for said company, so that the same may contain not more than one hundred and twenty-five, rank and file; and the men so recruited shall be mustered at the time of enrollment, and shall be entitled to transportation and subsistence, or commutation for subsistence, till they join their respective companies, and to fifty dollars bounty, to be paid at the time of joining the same.
The question then recurring upon the adoption of the section as amended,
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:
Yea: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, 8.
Nay: Florida, Georgia, and Missouri, 3.
Divided: Kentucky and Texas, 2.
Section 3 being under consideration; which is as follows, to wit:
Mr. Bradford moved to amend by striking out the whole of the same and inserting in lieu thereof the following, to wit:
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to serve during the war, who shall be entitled to pay and transportation according to the temporary rank assigned them; and said volunteers when mustered into service at the place appointed for rendezvous, shall organize themselves into companies, battalions, or regiments by electing by ballot or viva voce all their company and field officers, a majority of the companies, battalions, or regiments necessary to a choice in all cases; and each volunteer on being mustered and organized as aforesaid, including noncommissioned officers and privates, shall receive fifty dollars bounty, to be paid by the paymaster or some one appointed for that purpose, and shall also be paid for transportation and subsistence from the place of their enrollment to the place of rendezvous and organization.
Mr. Orr moved to lay the amendment on the table, upon which Mr. Bradford, at the instance of the State of Mississippi, demanded that the yeas and nays of the whole body be recorded; which are as follows, to wit:
Yea: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, 9.
Nay: Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas, 4.
So the motion prevailed.
Mr. Orr moved to strike out the third section.
Mr. Campbell moved to amend by striking out the word "organization" and all the section thereafter, and inserting in lieu thereof the following, to wit:
enrollment, and if the company in which any person shall enroll shall not be completed, all who shall be enrolled in said company shall be liable to be placed by the President in some other company; or companies may be organized by the President out of parts of companies which may fail of completion within such reasonable time as may be prescribed by the President; and the organization of companies shall be effected in the manner prescribed by this act, except as to the appointment of captains, and the officers shall be entitled to pay and transportation from the time of the organization of the regiment, squadron, battalion, or company, but if the regiment, battalion, squadron, or company shall be completed and reported for duty the officer's pay snail begin on the date of his appointment. The President may revoke any commission granted as herein provided for, if the officer appointed shall not within a reasonable time report the corps authorized to be raised by him organized and ready for duty.
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[The amendment was not agreed to.]
Mr. Monroe moved to amend by striking out the following words, to wit:
of captains, and that the officers shall be entitled to pay and transportation from the time of appointment; but the same may be revoked by the President if the officer appointed shall not within a reasonable time report the corps authorized to be raised by him organized and ready for duty, upon which revocation said appointment shall become void and all allowance for pay and transportation cease.
The amendment was not agreed to.
Executive Department,
Richmond, January 14, 1862.
Mr. President: The President has this day approved and signed
An act to authorize the appointment of two additional clerks and a draftsman in the Navy Department.
ROBERT JOSSELYN, Private Secretary.
Mr. McRae, from the Committee on Engrossment, reported as correctly engrossed and enrolled
An act to encourage the manufacture of small arms, of saltpeter, and of gunpowder within the Confederate States.
Mr. T. R. R. Cobb moved to amend by substituting for the section the following, to wit:
Mr. Pryor moved to recommit the bill and all amendments to a special committee of five.
The motion was agreed to.
And the Chair announced the following as the committee:
Messrs. Pryor of Virginia, T. R. R. Cobb of Georgia, Chilton of Alabama, H. C. Burnett of Kentucky, and Harris of Mississippi.
On motion of Mr. Thomason,
Congress then adjourned until 12 m. to-morrow.
EXECUTIVE SESSION.
Congress being in executive session,
Mr. Pryor, from Committee on Military Affairs, to whom had been referred sundry nominations of the President to offices in the Army of the Confederate States, reported back the same, with the recommendation that Congress advise and consent to the same.
Mr. Ward moved that the consideration of the nomination of E. Yulee, as brigade commissary, with the rank of major, be postponed.
The motion prevailed.
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The following communication was received from the President:
Richmond, January 10, 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.
John C. Pemberton, of Virginia, to be major-general in the Army of the Confederate States.
John K. Jackson, of Georgia, and George E. Pickett, of Virginia, to be brigadier-generals in the Army of the Confederate States.
The nominations were confirmed.
Another communication was received from the President; which is as follows, viz:
Richmond, January 13, 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:
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to take rank from December 16, 1861; R. K. Meade, of Virginia, to take rank from December 17, 1861; E. M. Ross, of Kentucky, to take rank from December 18, 1861; J. Hunter. jr., of Georgia, to take rank from December 20, 1861; Richard D. Screven, of Louisiana. to take rank from December 21, 1861; F. B. Schaeffer, of District of Columbia, to take rank from December 23, 1861; Charles J. Helm, of Kentucky, to take rank from December 24, 1861.
The nominations were referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
The report of the Military Committee was adopted.
Congress then resolved into legislative session.
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