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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 --SATURDAY, March 2, 1861.
OPEN SESSION.
Congress met pursuant to adjournment.
The Journal of yesterday was read and approved.
Mr. Curry presented a memorial from Horace Ware relative to the establishment of a foundry and an armory for the Confederacy; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Harris offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee on Finance be instructed to enter upon a revision of the present tariff as early as practicable, with a view to the gradual reduction of the rate of duties, and the enlargement of the free list by the exemption of such dutiable articles as occasion an expense and trouble in the collection of duties disproportionate to the revenue arising thereon;
which, after discussion, the further consideration of the same for the time was postponed.
Mr. Waul announced the arrival of Mr. J. H. Reagan and Mr. W. S. Oldham, Delegates from Texas, who appeared and took their seats.
On motion of Mr. Stephens,
Congress went into secret session; and after spending some time therein, adjourned till 10 o'clock to-morrow [Monday next].
SECRET SESSION.
The Congress having resolved itself in secret session,
Mr. Stephens reported a bill to be entitled "An act to admit Texas as a member of the Confederate States of America;" which was read the first and second times, engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Shorter, from the Committee on Engrossment, reported as correctly engrossed and enrolled
An act to admit Texas as a member of the Confederate States of America.
A message was received from the President that he had approved and signed
An act to admit Texas as a member of the Confederate States of America.
On motion of Mr. Chesnut the injunction of secrecy was removed from the action of Congress in reference to said bill.
On motion of Mr. Toombs, the Delegates from the State of Texas took the oath to support the Constitution of the Provisional Government and signed the roll of the Congress.
The unfinished business of the previous day was taken up.
The question was on the passage of the bill in relation to the slave trade and to punish persons offending therein; which was returned by the President with his objections.
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Mr. Stephens demanded the question; which was seconded.
The vote on the passage of the bill was taken by States and the yeas and nays entered at large on the Journal.
Mr. Hill was excused from voting, for the reason that he was not present when the bill was under consideration and discussion.
The following is the vote:
The bill, not receiving a vote of two-thirds of the Congress, was lost.
On motion of Mr. Cobb, the injunction of secrecy was removed from the fact that the President had vetoed the bill; also from the message of the President and the subsequent proceedings of Congress thereon.
Mr. Stephens, at the instance of Georgia, moved to reconsider the vote just taken on Mr. Cobb's motion.
Mr. Stephens demanded the question; which was seconded, and the motion to reconsider prevailed.
Mr. Cobb then withdrew his motion.
Mr. Stephens moved that Congress take a recess from 3.30 o'clock p. m. till 7.30 o'clock p. m.; which was agreed to.
On motion of Mr. Bartow, the regular order was postponed and Congress proceeded to the consideration of a bill to be entitled
An act for the establishment and organization of the Army of the Confederate States of America.
At the hour of 12 o'clock m. Congress went into convention; and after remaining some time therein, again resolved itself in secret session; and
Mr. Brooke offered a resolution in relation to patents and caveats:
Resolved, That all persons, being citizens of the Confederate States, who may wish to procure patents or file caveats for inventions and useful discoveries and improvements, may file in the office of the Attorney-General a specification of such invention, discovery, or improvement, together with such descriptive drawings as may be necessary; and such specification, when so filed, stroll operate as a caveat to protect the rights or such persons until regular application can be made according to law; and this resolution shall apply to all patents heretofore granted by the United States to citizens of this Confederacy, and to caveats heretofore filed by such citizens in the Patent Office of the United States, on such patents and copies of such caveats being deposited, as aforesaid, in the office of the Attorney-General: Provided, That such applicants shall pay such fees as may hereafter be required by law establishing a patent office, on application for patents and filing of caveats;
which was read the first and second times, engrossed, read a third time, and agreed to.
Mr. Toombs, from the Committee on Finance, reported
A bill to create the clerical force of the several Executive Departments of the Confederate States of America, and for other purposes;
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which was read a first and second time, ordered to be placed on the Calendar, and to be printed.
Mr. Toombs, from the Committee on Finance, also reported
A bill to be entitled "An act to fix the pay and mileage of members of Congress;"
which was read a first and second time, ordered to be placed on the Calendar, and to be printed.
Mr. Memminger introduced
A bill to provide for the salaries of the judges of the Confederate States;
which, on motion of Mr. Shorter, was referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Mr. Ochiltree laid before Congress a communication from certain commissioners on behalf of the committee of safety of the State of Texas; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
The hour of 3.30 o'clock p. m. having arrived, Congress took a recess, to reassemble at 7.30 p. m.
7.30 O'CLOCK P. M.
The Congress proceeded to the consideration of a bill to be entitled
An act for the establishment and organization of the Army of the Confederate States of America.
The first sentence of the thirteenth section thereof being reported as follows, to wit:
Mr. Barry moved to strike therefrom the words "three hundred and one" and insert in lieu thereof the words "two hundred and twenty-six;" which was lost.
The fourteenth section being read as follows:
Mr. Toombs moved to strike therefrom the words:
lieutenants serving with the company of sappers and miners shall receive the pay of cavalry officers of the same grade;
which motion was lost.
The twentieth section being reported; which is as follows:
Mr. Hill moved to strike therefrom the words as they occur, viz:
except when officers are serving at stations without troops where public quarters can not be had, in which cause they may be allowed, in lieu of forage, eight dollars per month for each horse to which they may be entitled, provided they are actually kept
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in service and mustered: and quarters may be commuted at a rate to be fixed by the Secretary of War, and fuel at the market price delivered,
And to insert in lieu thereof the words "and in no case shall a commutation for fuel, forage, and quarters be allowed;" which was lost.
The twenty-first section having been reported, the last sentence thereof being as follows:
No enlisted man in the service of the Confederate States shall be employed as a servant by any officer of the Army.
Mr. Hale moved to insert after the word "servant" the words "or required to perform menial services for such officer;" which motion to amend was lost.
The twenty-eighth section being as follows:
On motion of Mr. Reagan, the words "for commercial purposes," where and as they occur, were stricken out.
Mr. Toombs offered as an additional section to the bill, to come in after the twenty-eighth section, the following:
Be it further enacted, That the pay of officers provided for in the foregoing act, below and including the rank of colonel, be, and is hereby, reduced twenty per cent.
Pending discussion thereon,
On motion of Mr. Chesnut,
Congress adjourned till 10 o'clock Monday next.
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