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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 --FRIDAY, March 15, 1861.
OPEN SESSION.
Congress met pursuant to adjournment.
After prayer, Mr. Wright of Georgia presented a communication from Mr. B. F. Jones on the subject of a tariff; which was referred to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. Waul presented an abstract of the journal of the State convention of Texas, accompanied by an ordinance of said State; which are as follows, viz:
Austin, Tex., March 4, 1861.
The convention met pursuant to adjournment.
Roll call. Quorum present.
Mr. T. J. Chambers offered the following resolution; which was adopted:
Resolved by the convention of the State of Texas, That the president and secretary of this convention do now proceed to count the votes of the people upon the ordinance to dissolve the Union between the State of Texas and the other States, united under the compact styled "the Constitution of the United States of America," and to proclaim the result.
Upon counting the vote, it resulted as follows: For secession, 36,450 votes; against secession, 11,268 votes. Majority for secession, 25,182 votes, and the president announced that the ordinance had been ratified by a large majority of the voters of the State of Texas, and that the State of Texas was and had been since March 2, 1861, a free, sovereign, and independent nation of the earth, and that her citizens were absolved from all other allegiance than to her as such.
I certify that the above and foregoing is a true and correct extract from the journal of the convention of date March 4, A. D. 1861.
R. T. BROWNRIGG,
Secretary to the Convention of the State of Texas.
Approved:
O. M. Roberts,
President Convention.
An ordinance in relation to a union of the State of Texas with the Confederate States of America.
Whereas the convention of this State has received information that the Congress of the Confederate States of America, now in session at the city of Montgomery, in the State of Alabama, has adopted a Constitution for a Provisional Government, which Constitution is modeled on that of the United States of America; and
Whereas as a seceded State it becomes expedient and proper that Texas should join said Confederacy and share its destinies; and
Whereas a delegation consisting of seven members has already been elected by the convention to the Congress of the Confederacy aforesaid: Therefore,
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Done at the city of Austin, on the 5th day of March, A. D. 1861.
O. M. ROBERTS,
President of the Convention.
Attest:
R. T. Brownrigg,
Secretary to the Convention.
I certify that the above and foregoing is a true and correct copy of the original ordinance adopted by the convention of the people of Texas at Austin, on the 5th day of March, A.D. 1861, and now on file in my office.
R. T. BROWNRIGG,
Secretary to the Convention.
Mr. Curry offered
Resolutions in relation to the contingent fund of Congress;
which were read a first and second time, engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
The Chair laid before Congress estimates from the Department of Secretary of the Treasury; which were referred to the Committee on Finance.
Congress went into secret session; and after spending some time therein, adjourned until 12 m. to-morrow.
SECRET SESSION.
Congress having gone into secret session,
The Journal of yesterday was read and approved.
Mr. Conrad offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That the President of the Confederate States be requested, as soon as the number of States required for its adoption shall have ratified the permanent Constitution, to transmit a copy thereof, together with a copy of this resolution, to each of the slaveholding States that have not joined this Confederacy.
The resolution was adopted.
On motion of Mr. Clayton, the injunction of secrecy as to the Presidents veto and the proceedings of Congress on the bill relative to the African slave trade was removed.
Mr. Toombs, from the Committee on Finance, reported
A bill to be entitled "An act to authorize the transit of merchandise through the Confederate States."
Congress having proceeded to its consideration, the bill was read a first and second time, engrossed, read a third time and passed.
Mr. Toombs, from the same committee, reported
A bill to be entitled "An act to repeal the third section of an act to exempt from duty certain commodities therein named, and for other purposes."
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The bill was read a first and second time, engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Toombs, from the same committee, also reported
A bill to be entitled "An act making appropriations for the customhouses in New Orleans and Charleston, and for other purposes."
The bill was considered, read a first and second time, engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Conrad, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, reported
A bill to be entitled "An act supplementary to an act entitled 'An act to organize the Navy;'"
which was read a first and second time, engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Conrad, from the same committee, reported
A resolution to pay certain naval officers their traveling expenses; which was read a first and second time, engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Wilson, from the Committee on Engrossment, reported as correctly engrossed and enrolled
An act making appropriations for the legislative, executive, and judicial expenses of Government for the year ending February 4, 1862;
Resolutions in reference to forts, dockyards, reservations, and property ceded to the Confederate States;
An act to authorize the appointment of commercial agents or consuls to foreign ports;
An act to authorize the construction or purchase of ten gunboats;
An act to define and fix the pay of the officers of the Congress of the Provisional Government;
An act to amend an act to establish a court of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction at Key West, in the State of Florida;
An act to provide for the payment of light money in the Confederate States;
An act to appoint a second auditor of the Treasury;
An act authorizing the President alone to make certain appointments;
An act vesting certain powers in the Postmaster-General;
An act to amend the laws relative to the compensation of the attorneys of the Confederate States; also
An act to provide for the organization of the Navy.
Mr. Morton, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, reported
A bill to be entitled "A n act to establish the bureau of indian affairs;" which was read a first and second time, engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Morton introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act to carry into effect the provisions of an act of the legislature of Florida."
Mr. Memminger moved to refer the bill to the Committee on Finance.
The States voted thereon as follows:
Yea: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas.
Nay: Florida and Louisiana.
The motion prevailed.
Mr. Conrad, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, reported
A bill to be entitled "An act making appropriations for the support of the Navy for the year ending fourth February, eighteen hundred and sixty-two."
On motion of Mr. Conrad, the ninth clause was stricken out and the
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words of the tenth clause, to wit, "the same amounting in the aggregate to two million and sixty-five thousand one hundred and ten dollars," were also stricken out.
The bill as amended was read a third time and passed.
Mr. Curry offered the following resolution; which was agreed to, viz:
Resolved, That the Secretary of Congress be charged with the care and distribution of all matter printed for the Congress and of the stationery of the Congress.
Congress proceeded to the consideration of
A bill to be entitled "An act to exempt from duty certain articles of merchandise therein named."
The first section being as follows, to wit:
On motion of Mr. Toombs, the same was stricken out and the following inserted in lieu thereof, to wit:
The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized and empowered to remit the duty in all cases where commodities were bona fide purchased or contracted for on or before the eighteenth day of February last, within the late United States, where the importer has not been able to comply with the provisions of the act to define more accurately the exemption of certain goods from duty, which required that the goods, wares, and merchandise should have been actually laden on board of the exporting vessel or conveyance destined for any port in this Confederacy on or before the fifteenth day of March in the present year: Provided, Such testimony is furnished the Secretary of the Treasury by the importer that it was impossible to comply with the provisions of said act, and also the demand and collection of said duty has operated injuriously to him or them beyond the commercial effect upon articles of consumption by the imposition of duties.
The second section being as follows:
Mr. Curry moved to strike out the same.
The motion was lost.
The bill then, as amended, was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. McRae introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act to fix the duties on the articles therein named."
Mr. Curry moved to amend the bill by adding thereto the following words, viz:
That the provisions of this act be extended to all railroad iron now in any warehouse in the Confederate States.
The motion was lost.
Mr. Clayton moved to amend the bill by striking out the word "coal" and adding the following, to wit: "Be it further enacted, That coal shall be free of duty;" which was lost, the States voting:
Yea: Georgia and Louisiana.
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Nay: Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas.
Florida divided.
Mr. Conrad moved to amend the bill by making the duty on coal 10 per cent; which was also lost, the States voting:
Yea: Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana.
Nay: Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas.
On motion of Mr. McRae, the bill was amended by adding thereto the following words: "This act shall go into effect on the first day of May next."
On motion of Mr. Memminger, the bill was further amended by adding the following, viz: "The reduction of duty allowed by this act shall not extend to goods, wares, and merchandise in bond."
The bill as amended was then engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
On motion of Mr. Miles, the Committee on Military Affairs were discharged from the consideration of all bills, resolutions, memorials, etc., relating to the subject of establishing an army for the Confederate States of America and said papers ordered to be delivered to the War Department.
Mr. Wilson, from the Committee on Engrossment, reported as correctly engrossed and enrolled
An act to authorize the transit of merchandise through the Confederate States;
An act to exempt from duty certain articles of merchandise therein named;
An act to fix the duties on the articles therein named;
An act to establish the bureau of Indian affairs;
Resolutions in relation to the contingent fund of Congress;
An act making appropriations for the support of the Navy for the year ending February 4, 1862;
A resolution to pay certain naval officers their traveling expenses;
An act making appropriations for the custom-houses at New Orleans and Charleston, and for other purposes;
An act supplementary to an act entitled "An act to organize the Navy;" and
An act to repeal the third section of an act to exempt from duty certain commodities therein named; and for other purposes.
A message was received from the President submitting estimates for the War Department and the Post-Office Department; which were referred to the Committee on Finance.
On motion of Mr. Harrison,
Congress adjourned till 12 o'clock to-morrow.
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