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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 --MONDAY, May 13, 1861.
OPEN SESSION.
Congress met pursuant to adjournment.
Prayer was offered by the Rev. Mr. Hill.
On motion of Mr. Rhett, the Chair was authorized to appoint an additional member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs; whereupon the Chair appointed Mr. Rives of Virginia.
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On motion of Mr. Hale, the Chair filled the vacancy on the Judiciary Committee occasioned by the resignation of Mr. Clayton with the name of Mr. Smith of Alabama.
There being no business on the Public Calendar, Congress went into secret session; and after remaining some time therein, adjourned until 11 o'clock to-morrow.
SECRET SESSION.
Congress having resolved itself in secret session,
Mr. Stephens announced the presence of Mr. William C. Rives, one of the Delegates from the State of Virginia.
Mr. Rives was duly qualified and took his seat.
Mr. Shorter, from the Committee on Engrossment, reported as correctly engrossed and enrolled
An act to amend an act to prescribe the rates of postage in the Confederate States of America, and for other purposes, approved February 23, 1861.
Mr. Cobb offered the following resolution; which was agreed to, viz:
Resolved, That after this day the hour for the daily assembling of Congress shall be eleven o'clock a. m.
Mr. Rhett offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That the duties on importations to be laid by the Confederate States and foreign nations reciprocally is a proper matter for negotiation and treaty stipulations, and that the commissioners of the Confederate Status now in Europe be, and they are hereby, authorized to propose a maximum of duties not higher than twenty per cent ad valorem on all articles of manufacture or production imported from any nation which shall make a treaty with the Confederate Status satisfactory in other respects.
The resolution was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
On motion of Mr. Barnwell, secrecy was removed from the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs on the President's message relating to the, affairs between the Confederate and the United States.
Mr. Bartow, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported
A bill to increase the military establishment of the Confederate States and to amend the act for the establishment and organization of the Army of the Confederate States of America; which was read a first and second time, ordered to be printed, and made the special order for to-morrow.
Mr. Bartow, from the same committee, made the following report:
The Committee on Military Affairs, to which was referred a bill to amend an act for the establishment and organization of the Army of the Confederate States of America, have considered the same and ask leave to report that they have embodied in a general bill reported by the committee those sections of this bill which they approve, and that in their opinion it is inexpedient to pass this bill.
The report was agreed to.
Mr. Bartow, from the same committee, to which was referred the resolution suggesting the expediency of organizing military: districts, etc., reported adversely to the same and suggested that the matter be left to the discretion of the Executive.
The report was agreed to.
Mr. Gregg, from the same committee, to which was referred certain papers submitted by the Secretary of War, reported the same back; and it was ordered that the papers lie on the table.
Mr. Chilton, from the Committee on Postal Affairs, to which was recommitted the bill to establish and organize a bureau in connection
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with the Department of the Treasury to be known as the Office of the Auditor of the Treasury for the Post-Office Department, reported a substitute, viz:
A bill to provide for auditing the accounts of the Post-Office Department.
On motion of Mr. Chilton, the word "fourteen" in the words "and shall appoint fourteen additional clerks, with salaries of twelve hundred dollars each," was stricken out and the word "fifteen" inserted.
The substitute was then adopted in lieu of the original bill, and was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. McRae presented a claim against the Government in favor of John B. Todd; which was referred to the Committee on Claims.
Mr. Memminger offered a resolution in relation to marine hospitals; which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Congress proceeded to the consideration of
A bill to suspend the operations of the mints.
The bill was considered by sections,
The third section thereof being as follows:
That the Secretary of the Treasury shall take proper measures for the sale of the property of the Government at Dahlonega at such time as he shall deem expedient, and that in the meantime the same shall be placed by him in charge of some fit person.
Mr. Stephens moved to amend by striking out the same and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
The motion prevailed.
The bill as amended was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Cobb offered the following resolutions:
Resolved, That so much of the series of resolutions providing for a digest of the laws adopted the twelfth of March, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, as requires the committee therein provided for to consist of three members be, and the same is hereby, so amended as to consist of two members instead of three.
(2) Resolved, That said commissioners shall be paid quarterly at the rate of dollars per year each out of the contingent hind appropriated for the expenses of Congress, to be paid upon their several draft, to be certified by the President of this Congress;
which were read the first and second times.
Mr. Curry moved to refer the resolutions to the Committee on Finance.
The motion was lost.
On motion of Mr. Cobb, the same was amended by filling the blank with "three thousand."
The resolutions as amended were engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Congress proceeded to the consideration of
A bill regulating the sale of prizes and the distribution thereof.
The bill was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
The next regular order being
A bill to define the jurisdiction of the Federal courts in certain cases,
On motion of Mr. Walker, the same was recommitted to the Committee on Judiciary.
The next regular order on the Calendar being
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A bill to establish a court; of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction in the State of Mississippi, etc.,
It was ordered that the consideration of the same be postponed for the present.
The next bill on the Calendar being
A bill to prohibit the introduction of slaves from any State not a member of this Confederacy,
Mr. Boyce moved to amend the same by substituting therefor
A bill to prohibit the importation of slaves from the United States.
On motion of Mr. Hale, the bill, together with the amendment, was recommitted to the Committee on Judiciary.
Congress proceeded to the consideration of the next regular order, viz:
A bill relative to invalid pensions.
Mr. Curry moved to amend the bill by adding the following as an additional section, viz:
That in all applications for the payment of invalid pensions under this act the affidavit of two physicians whose credibility as such shall be certified by the magistrate judge before whom the affidavit is made, stating the continuance of the disability (describing it) for which the pension was originally granted and the rate of such disability at the time of making the affidavit, shall accompany the application for the first payment; and if in a case of continued disability it shall be stated at a rate below that for which the pension was originally granted, the affidavit [applicant] shall only be paid at the rate stated in the affidavit;
which was agreed to.
The second section being
Mr. Hemphill moved to amend the same by striking therefrom all from and after and inclusive of the words "at such rate of pay," etc., and inserting in lieu thereof the following:a
[Note a: a The amendment proposed by Mr. Hemphill is not recorded in the Journal, nor has it been found with the papers of the Congress in the custody of the War Department.]
The motion prevailed.
Mr. Hale, at the instance of the State of Alabama, moved to reconsider the vote just taken by which the amendment of Mr. Hemphill was adopted.
Mr. Memminger moved to postpone the further consideration of the bill indefinitely.
And thereon Mr. Harris demanded the question; which was seconded, and the motion prevailed.
Mr. Hemphill, at the instance of the State of Texas, called for the yeas and nays of the entire body thereon; which were taken, and are as follows:
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A resolution rescinding the resolution providing for a digest of laws, approved March twelve, eighteen hundred and sixty-one.
Resolved, That the resolution, approved March twelve, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, providing for a digest of laws, be, and the same is hereby, rescinded;
which was referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
The next regular order being
A bill to provide for the manufacture of powder for the Confederate States of America,
On motion of Mr. Bartow, the same was laid on the table.
It was ordered that the next bill on the Calendar, viz:
A bill in relation to citizenship and to prescribe uniform rules of naturalization,
be postponed for the balance of the session.
Congress then took up and considered
A bill to authorize the transfer of appropriations.
On motion of Mr. Hemphill, the same was amended by adding the following section:
The bill as amended was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Congress then considered
A bill to define the limits of the port of New Orleans, and for other purposes.
The same was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Cobb, from the Committee on Printing, reported
A bill regulating the purchase of stationery, blank books, paper, and of the printing of blanks, circulars, etc., used by the various custom-houses of the Confederate States of America;
which was ordered to be placed on the Calendar.
Mr. Cobb, from the same committee, also reported
A bill to organize further the Bureau of Superintendent of Public Printing;
which was read a first and second time, engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Shorter offered the following resolution; which was agreed to, viz:
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Congress be authorized to appoint an engrossing and enrolling clerk for the balance of the present session, at six dollars per day.
On motion of Mr. Hale,
Congress adjourned until 11 o'clock to-morrow.
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