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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 --SIXTH DAY--FRIDAY, July 26, 1861.
OPEN SESSION.
Congress met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr. Peterkin.
The Chair presented a communication from the moderator of the North Carolina Chowan Baptist Association, together with a series of resolutions passed by that body; which, upon motion of Mr. Wright of Georgia, were ordered to be spread upon the minutes of Congress, and are as follows:
St. Johns Post-Office, N. C., May 16, 1861.
Hon. Howell Cobb.
Sir: In accordance with the instructions contained in the inclosed resolutions, adopted by the North Carolina Chowan Baptist Association, I respectfully transmit them to you as President of Confederate Congress. This association of Christians represents 52 churches, embodying a membership of more than 10,000 men and women. These resolutions passed the body unanimously and breathe forth the sentiments of an undivided constituency. In transmitting these resolutions to you, and through you to the Congress, of Confederate States, suffer me to express my
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hearty concurrence in the positions therein assumed, and if our would-be oppressors continue to deny to us the rights of a free people, and nothing but the arbitrament of the sword can settle pending difficulties, may the God of battles be in our midst and give success to our army.
With sentiments of respect and esteem, believe me ever, yours,
G. C. MOORE, Moderator.
Resolutions adopted by the Chowan Baptist Association, of the State of North Carolina, at its fifty-fifth annual session, on 16th day of May, 1861.
Mr. Curry of Alabama presented a memorial of M. J. Rhodes and others, patentees from the State of Alabama, praying a change in the patent laws; which was referred to the Committee on Patents, without being read.
Mr. Perkins of Louisiana presented a claim of Dr. P. M. Enders, of New Orleans, for services rendered as assistant treasurer of the United States Government at New Orleans; which was referred to the Committee on Claims, without being read.
Mr. Bocock of Virginia presented the memorial of Doctor Garnett, praying amendment to an act making appointments in the Confederate Navy; which was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs, without being read.
Mr. Seddon of Virginia introduced a resolution instructing the Judiciary Committee to report a plan for taking evidence concerning slaves taken by the enemy; which was agreed to.
Mr. Russell of Virginia introduced a resolution instructing the Postal Committee to confer the franking privilege upon ex-President John Tyler; which was agreed to.
Mr. Staples of Virginia offered a resolution instructing the Committee on Military Affairs to inquire into the expediency of amending the military laws so as to give surgeons command over enlisted men; which was agreed to.
Mr. Staples of Virginia offered a resolution instructing the Military Committee to inquire into the expediency of altering the law so as to allow the Surgeon-General a messenger; which was agreed to.
Congress then resolved itself into secret session.
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SECRET SESSION.
Congress being in secret session,
Mr. Wright moved that the bill introduced in open session to amend the eighth section of an act entitled "An act to provide for the public defense" be transferred to the Calendar of the secret session; which motion prevailed.
On motion of Mr. Waul, the bill introduced in open session to amend an act making appointments in the Navy was transferred to the Calendar of the secret session.
The special order of the day being the election of a Public Printer to Congress, the Congress proceeded to the same; when Richard M. Smith, of Virginia, was unanimously elected.
Mr. Stephens offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That it shall be the duty of the President of the Congress immediately after the reading of the Journal each morning to announce that Congress will go into secret session.
On agreeing to the resolution, at the instance of the State of Georgia, the yeas and nays of the entire body were ordered to be recorded, and are as follows, viz:
The resolution was agreed to.
Mr. Garland offered the following resolution; which was agreed to, viz:
Resolved, That the Committee on Finance be instructed to inquire into the expediency and necessity of making the bonds and Treasury notes, or either, of the Confederate States, to be issued under the act of Congress of the sixteenth of May, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, entitled "An act to authorize a loan and the issue of Treasury notes," etc., a legal tender for and during the continuance of the present war, or for any other period of time, and the committee report by bill or otherwise.
Mr. Rhett offered the following resolution; which was agreed to, viz:
Resolved, That the President be requested, if in his opinion not incompatible with the public interest, to communicate to Congress the instructions given by the Government to our commissioners in Europe and the communications made by them to the Confederate Government.
Mr. Hemphill introduced
A bill amendatory of an act to prescribe the rates of postage in the
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Confederate States of America, and for other purposes, approved February 23, 1861;
which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Postal Affairs.
Mr. Wigfall offered the following resolutions; which were agreed to, viz:
Resolved, That the Committee on Foreign Affairs do inquire and report to Congress whether in their opinion it is expedient that the consuls of foreign nations accredited to the United States should continue to exercise consular functions in the ports of the Confederate States.
Resolved, That the Committee on Foreign Affairs do further inquire whether it is expedient that the commissioners of the Confederate States now in Europe should remain any longer seeking the recognition of the independence of the Confederate States by the Governments to which they have been accredited.
Resolved, That the said committee do further inquire whether it is not expedient that the exportation of our agricultural productions should be prohibited to any nations not having amicable relations with the Confederate States by treaty stipulations.
Mr. Mason offered the following resolution; which was agreed to, viz:
Resolved, That the President of Congress provide by proper regulations for the execution of such printing as Congress may direct to be printed confidentially.
Mr. Brockenbrough offered the following resolution; which was agreed to, viz:
Resolved, That the Committee of Naval Affairs be instructed to inquire into and report upon the expediency of so amending the act organizing the Navy of the Confederate States as to make provision for officers who have resigned their offices in the revenue service of the late United States in consequence of the secession of the Confederate States or any of them from the Union. And that said committee be further instructed to inquire into the expediency of conferring, by resolution or otherwise, a commission of lieutenant in the Navy of the Confederate States upon Bushrod W. Frobel, late a lieutenant in the revenue service of the United States.
Mr. Staples offered the following resolution; which was agreed to, viz:
Resolved, That the Committee on Finance inquire into the expediency of providing by law for the compensation of persons employed in the year eighteen hundred and sixty in taking the census in the Confederate States.
Mr. Chilton, from the Committee on Postal Affairs, to whom was referred the resolution of inquiry respecting the transmission through the mails of letters and packages to and from the officers, musicians, and privates of the Army of the Confederate States free of postage, reported that the committee deemed it inexpedient to pass such a law, but recommended the passage of
A bill relating to the prepayment of postage in certain cases;
which was taken up and read the first and second times.
Mr. Hemphill moved to amend the same by adding the following additional section, to wit:
That on letters or other mail matter transmitted by a member of Congress with his official signature indorsed on the same, prepayment of postage shall not be required, but the same may be paid on delivery of the mail matter thus transmitted.
On motion of Mr. Conrad, the amendment as amended was restricted in its operation and effect to "letters" transmitted by members of Congress.
Upon agreeing to the amendment as amended, Mr. Rhett demanded the question; which was seconded, and the vote having been taken by States, is as follows, viz:
Yea: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.
Nay: Alabama.
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The amendment as amended was agreed to.
Mr. Reagan moved to amend the first section of the bill providing that persons in the Army may send letters without prepaying postage on same, etc., by adding the following proviso, viz:
Provided, This section of this act shall only continue in force until the Post-Office Department shall supply the deputy postmasters with the postage stamps.
The motion was lost.
Mr. Chilton moved to amend the bill by adding the following as the second section, viz:
That letters and other mail matter sent to any officer, musician, or private in the Confederate States Army at any point from which the said officer, musician, or private may have been lawfully removed, shall be forwarded to the person to whom directed at the post-office nearest which he may have been removed free of additional postage.
The motion prevailed.
Mr. T. R. R. Cobb moved to amend the bill by adding the following additional section, viz:
That all postage shall be payable in the funds with which the Government of the Confederate States discharges its liabilities in the State where the postage is paid.
Pending discussion thereon,
On motion of Mr. Kenner,
Congress adjourned until 12 m. to-morrow.
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