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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 --SEVENTH DAY--SATURDAY, July 27, 1861.
OPEN SESSION.
Congress met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr. Moore.
The Chair then announced that, in pursuance of a rule of the House, Congress would go into secret session.
SECRET SESSION.
Congress being in secret session, the unfinished business of yesterday was resumed, to wit: the amendment offered by Mr. T. R. R. Cobb of Georgia to the postal bill reported by Mr. Chilton, chairman of the Postal Committee.
Mr. Cobb having withdrawn his amendment, the bill was engrossed, read the third time, and passed.
Mr. Smith of Alabama offered
A resolution instructing the Committee on Printing to have printed for the use of Congress the accompanying documents to the President's message;
which was agreed to.
Mr. Sparrow of Louisiana offered
A resolution instructing the Committee on the Judiciary to inquire into the expediency of adopting some legislation to protect the secret proceedings of Congress from publication in the public newspapers, and to report by bill or otherwise;
which was agreed to.
Mr. Kenner of Louisiana presented the memorial of John O. Moran, a mechanic of New Orleans, praying payment for work done on
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custom-house in that city; which was referred to Committee on Claims, without being read.
Mr. Davis of North Carolina presented a memorial of George McDuffie, a mail contractor in North Carolina, praying payment of moneys due for carrying mails in that State; which was referred to Committee on Postal Affairs, without being read.
Mr. Davis of North Carolina introduced
A resolution instructing the Committee on the Judiciary to inquire into the expediency of rescinding that clause of the Provisional Constitution which prohibits the States from emitting bills of credit;
which was agreed to.
Mr. Keitt of South Carolina introduced
A resolution instructing the Committee on Foreign Affairs to inquire into the expediency of reporting a bill to prevent the exportation of cotton, tobacco, and naval stores;
which was agreed to.
Mr. Chesnut of South Carolina offered
A bill to provide additional field officers to volunteer battalions, and to provide for the appointment of an assistant adjutant-general to the Provisional Army;
which was read the first and second times and referred to Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Ochiltree of Texas offered
A resolution instructing Committee on Postal Affairs to inquire into the expediency of extending the franking privilege to Mrs. Polk, widow of ex-President James K. Polk;
which was agreed to.
Mr. Waul of Texas introduced
A bill to establish a bureau of army intelligence;
which was read the first and second times and referred to Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Mason of Virginia offered
A resolution instructing the Committee on the Judiciary to report a bill to make temporary provision for naturalizing as citizens of the Confederate States persons now citizens of the States of the Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, and Delaware, respectively, as may desire so to become;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Russell of Virginia offered
A resolution instructing the Committee on the Judiciary to inquire into the expediency of defining and regulating citizenship with reference to the cases of persons born in these States, but who have become citizens of Northern States and have recently returned, persons who come from other States to enter into the service of these States, persons residing now in these States, but born in Northern States, and such other cases as may require regulation by law;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Brockenbrough of Virginia offered
A resolution requesting the Secretary of War to inform Congress whether his Department has made contracts for the manufacture of powder of the different grades and varieties required in the military service of the Confederate States, whether the persons with whom such contracts have been made have yet fulfilled their contracts in whole or in part, and whether they are actually engaged in the execution
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of their contracts, and whether they possess the requisite material and means for the energetic and prompt execution thereof; which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Waul of Texas offered
A resolution requesting the Secretary of War to furnish for the use of Congress a complete list of all appointments made in the permanent army of the Confederate States, with the rank and date of the appointment, the State of the appointee, and when the appointee is a resigned officer of the United States Army at the time of his resignation the date of his commission or appointment and the State from which appointed;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Perkins of Louisiana offered
A resolution appointing a committee of three to confer with the Executive Departments of the Government and to obtain information if any further legislation is needed for their disposition, and also as to the propriety of removing them from the Capitol.
The resolution was not agreed to.
Mr. Harris of Mississippi offered the following resolution; which was read and agreed to, to wit:
Resolved, That when the President of Congress shall be absent the Honorable A. H. Stephens, of Georgia, be authorized to discharge all the duties of the President of Congress.
There being no other business before the House, the Calendar was taken up, the first business thereon being the resolution of Mr. Conrad of Louisiana to appoint a committee to inquire into and report the amount of small arms and munitions of war now in possession and already distributed by the Government.
On motion, the blank in the resolution was filled with the word "five," and the resolution read and agreed to.
The committee appointed by the Chair is as follows, viz:
Messrs. Conrad of Louisiana, Rives of Virginia, Chesnut of South Carolina, Smith of Alabama, and Harris of Mississippi.
On motion of Mr. Keitt of South Carolina,
Congress then adjourned until 12 o'clock Monday morning.
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