| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journal of the Confederate Congress --ELEVENTH DAY--THURSDAY, August 1, 1861.
OPEN SESSION.
Congress met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr. Hoge.
Mr. Morton of Florida asked leave of absence for ten days for his colleague, Mr. Owens, on account of sickness in his family; which was granted.
Mr. Davis of North Carolina asked leave of absence for his colleague, Mr. McDowell; which was granted.
Mr. Macfarland of Virginia announced the presence of Mr. John Tyler, a Delegate from the State of Virginia, who appeared, was qualified, and took his seat.
Congress resolved itself in secret session.
SECRET SESSION.
Mr. Shorter of Alabama, from the Committee on Engrossment, reported as correctly engrossed and enrolled
An act to authorize the distribution of the proceeds of the sale of the ship A. B. Thompson as a prize; and
Page 304 | Page image
An act to amend an act to establish the judicial courts of the Confederate States.
The Chair presented a communication from the Secretary of War, transmitting to Congress information in regard to contracts for the purchase and manufacture of powder, and a list of appointments of officers in the Army; which, on motion of Mr. Waul of Texas, were laid on the table and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Johnson moved to suspend the special order of the day, which was the consideration of a bill to prevent the exportation of cotton, tobacco, etc., for the call of the States and reports of committees; which was agreed to.
Mr. Johnson of Arkansas introduced
A resolution authorizing the Secretary of War to furnish certain troops of Missouri with quartermaster and commissary stores; which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Johnson of Arkansas introduced
A resolution authorizing the Secretary of War to furnish transportation for certain troops;
which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Ward of Florida introduced
A resolution instructing the Committee on Military Affairs to inquire into the expediency of establishing a military road from Houston, on the Pensacola and Georgia Railroad in Florida, to the nearest point of the Savannah and Gulf road in Georgia, and to report by bill or otherwise;
which was agreed to.
Mr. Wright of Georgia presented a communication from Mr. Quillian relative to the mint at Dahlonega, Ga., and moved its reference to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. Barnwell of South Carolina moved to lay the communication on the table; which motion was lost.
Mr. Chesnut of South Carolina demanded the original question; and the demand being sustained, the original question, which was the reference of the communication to the Committee on Finance, was put and carried, and the communication was so referred.
Mr. Hill of Georgia presented a letter in relation to the mint at Dahlonega, Ga.; which was referred to the Committee on Finance, without being read.
Mr. Sparrow of Louisiana introduced
A resolution instructing the Committee on Military Affairs to inquire into the necessity of establishing a military road from Orange on the Sabine River to New Iberia on the Bayou Teche, in the State of Louisiana, and in what way said road can be made at the least expense to be useful and efficient, and to report by bill or otherwise;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Perkins of Louisiana offered
A resolution relative to the adjournment of Congress;
which was read and, on his own motion, laid on the table until to-morrow.
Mr. Campbell of Mississippi presented the memorial of T. J. Love, captain of the Rocky Point Rifles, Mississippi Volunteers; which was referred to the Committee on Claims, without being read,
Page 305 | Page image
Mr. Venable of North Carolina introduced
A resolution instructing the Committee on Military Affairs to inquire as to the propriety of allowing tobacco as a part of rations of soldiers and whether any legislation is necessary in order that such additional allowance be made, and to report by bill or otherwise;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Chesnut of South Carolina introduced
A resolution instructing the Committee on Military Affairs to inquire into and report on the expediency of so amending the law as to make it incumbent on the Government to supply the troops with shoes and clothing, instead of paying a certain amount of money to each soldier for that purpose, and also on the expediency of calling on the several States to supply each its own soldiers in the Confederate service with shoes and clothing, keeping an account of the same, to be settled with the Confederate Government at the end of the war;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Chesnut of South Carolina introduced
A resolution respectfully requesting the President to inform Congress, if in his judgment it shall not be inconsistent with the public service, as to the condition of the Subsistence Department, and whether or not he has received any authentic information going to show a want of sufficient and regular supply of food for the Army of the Confederate States, or any portion of it, now in the field;
which was agreed to.
Mr. Memminger of South Carolina offered
A resolution that the Committee on Finance be instructed to inquire into the expediency of removing coffee from the free list of the tariff act approved May 21, 1861;
which was agreed to.
Mr. Memminger introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act to authorize advances to be made in certain cases;"
which was read the first and second times and referred to Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Walter Preston of Virginia offered
A resolution instructing the Committee on Military Affairs to inquire into the expediency of authorizing the President of the Confederate States to give commissions for officers above the grade of captain to such persons as he may think fit to command volunteer regiments for the service of the Confederate States, to be composed of persons who may remove from Kentucky or Maryland for the purpose of enlisting; upon the condition, however, that such officers shall not hold rank or receive pay until such regiments have been raised and are ready to be mustered into service;
which was agreed to.
Mr. Davis of North Carolina introduced
A resolution instructing the Committee on Military Affairs to inquire into the expediency of appointing a director-general of hospitals.
Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred
A resolution making inquiry into the necessity of further legislation to insure the more speedy transportation of troops and military and naval supplies,
reported that no further legislation was necessary, and asked that the
Page 306 | Page image
committee be discharged from the further consideration of the same, and that the resolution lie on the table; which was agreed to.
Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported back
A bill to provide additional field officers to volunteer battalions, and to provide for the appointment of assistant adjutants-general for provisional forces,
and recommended its passage.
The bill was engrossed, read the third time, and passed.
Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported back
An act to amend an act entitled "An act to make further provision for the public defense," approved May 11, 1861, and to amend an act entitled "An act 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;"
and recommended its passage.
Mr. Gregg of Texas offered the following amendment as an additional section to the bill, to wit:
Mr. Kenan of Georgia moved that the vote on the amendment be taken by States.
Mr. Campbell of Mississippi moved that the bill and amendment be recommitted to the Committee on Military Affairs; which was lost.
The vote was then taken by States on the amendment, and resulted as follows, to wit:
Yea: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Texas, 5.
Nay: Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Virginia, 4.
Divided: Arkansas, 1.
So the amendment was lost.
Mr. Hill demanded the original question, which was on the passage of the bill.
The call for the question being sustained, the bill was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported back
A bill to be entitled "An act to make provision for the care of supplies for the sick and wounded,"
and recommended its passage.
The bill was engrossed, read third time, and passed.
Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported the following resolution and recommended its passage:
Resolved, That the governors of the several States of the Confederacy are hereby earnestly requested to communicate as speedily as possible to Chief of Ordnance the number and description of small arms now in their possession, which were seized in the various United States arsenals in the said States; also the number and description sent out of the States and the places to which they have been forwarded, and, further, that they be requested to give information of the number of regiments in their respective States formed, or in process of formation, but not yet received into the service of the Confederate States.
The resolution was agreed to.
Mr. Kenan, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred
A resolution to confer military rank upon chaplains in the Army,
Page 307 | Page image
reported unfavorably upon the same, asked to be discharged from its further consideration, and that the resolution lie on the table; which was agreed to.
A message was received from the President by the hands of his Private Secretary, Mr. Josselyn, informing Congress that on yesterday he had approved and signed
An act further to amend an act entitled "An act to establish the judicial courts of the Confederate States of America;"
and that he had to-day approved and signed
An act relative to money deposited in the registries and receivers of the courts.
Mr. Macfarland of Virginia offered the following resolution; which was read and agreed to, to wit:
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to inquire into the arrangements in this city for the comfort of the sick and wounded of the Army, and to suggest in relation thereto such measures as upon examination may appear to be appropriate.
The Chair announced the following as the committee under the foregoing resolution:
Messrs. Macfarland of Virginia, Davis of North Carolina, and Keitt of South Carolina.
On motion of Mr. Avery,
Congress then adjourned until 12 o'clock to-morrow.
EXECUTIVE SESSION.
Congress having resolved itself in executive session,
The Chair laid before Congress a communication from the President, transmitting the list of appointments; which is as follows, viz:
The same was, on motion, referred to the Committee on Military Affairs; and
Congress resumed legislative session.
PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR
| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |