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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 --SIXTEENTH DAY--WEDNESDAY, August 7, 1861.
OPEN SESSION.
Congress met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Bishop Early.
Mr. Kenan announced the presence of Mr. Thomas M. Foreman, a Delegate from the State of Georgia, who appeared, was qualified, and took his seat.
Congress then resolved itself into secret session.
SECRET SESSION.
Congress being in secret session, took up for consideration the special order, which was
A bill further to provide for the public defense.
The second section of the same being under consideration, Mr. Kenan, from the Committee on Military Affairs, moved to amend by striking out the whole of said section and inserting in lieu thereof the following, to wit:
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Wright moved to amend the bill by adding, as an additional section thereto, the following, to wit:
The amendment was agreed to, and the bill as amended was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Jones presented a memorial of D. L. Dinsmore and others, of Alabama; which was referred to the Committee on Postal Affairs, without being read.
Mr. Garland offered
A resolution instructing the Committee on the Judiciary to inquire
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into the propriety of authorizing citizens of the Confederate States to make reprisals on land to the amount lost by them by reason of confiscations made under the authority of the United States, and to report by bill or otherwise;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Morton presented the memorial of certain mail contractors; which was referred to the Committee on Postal Affairs, without being read.
Mr. Wright presented the petition of certain citizens of Georgia and North Carolina relative to an assay office at Dahlonega, Ga.; which was referred to the Committee on Finance, without being read.
Mr. Perkins offered the following resolution; which was read and referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, to wit:
Resolved, That Congress heartily approves of and unites in the recommendation of the cotton factors and insurance companies that no cotton be sent forward from the interior to the seaports of the country during the existence of the blockade.
Mr. Marshall offered the following resolution; which was read and agreed to, viz:
Resolved, That hereafter the hour of the meeting of Congress be fixed at eleven o'clock a. m.
Mr. Brooke presented
A bill to amend the Provisional Constitution of the Confederate States;
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. Brooke presented
A bill entitled "An act to amend the Constitution for the Provisional Government of the Confederate States of America;"
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. Harris offered the following resolution; which was taken up and read, viz:
Resolved, That this Congress will adjourn on Monday, the nineteenth instant, to meet again on the third Monday in November next, unless sooner called together by the President.
Mr. Harris demanded the question; which being put, and the vote having been taken by States, resulted as follows, to wit:
Yea: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas, 6.
Nay: Florida, Louisiana, and Virginia, 3.
Divided: Arkansas, 1.
Johnson of Arkansas, at the instance of the State of Arkansas, demanded that the yeas and nays of the whole body be recorded; which resulted as follows, to wit:
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So the resolution was agreed to.
Mr. Smith of North Carolina introduced
A resolution directing the Committee on Finance to inquire into the expediency of authorizing the payment of dues to the Government, and to each department thereof, to be made in the bills of banks whose currency in the States where payment is made is by law receivable for State taxes and other State dues,
and that they report by bill or otherwise.
The resolution was taken up, read, and agreed to.
Mr. Smith of North Carolina introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act to amend an act entitled 'An act recognizing the existence of war between the United States and the Confederate States, and concerning letters of marque, prizes, and prize goods,' approved May sixth, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, and an act entitled 'An act regulating the sale of prizes and the distribution thereof,' approved May sixteenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-one;" which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs.
Mr. Davis presented the memorial of W. B. Whitehead, of North Carolina, late an officer in the United States Revenue Service; which was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs, without being read.
Mr. Bocock presented the memorial of Jonas P. Levy; which was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs, without being read.
Mr. Brooke presented a communication from Thomas T. Land; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, without being read.
Mr. Perkins, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, reported
A bill to prohibit the importation of articles the production or manufacture of the United States, or of other nations, into the Confederate States from the United States, and to punish persons offending therein;
which was read first and second times, placed on the Calendar, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Mason, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, reported
A bill to extend the protection of the Confederate States to citizens of other States in certain cases;
which was read first and second times, placed on the Calendar, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Barnwell, from the Committee on Finance, to whom was referred the petition of Peters & Reed, praying a remission of duties on imported goods, reported the same back, with the recommendation that no action be taken on the subject, asked to be discharged from its further consideration, and that the memorial lie on the table; which was agreed to.
Mr. Barnwell, from the Committee on Finance, reported
A bill making additional appropriations for the Army and volunteer
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forces of the Confederate States for the year ending February 18, 1862;
which was read first and second times, placed on the Calendar, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Barnwell, from the Committee on Finance, reported
A bill making appropriations for the expense of the Government in the legislative, executive, and judicial departments for the year ending 18th of February, 1862;
which was read first and second times, placed on the Calendar, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Barnwell, from the Committee on Finance, reported
A bill making additional appropriations for the Navy of the Confederate States for the year ending 18th February, 1862;
which was read first and second times, placed on the Calendar, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred
A bill to be entitled "An act to authorize the Secretary of War to make a certain payment out of the contingent fund of the War Department,"
reported the same back, with the recommendation that it be referred to the Committee on Claims.
The report was agreed to.
Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred a letter from the Superintendent of the Telegraph, reported the same back, asked to be discharged from its further consideration, and that the letter lie on the table.
The report was agreed to.
Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred
A resolution relative to the arms captured at Manassas,
reported that the committee deemed any legislation on that subject inexpedient at present, asked to be discharged from its further consideration, and that the resolution lie on the table; which was agreed to.
Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported
A bill to increase the Corps of Artillery, and for other purposes, and recommended the passage of the same.
The bill was read first and second times and, on motion, it was placed on the Calendar and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Johnson of Arkansas, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported
A bill to authorize the admission of the State of Missouri as a member of the Confederate States of America, and for other purposes,
with the recommendation that it pass.
The bill having received its first and second readings, was, on motion, placed on the Calendar, ordered to be printed, and made the special order of Friday.
The Calendar was then taken up, the first business upon which was the consideration of
A bill to define the jurisdiction of the Federal courts in certain cases.
On motion, the further consideration of the same was postponed for the present.
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Mr. Shorter, from the Committee on Engrossment, reported as correctly engrossed and enrolled
An act to authorize the President of the Confederate States to grant commissions to raise volunteer regiments and battalions, composed of persons who are or have been residents of the States of Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, and Delaware.
The next business in order on the Calendar being taken up, viz, the consideration of
A bill from the Judiciary Committee to amend the eighth section of the first article of the Constitution of the Provisional Government of the Confederate States of America.
Mr. Conrad moved to postpone the consideration of the same for the present.
The motion was agreed to, and the further consideration of the bill was postponed for the present.
Mr. Miles, from the committee, by unanimous consent, moved to reconsider the vote on the engrossment and passage of an act to amend 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," for the purpose of recommitting the same to the Committee on Military Affairs.
The motion was agreed to.
The Congress resumed the consideration of the bill making temporary provision for naturalizing as citizens of the Confederate States such persons now citizens of the States of Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, and Delaware, respectively, as may desire so to become.
The question being, on the motion of Mr. Hemphill, to strike out in the first section the word "allegiance" and inserting in lieu thereof the word "obedience."
Mr. Hemphill amended his motion by inserting after the word "allegiance" the words "to any foreign state."
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Ochiltree moved to amend the section by adding after the words "That any person now a citizen of either of the States of Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, Delaware, or the District of Columbia," the words "or citizens of California born in either of the slaveholding States of the late United States."
The motion was lost.
Mr. Oldham moved to amend the section by adding after the words "desiring to become a citizen" the words "of any State."
Pending the discussion thereon, a message was received from the President, through his Private Secretary, Mr. Josselyn, that on yesterday he had approved and signed
An act to provide for the construction of a newly invented implement of war; also
Resolutions of thanks to Gens. Joseph E. Johnston and Gustave T. Beauregard and the officers and troops under their command at the battle of Manassas.
Mr. Conrad moved that the injunction of secrecy be not removed from the act to provide for the construction of a newly invented implement of war.
On motion of Mr. Bocock,
Congress adjourned until 11 o'clock to-morrow.
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