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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 --EIGHTEENTH DAY--FRIDAY, August 9, 1861.
OPEN SESSION.
Congress met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Bishop Early.
Congress then resolved itself into secret session.
SECRET SESSION.
Congress being in secret session, resumed the consideration of the bill to authorize the issue of Treasury notes, and to provide a war tax for their redemption.
Mr. Brooke moved to amend the first section of the same by striking out the words "one hundred" and inserting the word "fifty," and also by striking out the words "a hundred" and inserting in lieu thereof the word "fifty."
Mr. Shorter, at the instance of the State of Alabama, demanded that the vote be taken by States, and that the yeas and nays of the whole body be recorded; and the question having been put, the vote resulted as follows, to wit:
Yea: Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Virginia, 5.
Nay: Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, 3.
Divided: Arkansas and Mississippi, 2.
So the amendment was not agreed to.
Mr. Shorter moved to amend by inserting after the words "a hundred" the following, to wit: "except when the subscription is less than one hundred dollars, the said bonds may be issued in sums of fifty dollars."
The amendment was agreed to.
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Mr. Chilton moved to amend by adding at the end of the section the following words, to wit: "but this provision shall not prevent the subscribers from making sales at any time before the period fixed by the Secretary."
The amendment was not agreed to.
And the section as amended reads as follows, to wit:
The third section being under consideration; which is as follows, to wit:
Mr. Oldham moved to amend the same by striking out the whole of said section, and, at the instance of the State of Texas, demanded that the vote should be taken by States, and that the yeas and nays of the whole body be recorded; and the question having been put, resulted as follows, to wit:
Nay: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia, 10.
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So the amendment was not agreed to.
Mr. Seddon moved to amend by inserting after the word "States" the following words, to wit:
and the holders of said bonds may exchange them for said Treasury notes whenever the amount of such notes then outstanding does not exceed fifty millions of dollars.
The amendment was not agreed to.
Mr. Seddon moved to amend the section by adding thereto the following words, to wit:
Said Treasury notes may be tendered in payment of any debt, whether due to corporations or individuals, and if not accepted, there shall be a stay to the collection by suit and execution, or by the execution of deeds of trust of such debt until six months after the ratification of peace with the United States, and until then, from the date of tender such debt shall bear no higher interest than may be allowed under this act to the bonds for which said notes may be exchanged, but during such stay no existing legal limitation shall run against such debt.
Mr. Hemphill moved to reconsider the vote by which the second section was adopted.
The motion was not agreed to.
Mr. Johnson of Arkansas demanded the question, which was upon agreeing to the amendment proposed by Mr. Seddon; and the demand being seconded, the question was put, and the amendment was not agreed to.
Mr. Smith moved to postpone the further consideration of the bill, for the purpose of reporting from the Judiciary Committee
A bill for the forfeiture and confiscation of the estates, property, and effects of alien enemies.
The motion was agreed to, and the bill, having received its first and second readings, was placed on the Calendar and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Memminger, by unanimous consent, moved to reconsider the vote by which a resolution touching points of maritime law decided by the Congress of Paris of 1856 was passed.
The motion was agreed to, and the resolution was laid on the table.
Mr. Macfarland, by general consent, presented two memorials from citizens of Virginia, praying redress for damages done by soldiers; which were referred to the Committee on Claims, without being read.
Mr. Barnwell, from the Committee on Finance, by unanimous consent, introduced
A bill to establish assay offices at Charlotte and Dahlonega;
which was read first and second times, placed on the Calendar, and ordered to be printed.
The fourth section of the bill being under consideration; which is as follows, to wit:
(This of bill to issue Treasury notes, and provide war tax for their redemption.)
Mr. Kenner moved to amend the same by adding at the end of said section the words
Provided, however, That when the taxable property herein above enumerated, of any head of a family, is of value less than five hundred dollars, such taxable property shall be exempt from taxation under this act.
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Mr. Thomason moved to amend the amendment by adding the following words, to wit:
Provided, That the provisions of this section shall not extend to such persons and citizens of the Confederate States as own less than five hundred dollars in value of the property herein specified as subjects of taxation: And provided also, That persons citizens of the Confederate States in the Army and Navy and volunteer service of the Confederate States, the appraised value of whose property does not exceed one thousand dollars, shall also be exempt from the provisions of this act.
Mr. Harris moved to lay the amendment to the amendment on the table.
Mr. Hill demanded the question, which was upon agreeing to the motion of Mr. Harris to lay the amendment to the amendment on the table; and the demand being seconded, the question was put, and the motion was agreed to.
Mr. Ochiltree demanded the question, which was upon agreeing to the amendment offered by Mr. Kenner, and, at the instance of the State of Texas, demanded that the vote be taken by States, and that the yeas and nays of the whole body be recorded; and the question being put, the vote resulted as follows, to wit:
Yea: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Virginia, 7.
Nay: Florida, South Carolina, and Texas, 3.
So the amendment was agreed to.
On motion of Mr. Sparrow,
Congress then adjourned until 11 o'clock to-morrow morning.
EXECUTIVE SESSION.
Congress being in executive session.
The Chair presented to the Congress a communication from the President, transmitting the following list of nominations for postmasters, at the respective places named, for the advice and consent of Congress, viz:
Hugh Black, Eufaula, Ala.; Thomas Welsh, Montgomery, Ala.; James M. Smythe, Augusta, Ga.; Atkinson T. Hardin, Rome, Ga.; John W. Faber, Natchitoches, La.; J. S. Antley, Clinton, Miss.; B. G. Graham, Greensboro, N. C.; William D. McNish, Nashville, Tenn.;
which were referred to the Committee on Postal Affairs.
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Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the following nominations:
The report was agreed to, and Congress advised and consented to the nominations.
Congress resumed legislative session.
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