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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 --TWENTIETH DAY--MONDAY, August 12, 1861.
OPEN SESSION.
Congress met pursuant to adjournment.
Mr. Stephens announced the presence of Messrs. Robert L. Caruthers, Thomas M. Jones, J. H. Thomas, and John F. House, Delegates from the State of Tennessee, who came forward, presented their credentials, were qualified, and took their seats.
Congress then resolved itself into secret session.
SECRET SESSION.
Congress being in secret session,
Mr. Stephens moved to postpone the consideration of the unfinished business of Saturday, for the purpose of introducing
A bill to be entitled "An act to authorize the Secretary of War to increase the medical force of the Army under certain circumstances."
The motion was agreed to, and the bill was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Macfarland, from the special committee of one from each State, by unanimous consent, reported
A bill to provide hospitals and for their support;
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Smith of North Carolina, by unanimous consent, presented
A bill to be entitled "An act to exempt for a limited time from arrest on civil process certain persons in the service of the Confederate States;"
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
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Mr. Smith of Alabama, by unanimous consent, moved to make the special order for Wednesday next the bill reported by him from the Judiciary Committee, entitleda
[Note a: a The title of the bill is not here recorded, but later proceedings identify it as an act for the forfeiture and confiscation of the estates, property, and effects of alien enemies.]
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. Waul, by unanimous consent, introduced
A bill to provide for local defense and special service;
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Morton, by unanimous consent, presented a memorial from Charles Willey; which was referred to the Committee on Commercial Affairs, without being read.
Mr. Johnston of Virginia presented the memorial of Benjamin J. Jordan; which was referred to the Committee on Claims, without being read.
Mr. Craige presented the memorial of sundry citizens of North Carolina relative to the mint at Charlotte, in that State; which was referred to the Committee on Finance, without being read.
Mr. Mason presented the memorial of Ladislas Wankowicz, praying a change of his name; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, without being read.
Mr. Ochiltree introduced
A bill to require the receipt by the postmasters of the Confederate States of Treasury notes in sums of five dollars and upward in payment of postage stamps;
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on Postal Affairs.
Mr. Conrad offered the following resolution; which was read and agreed to, to wit:
Resolved, That the Secretary of War report to this House whether any measures have been taken to fortify New Orleans, in view of a probable attack upon that city at no distant period.
Mr. Avery, by unanimous consent, moved to have his vote recorded against all the amendments offered on Saturday to the fourth section of the bill to authorize the issue of Treasury notes, and to provide a war tax for their redemption.
The motion was agreed to.
Congress then resumed the unfinished business of Saturday, which was the consideration of the amendment offered by Mr. Hill to the fourth section of the bill to authorize the issue of Treasury notes, and to provide a war tax for their redemption, and upon which Mr. Puryear, at the instance of the State of North Carolina, demanded the yeas and nays of the whole body be recorded; and the question being put, the vote resulted as follows, to wit:
Yea: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina, 5.
Nay: Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, 5.
Divided: Texas, 1.
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So the amendment was not agreed to.
Mr. Ochiltree moved to amend by inserting after the word "horses" the word "sheep."
The motion was not agreed to.
Mr. Avery moved to amend by adding to the section the following words, to wit:
gold watches, gold and silver plate, and pleasure carriages: Provided, That carriages of less value than three hundred dollars shall be exempt from taxation.
Mr. Brooke moved to amend the amendment by inserting after the word "plate" the word "pianos."
Mr. Avery demanded the question, which was upon agreeing to the amendment to the amendment; and the question being put, the amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Jones of Alabama moved to amend the amendment offered by Mr. Avery by striking therefrom the words "Provided, That carriages of less value than three hundred dollars shall be exempt from taxation."
The question then recurring upon the adoption of the amendment of Mr. Avery as amended, the same was agreed to.
Mr. Hill moved to amend by striking out the word "cattle, horses, and mules;" and the vote being taken thereon by States, resulted as follows, to wit:
Yea: North Carolina and Virginia, 2.
Nay: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina, 6.
Divided: Tennessee and Texas, 2.
So the amendment was not agreed to.
Mr. Thomason moved to amend by inserting after the word "mules" the words "over two years old."
The amendment was not agreed to.
Mr. Smith of North Carolina moved to amend by striking out the word "bank stocks; railroad and other corporation stocks," and inserting in lieu thereof the words
and also a tax of eight per centum on dividends, interest, and profits declared and accruing and due during the year preceding the first day of October next, in bank, railroad, and other corporation stocks.
The amendment was not agreed to.
Mr. Brooke moved to amend by inserting after the words "on hand" the following words, to wit: "or on deposit in bank or elsewhere."
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The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Perkins moved to amend the fourth section of the bill by striking out the following words at the beginning of the same, viz:
That for the special purpose of paying the principal and interest of the public debt, and of supporting the Government, a war tax shall be assessed and levied, of fifty cents upon each one hundred dollars in value, of the following property in the Confederate States, namely:
and inserting in lieu thereof the following words, viz: "That for the purpose of ascertaining all property included in the classes," and by adding to the end of said section the following words, viz:
and the value thereof, and with a view to imposing a war tax, should the exigencies of the Government require it, and in order to ascertain the person chargeable with the tax, each State shall constitute a tax district, over which shall be appointed one chief collector, who shall be charged with the duty of dividing the State into a convenient number of collection districts, subject to the revisal of the Secretary of the Treasury. The said collector shall be appointed by the President, and shall hold his office for one year, and receive a salary ofdollars. He shall give bond with sureties to discharge the duties of his office in such amount as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, and shall take oath faithfully to discharge the duties of his office, and to support and defend the Constitution. The said chief collector shall, with the approbation of the Secretary of the Treasury, appoint a tax collector for each collection district, whose duty it shall be to cause an assessment to be made on or before the first day of November next, of all the taxable property in his district, included in each of the above-mentioned classes of property, and the persons then owning or in possession thereof; and in order thereto, the said tax collectors may appoint assessors, who shall proceed through every part of their respective districts, and, after public notice, shall require all persons owning, possessing, or having the care and management of any property liable to the tax aforesaid to deliver written lists of the same, which shall be made in such manner as may be required by the chief collector, and as far as practicable, conformable to those which may be required for the same purpose under the authority of the respective States; and the said assessors are authorized to enter into and upon all and singular the premises for the purposes required by this act.
Pending the consideration of the amendment offered by Mr. Perkins,
Congress, on motion of Mr. Oldham,
Adjourned until 11 o'clock to-morrow morning.
EXECUTIVE SESSION.
Congress being in executive session,
The Chair laid before Congress a communication in writing, from the President, transmitting, for the advice and consent of Congress, the nomination of John Guthrie, of Tennessee, to be marshal of the Confederate States for the district of Tennessee; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Congress resumed legislative session.
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