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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 --TWENTY-FIRST DAY--TUESDAY, August 13, 1861.
OPEN SESSION.
Congress met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr. Woodbridge.
Mr. Curry announced the presence of Mr. J. D. C. Atkins, a Delegate from the State of Tennessee, who came forward, was qualified, and took his seat.
Congress then resolved itself into secret session.
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SECRET SESSION.
Congress being in secret session, on motion of Mr. Hunter, the unfinished business of Monday was postponed, and Congress took up the consideration of a reconsidered resolution touching points of maritime law, etc., and Mr. Hunter moved to amend by striking out the same and substituting in lieu thereof the following; which was engrossed, read third time, and passed, to wit:
Resolution touching certain points of maritime law, and defining the position of the Confederate States in respect thereto.
Whereas the plenipotentiaries of Great Britain, Austria, France, Prussia, Russia, Sardinia, and Turkey, in a conference held at Paris on the sixteenth of April, eighteen hundred and fifty-six, made certain declarations respecting maritime law, to serve as uniform rules for their guidance in all cases arising under the principles thus proclaimed; and
Whereas it being desirable, not only to attain certainty and uniformity, as far as may be practicable in a maritime law, but also to maintain whatever is just and proper in the established usages of nations, the Confederate States of America deem it important to declare the principles by which they will be governed in their intercourse with the rest of mankind: Now, therefore, be it
Mr. Orr of Mississippi presented the memorial of R. W. Edmondson; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, without being read.
Mr. Orr of Mississippi presented a claim of R. W. Edmondson; which was referred to the Committee on Claims, without being read.
Mr. Mason introduced
A bill to authorize payment to be made for certain horses purchased for the Army;
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Hemphill introduced
A bill vesting in the President of the Confederate States the power of retaliation;
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. McRae offered
A resolution instructing the Committee on Finance to inquire into the expediency of changing the value of gold and silver coin as established by the act of March 14, 1861, and to report by bill or otherwise.
Mr. Chilton presented the petition of A. G. Brewer, chaplain of the Fifth Regiment Alabama Volunteers; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, without being read.
Mr. Chilton, from the Committee on Postal Affairs, introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act to collect and distribute the moneys remaining in the several post-offices of the Confederate States at the time the postal service was taken in charge by said Government;" which was read first and second times, placed on the Calendar, and ordered to be printed.
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The President of the Congress presented the memorial of George Sumrall, quartermaster-sergeant of Louisiana Battalion of Volunteers; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, without being read.
Congress then resumed the consideration of the unfinished business of yesterday; which was the consideration of the amendment offered by Mr. Perkins to the fourth section of the bill to authorize the issue of Treasury notes, and to provide a war tax for their redemption.
Pending discussion thereon, Mr. Shorter, from the Committee on Engrossment, reported as correctly engrossed and enrolled
Resolution touching certain points of maritime law, and defining the position of the Confederate States in respect thereto.
A message was received from the President by the hands of his Private Secretary, Mr. Josselyn, informing Congress that the President has this day approved and signed
Resolution touching certain points of maritime law, and defining the position of the Confederate States in respect thereto.
Mr. Ochiltree demanded the question, which was upon agreeing to the amendment offered by Mr. Perkins; and the demand being seconded, Mr. Perkins, at the instance of the State of Louisiana, demanded that the yeas and nays of the whole body be recorded; which are as follows, to wit:
Yea: Tennessee, 1.
Nay: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia, 8.
Divided: Arkansas and Louisiana, 2.
So the amendment was not agreed to.
Mr. Staples, by unanimous consent, introduced
A resolution instructing the Committee on Claims to inquire into the expediency of making some allowance to Oliver Hoover, of Greenbrier County, Va., in consideration of injuries received by him while engaged in the service of the Confederate States;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Staples, by unanimous consent, offered
A resolution instructing the Committee on Postal Affairs to inquire
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into the expediency of establishing an additional mail route in Bedford County, Va., from Loving Creek post-office to Wades post-office, and also of establishing a post-office at Bright Prospect in said county; which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Miles presented the petition of H. Y. Gray; which was referred to the Committee on Claims, without being read.
Mr. Keitt introduced
A resolution referring to the Committee on Engrossment the appointment of a clerk whose duty it shall be to take charge of, file, and keep the papers of the Congress, tinder the supervision of the Secretary, and whose salary shall be the same as that of the assistant secretaries of the Congress, and continue like those, during the continuance of the Provisional Government;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Avery presented a memorial; which was referred to the Committee on Postal Affairs, without being read.
Congress, on motion of Mr. Chesnut,
Then adjourned until 11 o'clock to-morrow morning.
EXECUTIVE SESSION.
Congress being in executive session,
The Chair presented to Congress a communication from the President, transmitting, for the advice and consent of that body, the nomination of Robert Tyler, of Virginia, to be Register of the Treasury in place of Alexander B. Clitherall, resigned.
Congress advised and consented to the nomination.
The Chair also laid before the Congress a communication from the President, transmitting, for advice and consent, the nomination of Sanford C. Faulkner, of Arkansas, to be military storekeeper, with the pay of first lieutenant.
Congress advised and consented to the nomination.
The Chair also laid before Congress a communication from the President, transmitting, for advice and consent, a list of nominations as follows:
The communication was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Conrad, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, to whom was referred, on the 30th July, 1861, a communication from the President containing a list of nominations in the Marine and Naval Corps of the Confederate States, reported back the same to the Congress recommending that the same be advised and consented to, except the nomination
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of E. Cantey Stockton, of South Carolina, to be a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps; which nomination the committee asked to be laid on the table for the present.
The report was agreed to, and Congress advised and consented to the nominations recommended by the committee.
The nomination of E. Cantey Stockton was laid on the table for the present.
Congress resumed legislative session.
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