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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 --THIRTIETH DAY--FRIDAY, August 23, 1861.
OPEN SESSION.
Congress met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Burrows.
Congress then resolved itself into secret session.
SECRET SESSION.
Congress being in secret session,
Mr.Chilton, from the Committee on Postal Affairs, reported
A bill to be entitled "A n act making further appropriations for the service of the Post-Office Department during the year ending the eighteenth February, eighteen hundred and sixty-two;"
which was read first and second times, engrossed, read third time, and passed.
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Mr. Orr offered the following preamble and resolution; which was read and agreed to, to wit:
Whereas it is known that the officers and crews of the Confederate States privateers Sumter and Petrel, and other privateersmen captured by the authorities of the United States, have been placed in irons, incarcerated in dungeons, and otherwise treated as pirates instead of prisoners of war; and
Whereas there are not an equal number of prisoners taken at sea in the possession of the Confederate States on whom to inflict a just and equal retaliation: Therefore,
Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of selecting from the prisoners of war in the possession of the Confederate States a sufficient number on whom to inflict retaliation for the outrages upon the officers and crews of the privateers or national ships of the Confederate States captured by the enemy.
Mr. Sparrow offered the following resolution, to wit:
Resolved, That Congress adjourn on Wednesday next, the twenty-eighth instant, to meet again on the third Monday in November next unless sooner called together by the President.
Mr. Jones called the question; which was seconded, and
Mr. Venable, at the instance of the State of North Carolina, demanded that the yeas and nays of the whole body be recorded; which are as follows, to wit:
Yea: Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia, 6.
Nay: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, 5.
Mr. Orr moved to take up a resolution on the Calendar, offered by Mr. Sparrow; which was agreed to, and
Congress proceeded to consider the resolution; which is as follows, to wit:
Resolved, That a committee composed of one from each State, to be selected by the Delegates therefrom, be appointed to examine into the administration of the Commissary, Quartermaster, and Medical Departments, and what changes, if any, are necessary in the laws and regulations relating to those departments, and that said committee have leave to sit during the recess of Congress.
Mr. Avery moved to amend by striking out the words "and said committee have leave to sit during the recess of Congress."
The hour of 12 m. having arrived, Congress proceeded to consider the special order of the day; which was the consideration of the appropriation bills on the Calendar.
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And the first bill having been taken up, which was
A bill making appropriations for the expenses of Government in the legislative, executive, and judicial departments for the year ending 18th February, 1862,
And the first section of the same being under consideration,
Mr. Barnwell, from the Committee on Finance, moved to amend by adding thereto the following words, to wit: "For salary of the law clerk of the Department of Justice, eight hundred and seventy-five dollars."
The amendment was agreed to, and the bill was engrossed, read third time, and passed as amended.
A message was received from the President by the hands of his Private Secretary, Mr. Josselyn, informing Congress that the President on yesterday approved and signed
Preamble and resolutions concerning Brig. Gen. Ben. McCulloch.
The next bill having been taken up, which was
A bill making additional appropriations for the Navy of the Confederate States for the year ending February 18, 1862,
Mr. Barnwell, from the Committee on Finance, moved the following amendments, viz: "For floating defenses for New Orleans, Louisiana, eight hundred thousand dollars," and "To construct submarine batteries for the destruction of vessels, fifty thousand dollars;"
which were agreed to.
Mr. Conrad moved to amend by adding as follows, to wit:
To construct centrifugal gun, the invention of Charles S. Dickinson, subject to the conditions of the act passed for that purpose, five thousand dollars.
which was agreed to.
And also by adding the following, to wit:
For expenditures in the ordnance department of the navy-yard at Norfolk, for the year ending eighteenth February, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, one hundred and fifteen thousand and fifty-one dollars.
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Currin moved to amend by adding as follows, to wit:
For the construction, equipment, and armament of two iron-clad gunboats, for the defense of the Mississippi River and the city of Memphis, one hundred and sixty thousand dollars.
The amendment was agreed to.
The bill as amended was engrossed, read the third time, and passed.
The following bill was taken up, viz:
A bill making appropriations to carry into effect an act to authorize the issue of Treasury notes, and to provide a war tax for their redemption, and for other purposes;
[which was] engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
The following bill was taken up, viz:
To authorize the issue of inscribed stock in the stead of coupon bonds;
which was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
The following bill was taken up, viz:
A bill relative to the entry and discharge of vessels;
which was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
The following bill was taken up, viz:
To repeal the fourth and fifth sections of an act to regulate foreign coins in the Confederate States, approved March 16 [14], 1861.
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The second section of the bill having been read, as follows, viz:
On motion of Mr. Barnwell, the bill was amended by striking out the whole of said section.
On motion of Mr. McRae, the first section was then amended where occur the words "fourth and fifth sections," by striking out the words "and fifth" and making the word "sections" read "section."
The bill was engrossed as amended, read the third time, and passed.
On motion of Mr. McRae, the title was amended so as to read as follows, viz:
A bill to repeal the fourth section of an act to regulate foreign coins in the Confederate States, approved March. 16 [14], 1861.
The following bill was taken up, to wit:
To establish assay offices at Charlotte and Dahlonega.
The fourth section of the bill being under consideration, limiting the salary of the assayer to $2,000 over and above all expenses,
On motion of Mr. Chilton, the same was amended by striking out the words "over and above all expenses."
Mr. Conrad moved to postpone the regular order of the day, which was the unfinished business of yesterday
A bill sequestrating the estates, property, and effects of alien enemies, etc.,
In order to take up
A bill to authorize the impressment of property in certain cases.
Mr. Orr called for a division of the question.
Mr. Waul demanded the question; which was seconded; and the vote being taken on the first proposition, viz, to postpone the consideration of the unfinished business of yesterday,
The same was rejected.
Mr. Johnson of Arkansas moved to postpone the regular order of the day until next December, and demanded the question; which was seconded, and
Mr. Seddon, at the instance of the State of Virginia, demanded the yeas and nays of the whole body to be recorded thereon; which are as follows, viz:
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Yea: Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee, 3.
Nay: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia, 8.
So the motion was not agreed to.
Mr. Shorter, from the Committee on Engrossment, reported as correctly engrossed and enrolled
An act making appropriations for the expenses of Government in the legislative, executive, and judicial departments for the year ending 18th of February, 1862; and
An act making appropriations to carry into effect an act to authorize the issue of Treasury notes, and to provide a war tax for their redemption, and for other purposes.
Congress proceeded to the consideration of the unfinished business of yesterday; which was the consideration of the sixth section of the bill to sequestrate the estates, property, and effects of alien enemies, etc.
Mr. Walker moved further to amend the same by adding to the end thereof the following, to wit:
But this proviso shall not apply to bank or other corporation stock, or dividends due, or which may become due thereon, or to rents on real estate in cities. And no debtor or other person shall be entitled to the benefit of this proviso unless he has first paid into the hands of the receiver all interest or net profits which may have accrued since the twenty-first May, eighteen hundred and sixty-one; and, in all cases coming under this proviso, such debtor shall be bound to pay over annually to the receiver all interest which may accrue as the same falls due; and the person in whose hands any other property may be left shall be bound to account for, and pay over annually to the receiver, the net income or profits of said property, and on failure of such debtor or other person to pay over said interest, net income, or profits, as the same falls due, the receiver may demand and recover the debt or property. And wherever, after ten days' notice to any debtor or person in whose hands property or debts may be left, of an application for further security, it shall be made to appear to the satisfaction of the court that the securities of such debtor or person are not ample, the court may, on the failure of the party to give sufficient additional securities, render judgment against all the parties on the bond for the recovery of the debt or property.
Mr. Johnson of Arkansas demanded the question; which was seconded, and, at the instance of the State of Arkansas, the yeas and nays of the whole body were ordered to be recorded thereon, and are us follows, viz:
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Yea: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, 9.
Nay: North Carolina, 1.
Divided: Arkansas, 1.
So the amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Rives moved to lay the bill on the table.
Mr. Orr called the question.
Mr. Brockenbrough moved to reconsider the vote on the passage of
A bill to authorize the Secretary of War to make a certain payment out of the contingent fund.
Pending the consideration of the call for the question by Mr. Orr,
Congress, on motion of Mr. Curry,
Adjourned until 0 o'clock to-morrow morning.
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