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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 --TUESDAY, April 15, 1862.
OPEN SESSION.
Mr. Sparrow presented copies of the official reports of the engagement at Lessburg, Va., on the 21st and 22d of October, 1861, obtained by him from the Secretary of the Provisional Congress.
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Ordered, That they lie upon the table.
Mr. Orr (by leave) introduced
A bill (S. 43) to increase the number of captains and commanders in the Navy, and to designate, by suitable decorations, those who perform gallant and meritorious service;
which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs.
Mr. Barnwell, from the Committee on Finance, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. --) to regulate the collection of the war tax in certain States invaded by the enemy, reported it without amendment.
The Senate proceeded, as in Committee of the Whole, to the consideration of the bill (H. R. --) last mentioned; and no amendment being made, it was reported to the Senate.
Ordered, That it pass to a third reading.
The said bill was read the third time.
Resolved, That it pass.
Ordered, That the Secretary inform the House of Representatives thereof.
Mr. Sparrow, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R.--) to amend an act for the establishment and organization of a general staff for the Army of the Confederate States of America, reported it with amendments.
Mr. Sparrow, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. --) to authorize the Secretary of War to receive into the service of the Confederate States a regiment of volunteers for the protection of the frontier of Texas, reported it, with the recommendation that it ought not to pass.
The Senate proceeded, as in Committee of the Whole, to the consideration of the bill (H. R. --) last mentioned; and no amendment being made, it was reported to the Senate.
On the question,
Shall this bill be read a third time?
It was determined in the negative.
So it was
Resolved, That the bill do not pass.
Ordered, That the Secretary inform the House of Representatives thereof.
Mr. Preston, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred
A resolution inquiring into the propriety of authorizing the President to receive irregular troops for detached service,
reported it, with the recommendation that the committee be discharged from the further consideration of the subject.
The Senate proceeded to consider the said report; and
After debate,
On motion by Mr. Burnett,
Ordered, That the resolution be recommitted to the Committee on Military Affairs.
A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Lamar:
Mr. President: The House of Representatives have concurred in the amendment of the Senate to the House resolution fixing a day for the adjournment of Congress.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives having signed an enrolled bill and sundry enrolled joint resolutions, I am directed to bring them to the Senate for the signature of their President.
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Mr. Phelan submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-Arms purchase forty-one copies of the acts and resolutions of the Provisional Congress, printed in one volume, being one for each Senator and one for each standing committee; and that the same be paid for out of the contingent fund of the Senate.
On motion by Mr. Davis,
The Senate resolved into secret legislative session.
The doors being opened,
Mr. Phelan, from the committee, reported that they had examined and found truly enrolled the following bill and joint resolutions:
On motion by Mr. Phelan,
The Senate adjourned until to-morrow morning at 12 o'clock.
SECRET SESSION.
A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Lamar:
Mr. President: The House of Representatives have passed the bill (S. 32) to further provide for the public defense, with amendments; in which amendments they request the concurrence of the Senate.
The Senate proceeded to consider the amendments of the House of Representatives to the bill (S. 32) last mentioned; and
Resolved, That they concur therein.
Ordered, That the Secretary inform the House of Representatives thereof.
Mr. Barnwell, from the Committee on Finance, to whom was referred the bill (S. 38) authorizing the issuance of Treasury notes under the denomination of five dollars, with the amendments of the House of Representatives thereto, reported the same without amendment.
The Senate proceeded to consider the amendments of the House of Representatives to the bill (S. 38) last mentioned; and
On the question to agree to the following amendment, viz:
After the second section of the bill insert the following independent section:
Mr. Semmes moved to amend the amendment by adding thereto the following proviso:
Provided, That all Treasury notes issued under this or any previous act, except the interest-bearing notes specified in the third section of this act, shall be, and during
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the existing war are, hereby declared to be the money or currency of the Confederate States, and, as such, a legal tender in payment of all public and private debts except the export duty on cotton and the bonds of the Confederate States and the interest thereon.
Mr. Hill objected to the same, as not being in order under the twentieth clause of the ninth section of the first article of the Constitution.
Whereupon,
The President pro tempore submitted the question to the Senate,
Is the amendment in order? and
It was determined in the negative.
The question recurring upon agreeing to the amendment of the House of Representatives to the said bill,
It was determined in the affirmative.
The remaining amendments having been agreed to, it was
Resolved, That the Senate concur in the amendments of the House of Representatives to the said bill.
Ordered, That the Secretary inform the House of Representatives thereof.
Mr. Brown presented the memorial of Jonas P. Levy, proposing to build in Europe, for the service of the Confederate States, a twenty-gun ironclad ship; which was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs.
The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the consideration of the bill (S. 27) to prohibit any cotton, tobacco, military, and naval stores being furnished to the enemy, and to provide penalties for the violation thereof.
On motion by Mr. Haynes, to amend the bill by inserting:
It was determined in the affirmative.
On motion by Mr. Barnwell, that the bill lie upon the table,
On motion by Mr. Haynes,
The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present,
Those who voted in the affirmative are,
Messrs. Barnwell, Burnett, Henry, Johnson, Maxwell, Mitchel, Orr, Oldham, Peyton, Preston, Sparrow, Simms, and Wigfall.
Those who voted in the negative are,
Messrs. Baker, Clay, Clark, Davis, Haynes, Hill, Lewis, Phelan, Semmes, and Yancey.
So it was
Ordered, That the bill lie on the table.
The Senate proceeded to consider the message of the House of Representatives, informing the Senate that they had adopted the joint rule providing that "members of either House shall be admitted to the floor of the other House when in secret legislative session;" and
On motion by Mr. Semmes,
Resolved, That they concur therein.
Ordered, That the Secretary inform the House of Representatives thereof.
The Senate proceeded, as in Committee of the Whole, to the consideration of the joint resolution (S. 9) authorizing the Secretary of the
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Navy to contract for the construction, in Europe, of six ironclad vessels.
After debate,
On motion by Mr. Yancey, that it lie on the table,
On motion by Mr. Yancey,
The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present,
Those who voted in the affirmative are,
Messrs. Barnwell, Clay, Hill, Hunter, Lewis, Peyton, Preston, Semmes, Wigfall, and Yancey.
Those who voted in the negative are,
Messrs Baker, Brown, Burnett, Clark, Davis, Dortch, Henry, Maxwell, Mitchel, Orr, Oldham, Phelan, Sparrow, and Simms.
On motion by Mr. Yancey, to amend the resolution by adding the following proviso:
Provided, That the Government will only underwrite for the vessels on their inward cargo,
On motion by Mr. Sparrow,
Ordered, That the amendment lie on the table.
No amendment being made, the resolution was reported to the Senate.
Ordered, That it be engrossed and read a third time.
The said resolution was read the third time.
On the question,
Shall this resolution pass?
On motion by Mr. Yancey,
The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present,
Those who voted in the affirmative are,
Messrs. Baker, Brown, Burnett, Clark, Davis, Dortch, Henry, Maxwell, Mitchel, Orr, Oldham, Phelan, Sparrow, and Simms.
Those who voted in the negative are,
Messrs. Barnwell, Clay, Hill, Hunter, Lewis, Peyton, Preston, Semmes, Wigfall, and Yancey.
So it was
Resolved, That this resolution pass, and that the title thereof be as aforesaid.
Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives therein.
A message from the President of the Confederate States, by Mr. B. N. Harrison, his Secretary:
Mr. President: The President of the Confederate States has to-day approved and signed the following acts and joint resolution:
On motion by Mr. Sparrow,
The Senate resolved into executive session.
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EXECUTIVE SESSION.
The following message was received from the President of the Confederate States, by Mr. B. N. Harrison, his Secretary:
Executive Department,
Richmond, April 15, 1862.
To the Senate of the Confederate States:
I nominate the officers on the accompanying list to the rank affixed to their names, respectively, agreeably to the recommendation of the Secretary of War.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Confederate States of America, War Department,
Richmond, April 14, 1862.
Sir: I have the honor to recommend the following nominations for appointment in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States of America:
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I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
GEO. W. RANDOLPH,
Secretary of War.
To His Excellency Jefferson Davis,
President, etc.
The message was read.
On motion by Mr. Hunter,
The Senate proceeded to consider the nomination of John T. B. Dorsey as assistant quartermaster; and it was
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Resolved, That the Senate advise and consent to the appointment of John T. B. Dorsey as assistant quartermaster, with the rank of captain, agreeably to the nomination.
On motion by Mr. Sparrow,
Ordered, That the nominations in the foregoing message not this day confirmed be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Sparrow, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred (on the 1st instant) the nomination of R. A. Pryor, to be a brigadier-general in the Provisional Army, reported, with the recommendation that said nomination be confirmed.
The Senate proceeded to the consideration of said report; and
After debate,
On motion by Mr. Barnwell,
The Senate resolved into open legislative session.
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