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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 --THURSDAY, December 31, 1863.
OPEN SESSION.
On motion by Mr. Maxwell,
Ordered, That the Hon. James M. Baker have leave of absence from the sessions of the Senate until Thursday next.
Mr. Maxwell submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the propriety of providing by law for the appointment of chaplains for battalions in the Army.
A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Dalton:
Mr. President: The President of the Confederate States has notified the House of Representatives that on the 28th instant he approved and signed the following acts:
On motion by Mr. Orr,
The Senate resolved into executive session.
The doors having been opened,
Mr. Clay (by leave) introduced
A joint resolution (S. 20) of thanks to Major Von Borcke;
which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
The following message was received from the President of the Confederate States, by Mr. B. N. Harrison, his Secretary:
To the Senate of the Confederate States of America:
The act entitled "An act to amend an act entitled 'An act to aid the Senate of Kentucky, and for other purposes,'" approved 29th January, 1862, has been duly considered, and I find myself constrained, though very reluctantly, because of the purpose in view, to return the same to the House in which it originated, with a statement of the objections which cause me to withhold my approval.
The act to which this is amendatory was for the declared object of aiding the governor and council of Kentucky to raise and organize troops in that State for the Confederate service, and to supply them with clothing, subsistence, transportation, arms, and ammunition. The second section of that act carefully provided the manner of making requisitions on the appropriation so as to secure its application to the objects for which it was designed, namely, to provide for troops raised for the Confederate service anterior to their being mustered into the same, and therefore before they could be supplied by the officers of the Confederate Army.
The act now before me devotes one-half of that appropriation to a purpose entirely different from that originally contemplated, and authorizes the governor and council to draw from the Treasury a million of dollars to be expended in purchasing clothing for the use and benefit of the Kentucky troops now in the service. These already receive the same allowance of clothing as all other troops. The act under consideration makes an appropriation for an object for which other money is appropriated, and directs its expenditure by agents other than the bonded officers charged with supplying clothing to the whole Army. If it be designed, as equity would seem to require, to make a proportionate provision for all the other troops, the Senate will not fail to observe the very large expenditure which it would involve, and that the method is objectionable because it would be to employ two sets of agents to perform the same duty, who, buying in the same market, would necessarily be bidders against each other.
If the allowance of clothing be not sufficient, a better remedy would seem to be an increase of the appropriation for the clothing for the whole Army, that the grateful duty might in that case be performed by the Confederate authorities of issuing to the
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soldier whatever additional allowance the Government may be able to procure and his wants may require.
It will be further perceived that to recognize as well founded the implication contained in this bill that extra supplies of clothing furnished to the soldiers ought to be paid for by the Confederacy, would lay the foundation for large claims to be made hereafter by the States for reimbursement on account of clothing supplied by them to their soldiers.
If the discrimination made by this act in favor of the gallant soldiers of our sister State of Kentucky originates from the natural sympathy excited by their separation from such comforts as they might expect to receive if able to communicate with their homes, Congress will not fail to perceive that there are many other troops in the service in like condition and whose claims to consideration stand on precisely the same footing.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Richmond, Va., December 31, 1863.
The message was read.
The Senate proceeded to reconsider the bill (S. 153) returned by the President with his objections; which bill is in the following words:
An act to amend an act entitled "An act to aid the State of Kentucky, and for other purposes," approved the twenty-ninth of January, eighteen hundred and sixty-two.
The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That the act approved January the twenty-ninth, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, directing the Secretary of the Treasury to issue to the State of Kentucky, upon the application of the governor and council of the provisional government of said State, the sum of two millions of dollars in Treasury notes, be so amended as to authorize the said governor and council to appropriate the sum of one million of dollars of the said amount in purchasing clothing for the use and benefit of the Kentucky troops now in the military service of the Confederate States; and the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized to pay to the governor of Kentucky said sum out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated.
I certify that this act originated in the Senate.
JAMES H. NASH,
Secretary.
On motion by Mr. Orr,
Ordered, That the further consideration of the bill be postponed until Tuesday next, and that the message lie upon the table.
The President pro tempore laid before the Senate a communication from the Secretary of the Navy, submitting a statement of transfers of appropriations under the cognizance of the Navy Department; which was read.
Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Finance.
On motion by Mr. Semmes,
Ordered, That when the Senate adjourn it be to Saturday next.
On motion by Mr. Semmes,
The Senate adjourned.
EXECUTIVE SESSION.
The Senate proceeded to consider the resolutions reported from the Committee on Foreign Affairs on the 29th instant, in relation to sending an envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to His Majesty the Emperor of Mexico; and
After debate,
On motion by Mr. Clay,
Ordered, That the further consideration thereof be postponed till to-morrow.
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The following message was received from the President of the Confederate States, by Mr. Harrison, his Secretary:
Richmond, December 31, 1863.
To the Senate:
Agreeably, to the recommendation of the Secretary of War, I nominate Capt. C. G. Armistead, of Mississippi, to be colonel in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States, under act approved October 11, 1862.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
War Department, Richmond, December 30, 1863.
Sir: I have the honor to recommend the following nomination for appointment in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States:
I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,
JAMES A. SEDDON,
Secretary of War.
To His Excellency Jefferson Davis,
President, etc.
The message was read.
The Senate proceeded to consider the nomination of C. G. Armistead, to be colonel; and it was
Resolved, That the Senate advise and consent to his appointment, agreeably to the nomination of the President.
On motion by Mr. Semmes,
The Senate resolved into open legislative session.
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