| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journal of the Confederate Congress --SATURDAY, January 9, 1864.
OPEN SESSION.
Mr. Hill presented the following resolutions of the general assembly of the State of Georgia; which were referred to the Committee on Military Affairs:
A resolution instructing the representatives of that State in Congress to urge the passage of a law giving detailed soldiers the same pay as other persons employed by the, Government in the same business;
A resolution in relation to granting free transportation to soldiers on furlough;
A resolution asking an increase of pay for the privates and noncommissioned officers in the Confederate service; and
A resolution asking the action of Congress for the relief of indigent soldiers' families.
Mr. Hill presented the following resolutions of the general assembly of the State of Georgia; which were referred to the Committee on Finance:
A resolution in relation to the tax act of Congress; and
A resolution asking the suspension of the collection of the tax in kind in certain cases.
Mr. Hill presented a resolution of the general assembly of the State of Georgia, asking the establishment of a mail route, and for other purposes; which was referred to the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads.
Mr. Hill presented a resolution of the general assembly of the State of Georgia, asking that the appointment of all impressment officers in that State liable to conscription may he revoked, and that citizens not liable to military duty may be appointed in their stead; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. Semmes submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
Resolved, That the President of the Confederate States be requested to inform the Senate whether or not the line officers of the Army heretofore intrusted with bounty money for recruiting purposes have accounted therefor; and if not, how many of such officers have failed to render their accounts; and to communicate the names of those who have thus failed, and the amounts unaccounted for, and when and from whom such amounts were received.
Mr. Semmes, from the Committee on Finance, reported
A bill (S. 179) making allowances to officers of the Navy of the Confederate States, under certain circumstances, and to amend an act entitled "An act to provide for the organization of the Navy," approved March 16, 1861;
which was read the first and second times and ordered to be printed.
On motion by Mr. Sparrow,
The Senate resolved into secret legislative session.
The doors having been opened,
The following message was received from the President of the Confederate States, by Mr. B. N. Harrison, his Secretary:
Mr. President: The President of the Confederate States, on the 8th instant, approved and signed the following act and joint resolution:
Page 546 | Page image
Ordered, That the Secretary inform the House of Representatives thereof.
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 6th instant he approved and signed an act (H. R. 80) to continue in force an act entitled "An act to provide for the compensation of certain persons therein named," approved May 1, 1863.
On motion by Mr. Hill,
The Senate adjourned.
SECRET SESSION.
Mr. Hill, from the Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill (S. 175) to suspend the writ of habeas corpus in all cases involving the right to subject to military duty persons who have furnished substitutes to the Army of the Confederate States, reported it with the recommendation that it ought not to pass.
Mr. Caperton, from the Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 86) to provide for holding elections for Representatives in the Congress of the Confederate States from the State of Missouri, reported it with an amendment.
The Senate proceeded, as in Committee of the Whole, to the consideration of the bill last mentioned; and the reported amendment having been agreed to and the bill further amended, it was reported to the Senate and the amendments were concurred in.
Ordered, That the amendments be engrossed and the bill read a third time.
The said bill as amended was read the third time.
Resolved, That it pass with amendments.
Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives in the amendments.
The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the consideration of the bill (S. 158) to organize forces to serve during the war.
The question being on agreeing to the amendment proposed to the bill by Mr. Dortch, viz:
Strike out the word "sixteen," in section 1, line 3, and insert "eighteen,"
Mr. Dortch modified the same by striking therefrom the words "and insert eighteen;" and
On the question to agree to the proposed amendment as modified,
On motion by Mr. Orr,
The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present,
Those who voted in the affirmative are,
Messrs. Brown, Caperton, Clark, Dortch, Hill, Hunter, Jemison, Johnson of Georgia, Johnson of Missouri, Maxwell, Oldham, Orr, and Semmes.
Those who voted in the negative are,
Messrs. Burnett, Clay, Henry, Phelan, Simms, Sparrow, and Wigfall.
On motion by Mr. Orr, to amend the bill by inserting after the words "ages of," section 1, line 3, the word "eighteen,"
Page 547 | Page image
On motion by Mr. Sparrow, to amend the proposed amendment by striking out "eighteen" and inserting "seventeen,"
On motion by Mr. Orr,
The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present,
Those who voted in the affirmative are,
Messrs. Burnett, Clay, Henry, Jemison, Phelan, Semmes, Simms, Sparrow, and Wigfall.
Those who voted in the negative are,
Messrs. Brown, Caperton, Clark, Dortch, Hill, Hunter, Johnson of Georgia, Johnson of Missouri, Maxwell, Oldham, and Orr.
On the question to agree to the amendment proposed by Mr. Orr,
It was determined in the affirmative.
On motion by Mr. Brown, to amend the bill by striking out of the first section the words "between the ages of eighteen and fifty-five" and inserting in lieu thereof the words "and capable of bearing arms,"
On motion by Mr. Brown,
The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present,
Those who voted in the affirmative are,
Messrs. Brown, Burnett, and Simms.
Those who voted in the negative are,
Messrs. Caperton, Clark, Clay, Dortch, Henry, Hill, Hunter, Jemison, Johnson of Georgia, Johnson of Missouri, Maxwell, Oldham, Orr, Phelan, Semmes, Sparrow, and Wigfall.
On motion by Mr. Henry, to amend the bill by striking out "fifty-five," section 1, line 4, and inserting "sixty,"
It was determined in the negative.
An amendment having been proposed by Mr. Dortch,
After debate,
On motion by Mr. Sparrow,
The Senate resolved into executive session.
EXECUTIVE SESSION.
Mr. Sparrow, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom were referred (on the 8th instant) the nominations of Joseph Kelly, to be assistant adjutant-general, with rank of captain; W. H. H. Thomas, Edward Warburg, and S. M. Morrison, to be adjutants, with rank of first lieutenant; P. J. Pindall, to be brigade quartermaster, with the rank of major; Cyrus Black and E. L. Grigsby, to be assistant quartermasters, with the rank of captain; A. C. Pickett, Simon P. Burns, and L. M. Lewis, to be colonels; Willis M. Ponder, W. M. Moore, Thomas H. Murray, and P. W. H. Cumming, to be lieutenant-colonels; S. Harris, James Phillips, and J. P. Herrell, to be majors, submitted the following report (No. 15) and resolution:
The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom were referred certain nominations of officers in the Provisional Army, contained in four messages of the President to the Senate, dated 8th January, 1864, report that they have had the same under consideration, and that the only difficulty presented to the committee in recommending the confirmation of the nominees is that the date at which the officers nominated are to take rank is anterior to the last session of Congress.
The committee are of opinion that the Constitution contemplates that all officers appointed in the recess of Congress shall only hold under such appointments to the
Page 548 | Page image
close of the next session of Congress, and that they should be nominated, if it is intended to retain them in their offices, to the Senate at its first session after their appointment.
This has not been done in this case; and the committee would not hesitate to recommend that the Senate should refuse to confirm the nominations, if they were not convinced that in consequence of the interruption of communication with the Trans-Mississippi Department it was impracticable to present these nominations at an earlier period.
They recommend the adoption of the following resolution:
"Resolved, That the Senate do advise and consent to the appointment of the military officers nominated in the four several messages of the President, dated the eighth instant, all of whom are from States west of the Mississippi River, for the reasons stated in the foregoing report, and that the action of the Senate herein is not to be construed as sanctioning or recognizing the right of the Executive, in nominating officers to the Senate, to fix the time at which they shall take rank anterior to the preceding session of Congress or at any time during such session."
The Senate proceeded to consider said resolution; and
The resolution was agreed to.
On motion by Mr. Sparrow,
The Senate resolved into open legislative session.
PREVIOUS SECTION .. NEXT SECTION .. NAVIGATOR
| PREVIOUS | NEXT | NEW SEARCH |