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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, January 12, 1864.
OPEN SESSION.
Mr. Semmes submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
Resolved, That the President of the Confederate States be requested to communicate to the Senate a copy of the report of General Bragg of the battle of Chickamauga, with all the reports of subordinates that have been received.
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The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the consideration of the bill (S. 172) to increase the compensation of certain civil officers and employees in the Executive Departments at Richmond for a limited period.
On motion by Mr. Brown, to amend the bill by adding thereto the following proviso:
But it is hereby expressly declared that the increased compensation provided for in this act shall not be paid to any officer or employee of the Government who is liable to perform military duty, or is able to bear arms in the field, unless such officer or employee shall first obtain a certificate from the head of the Department in which he is engaged that his services are absolutely necessary to the Government, and that his place can not be supplied by anyone known to the head of the Department who is not subject to military duty; which said certificate shall be filed with the Secretary of the Treasury before the money is paid; and it shall be the duty of said Secretary, at the beginning of each session, to communicate a list of all such certificates to Congress,
It was determined in the affirmative.
On motion by Mr. Semmes, to amend the bill by inserting after "employees," section 1, line 3, the words "in the President's office and,"
It was determined in the affirmative.
No further amendment being proposed, the bill was reported to the Senate and the amendments were concurred in.
Ordered, That the bill be engrossed and read a third time.
The said bill was read the third time and the title was amended.
Resolved, That it pass, and that the title thereof be "An act to increase the compensation of certain civil officers and employees in the President's Office and in the Executive Departments at Richmond for a limited period."
Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives therein.
The Senate resumed the consideration of the resolutions submitted by Mr. Brown on the 10th of December, declaring what should be the present policy of the Government of the Confederate States; and
On motion by Mr. Brown,
Ordered, That they he upon the table.
The Senate proceeded, as in Committee of the Whole, to the consideration of the 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; and the bill having been amended on the motion of Mr. Semmes, it was reported to the Senate and the amendment was concurred in.
Ordered, That the bill be engrossed and read a third time.
The said bill was read the third time.
Resolved, That it pass, and that the title thereof be as aforesaid.
Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives therein.
The Senate proceeded, as in Committee of the Whole, to the consideration of the joint resolution (S. 22) for the benefit of Zedekiah McDaniel, of Kentucky, and Francis M. Ewing, of Mississippi; and no amendment being proposed, it was reported to the Senate.
Ordered, That it be engrossed and read a third time.
The said resolution was read the third time.
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Resolved, That it pass, and that the title thereof be as aforesaid.
Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives therein.
Mr. Clay presented a communication from V. Sheliha, chief engineer of the Department of the Gulf, in relation to the organization of a sufficient number of negroes into a corps of engineer laborers, to serve during the war; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the consideration of the bill (S. 144) to change the time for the assembling of Congress for its next regular session.
On motion by Mr. Semmes, to reconsider the vote on agreeing to the following amendment, viz: Strike out the words "fourth Monday of February" and insert "first Monday in May,"
On motion by Mr. Semmes,
The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present,
Those who voted in the affirmative are,
Messrs. Brown, Burnett, Clark, Clay, Oldham, Phelan, Semmes, Sparrow, and Wigfall.
Those who voted in the negative are,
Messrs. Caperton, Haynes, Henry, Hill, Hunter, Jemison, Johnson of Georgia, Johnson of Missouri, and Maxwell.
No further amendment being made, the bill was reported to the Senate and the amendment made as in Committee of the Whole was concurred in.
Ordered, That the bill lie engrossed and read a third time.
The said bill was read the third time.
Resolved, That it, 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 House of Representatives, by Mr. Dalton:
Mr. President: The House of Representatives have passed a bill (H. R. 88) to continue in force the provisions of an act therein named; in which they request the concurrence of the Senate.
The bill (H. R. 88) last mentioned was read the first and second times and considered as in Committee of the Whole; and no amendment being proposed, 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.
On motion by Mr. Maxwell,
The Senate resolved into secret legislative session.
The doors having been opened,
The following message was received from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Dalton:
Mr. President: The House of Representatives agree to the amendments of the Senate to the bill (H. R. 86) to provide for holding elections for Representatives in the Congress of the Confederate States from the State of Missouri.
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The following message was received from the President of the Confederate States, by Mr. B. N. Harrison, his Secretary:
Richmond, Va., January 12, 1364.
To the Senate and House of Representatives:
I herewith transmit for your consideration a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, submitting "the condensed estimates of appropriations required for the support of the Government for the period from January 1 to June 30, 1864, inclusive." It was intended that these estimates should accompany my message of the 7th ultimo, but they seemed to have failed to reach the committees.
I recommend that appropriations be made of the sums specified for the purposes indicated.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
The message was read.
Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Finance.
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 company commanders of the Army have rendered their returns to the Quartermaster-General for the clothing transferred to them for issue and distribution to their respective commands, and if not, to what extent such failure to render returns exists, and what steps have been taken to enforce compliance with the regulations of the Army on that subject.
On motion by Mr. Maxwell,
Ordered, That the privilege of the floor of the Senate be extended to Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge, of Kentucky.
On motion by Mr. Clay,
The Senate adjourned.
SECRET SESSION.
The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the consideration of the bill (S. 158) to organize forces to serve during the war.
On motion by Mr. Hill, to amend the bill by striking out of the fourth section the words
That the reserve corps shall be used for local defense, for post duty, and shall not be ordered beyond the limits of their own States, except when, in the opinion of the commanding general of the department or district, the emergency may demand it, and then not for a longer period than thirty days. And,
On motion by Mr. Orr,
The yeas and nays being demanded by one-fifth of the Senators present,
Those who voted in the affirmative are,
Messrs. Caperton, Clark, Dortch, Hill, Hunter, Jemison, Johnson of Georgia, Johnson of Missouri, Maxwell, Oldham, and Orr.
Those who voted in the negative are,
Messrs. Brown, Burnett, Clay, Haynes, Henry, Phelan, Semmes, Sparrow, and Wigfall.
On motion by Mr. Sparrow, to reconsider the vote on agreeing to the following amendment, viz: After the words "ages of," section 1, line 3, insert the word "eighteen,"
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,
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Messrs. Brown, Burnett, Clay, Henry, Jemison, Phelan, Semmes, Sparrow, and Wigfall.
Those who voted in the negative are,
Messrs. Caperton, Clark, Dortch, Haynes, Hill, Hunter, Johnson of Georgia, Johnson of Missouri, Maxwell, Oldham, and Orr.
On motion by Mr. Dortch, to amend the bill by striking out "five," in the fourth line of the first section,
On motion by Mr. Sparrow,
The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present,
Those who voted in the affirmative are,
Messrs. Caperton, Clark, Dortch, Haynes, Hunter, Johnson of Georgia, Johnson of Missouri, Maxwell, Oldham, and Orr.
Those who voted in the negative are,
Messrs. Brown, Burnett, Clay, Henry, Hill, Jemison, Phelan, Semmes, Sparrow, and Wigfall.
On motion by Mr. Orr, that the bill be recommitted to the Committee on Military Affairs, with instructions to report a bill extending conscription to fifty years of age, but providing that those between forty-five and fifty shall only be conscribed for the purpose of filling details contemplated in the fourth section of the bill as amended.
On motion by Mr. Burnett, to amend the said motion by striking out all after "That," and inserting:
so much of the bill as refers to putting persons not now in the service in the military service over the age of forty-five, be recommitted to the Committee on Military Affairs, with instructions to report a bill to organize a corps of men above the age of forty-five, from which all details shall be taken,
It was determined in the affirmative.
On motion by Mr. Hill, to amend the said motion by adding thereto the words "for the purposes specified in the fourth section of the bill, as amended, until the class above forty-five is exhausted,"
On motion by Mr. Semmes,
Ordered, That the motion and the amendment thereto lie upon the table.
On motion by Mr. Haynes, that the bill be recommitted to the Committee on Military Affairs, with instructions to report a bill making adequate provisions to return to active service in the field all persons not physically disabled for duty between the ages of eighteen and forty-five.
It was determined in the negative.
On motion by Mr. Orr, to reconsider the vote on the rejection of the
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following amendment, viz: Strike out, section 1, line 4, the word "five."
On motion by Mr. Clay,
The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present,
Those who voted in the affirmative are,
Messrs. Caperton, Dortch, Haynes, Hunter, Johnson of Missouri, Oldham, and Orr.
Those who voted in the negative are,
Messrs. Brown, Burnett, Clark, Clay, Henry, Hill, Jemison, Johnson of Georgia, Maxwell, Phelan, Semmes, Simms, Sparrow, and Wigfall.
On motion by Mr. Henry, to amend the bill by striking out the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and eighth sections, and inserting after the first section the following:
It was determined in the affirmative.
On motion by Mr. Sparrow, to amend the bill by striking out of the seventh section the words "and form a part of the reserve corps," It was determined in the affirmative.
On motion by Mr. Henry, to amend the bill by striking out the seventh section,
It was determined in the affirmative.
On motion by Mr. Burnett, to amend the bill by inserting after "eighteen hundred and sixty-two," section 9 line 7, the words
or who may have employed substitutes at a price not to exceed the sum of two thousand dollars, shall be paid back a pro rata amount of the sum so paid by him, based upon the time his substitute has served and the time the principal would have had to serve had he been in the service,
On motion by Mr. Clark, to amend the proposed amendment by striking out "two thousand dollars" and inserting "five hundred dollars,"
It was determined in the affirmative.
On the question to agree to the proposed amendment as amended,
After debate,
On motion by Mr. Orr,
The Senate resolved into open legislative session.
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