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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 --FRIDAY, March 3, 1865.
OPEN SESSION.
A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Dalton:
Mr. President: The House of Representatives have passed bills of the following titles; in which they request the concurrence of the Senate:
The House of Representatives have agreed to the amendment of the Senate to bills of the following titles:
And they disagree to the amendments of the Senate to the bill (H. R. 384) for the relief of bonded agriculturists in certain cases.
The House of Representatives have passed Senate bills of the following titles:
And they have passed a resolution fixing a day for the adjournment of the present session of Congress; in which they request the concurrence of the Senate.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives having signed sundry enrolled bills and an enrolled joint resolution, I am directed to bring them to the Senate for the signature of their President.
Mr. Johnson of Missouri (by leave) introduced
A bill (S. 216) to appropriate money to pay the Missouri State Guard; which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. Wigfall, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom were referred the following bills:
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The Senate proceeded, as in Committee of the Whole, to the consideration of the said bills; and no amendment being made, they were severally reported to the Senate.
Ordered, That they pass to a third reading.
The said bills were severally read the third time.
Resolved, That they pass.
Ordered, That the Secretary inform the House of Representatives thereof.
Mr. Wigfall, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 398) making an appropriation for the purchase of a percussion-cap pressing machine, reported it without amendment.
The Senate proceeded, as in Committee of the Whole, to the consideration of the said bill; 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.
On the question,
Shall the bill now pass?
The vote having been taken by yeas and nays, conformably to the Constitution,
Those who voted in the affirmative are,
Messrs. Brown, Graham, Henry, Hunter, Johnson of Georgia, Johnson of Missouri, Maxwell, Oldham, Orr, Vest, Walker, Watson, and Wigfall.
Mr. Barnwell voted in the negative.
So it was
Resolved, That this bill pass, two-thirds of the Senators present having voted therefor.
Ordered, That the Secretary inform the House of Representatives thereof.
Mr. Wigfall, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 396) to organize a military court for western North Carolina, reported it without amendment.
Mr. Walker, from the Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 397) to provide for the payment of the amounts due certain officers and privates who are prisoners of war, reported it without amendment.
The Senate proceeded, as in Committee of the Whole, to the consideration of the said bill; 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. Walker,
Ordered, That the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from the further consideration of a resolution inquiring what legislation is
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necessary to cause to be made the enumeration of the people of the several Confederate States according to the requirements of the Constitution.
Mr. Semmes, from the Committee on Finance, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 395) to regulate the compensation of the State collector of Virginia, reported it without amendment.
The Senate proceeded, as in Committee of the Whole, to the consideration of the said bill; 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.
The bills (H. R. 294 and 295) received this day from the House of Representatives for concurrence were severally read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
The Senate proceeded to consider their amendments, disagreed to by the House of Representatives, to the bill (H. R. 384) for the relief of bonded agriculturists in certain cases; and
On motion by Mr. Semmes,
Resolved, That the Senate insist on their amendments to the said bill and ask a conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses thereon.
On motion by Mr. Semmes,
Ordered, That the committee of conference on the part of the Senate be appointed by the President pro tempore; and
Mr. Orr, Mr. Watson, and Mr. Johnson of Missouri were appointed.
Ordered, That the Secretary inform the House of Representatives thereof.
Mr. Watson, from the Committee on Printing, reported
A bill (S. 217) in relation to printing and binding, in pamphlet form, the acts, resolutions, and treaties adopted at each session of Congress; which 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 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.
Mr. Watson, from the joint select committee appointed to investigate the condition and treatment of prisoners of war held by the Confederate and United States Governments, submitted a report (No. 10); which was ordered to be printed.
The Senate proceeded, as in Committee of the Whole, to the consideration of the bill (H. R. 393) to provide for paying, in cotton, the annuities due the Seminole, Creek, Choctaw, and Chickasaw nations of Indians; 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.
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Ordered, That the Secretary inform the House of Representatives thereof.
The bill (S. 210) to further regulate the control and management of hospitals was read the second time and considered as in Committee of the Whole.
On motion by Mr. Simms, that the further consideration of the bill be postponed indefinitely,
On motion by Mr. Simms,
The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present,
Those who voted in the affirmative are,
Messrs. Baker, Caperton, Johnson of Georgia, Maxwell, Simms, Vest, and Walker.
Those who voted in the negative are,
Messrs. Barnwell, Brown, Burnett, Johnson of Missouri, Oldham, Semmes, Watson, and Wigfall.
On motion by Mr. Burnett, to amend the bill by striking out all of the first section after the enacting clause,
It was determined in the affirmative.
No further amendment being proposed, the bill 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 and the title was amended.
On the question,
Shall the bill now pass?
On motion by Mr. Simms,
The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present,
Those who voted in the affirmative are,
Messrs. Barnwell, Brown, Burnett, Johnson of Missouri, Oldham, Semmes, Watson, and Wigfall.
Those who voted in the negative are,
Messrs. Baker, Caperton, Johnson of Georgia, Maxwell, Simms, Vest, and Walker.
So it was
Resolved, That this bill pass, and that the title thereof be "An act in relation to stewards, matrons, and other employees of hospitals."
Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives therein.
On motion by Mr. Simms, that the vote on passing the bill (S. 210) last mentioned be reconsidered,
On motion by Mr. Simms,
Ordered, That the further consideration thereof be postponed until to-morrow.
On motion by Mr. Brown,
The Senate resolved into secret legislative session.
The doors having been opened,
On motion by Mr. Walker,
Ordered, That the Senate take a recess until 2 o'clock p. m.
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2 O'CLOCK P. M.
A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Dalton:
Mr. President: The House of Representatives have passed bills of the following titles; in which they request the concurrence of the Senate:
The Speaker of the House of Representatives having signed sundry enrolled bills, I am directed to bring them to the Senate for the signature of their President.
The residue of the bills received this day from the House of Representatives for concurrence were severally read the first and second times; and
Ordered, That the bill numbered 244 be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary and the bill numbered 258 to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Brown submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
Resolved, That from and after to-day the hour of meeting of the Senate shall be eleven o'clock antemeridian.
Mr. Baker (by leave) introduced
A joint resolution (S. 34) in reference to the salaries of the auditors of the Treasury and other heads of bureaus in the civil departments of the Government at Richmond;
which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Finance.
On motion by Mr. Johnson of Georgia,
Ordered, That the Senate take a recess until 8 o'clock p. m.
8 O'CLOCK P. M.
The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the consideration of the bill (H. R. 379) to levy additional taxes for the year 1865, for the support of the Government.
The question being on agreeing to the amendment proposed by Mr. err to the first amendment reported from the Committee on Finance, Mr. Orr modified his amendment so as to read as follows:
Strike out "five," section 1, line 15, and insert "ten," and insert after "cent," in the same line, the following proviso: "Provided, That from the ten per cent tax on the value of property employed in agriculture shall be deducted the value of the tax in kind derived therefrom during the same year, assessed on the basis of the value of the articles subject to the tax in kind on the first day of July, eighteen hundred and sixty, and delivered to the Government, whether delivered during the year or afterwards, including the bacon deliverable after and not prior to the assessment of the tax on property employed in agriculture as aforesaid; and the assessors of the tax in kind shall, at the same time that they assess the present value of the tax in kind for the purpose of enforcing its collection and delivery, be also authorized and required to assess the specie value thereof on the first day of July, eighteen hundred and sixty, for the purpose of ascertaining and fixing the amount of the credit on the property tax imposed by this section; and it shall be the duty of the post quartermaster to certify, and of the district collector to deduct, the specie value of the tithe as aforesaid; and the collection of three per cent of the tax on the value of property employed in agriculture imposed by this section shall be suspended by the Secretary of the Treasury after the assessment until the specie value of the tithe as aforesaid can be ascertained."
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On the question to agree to the amendment proposed by Mr. Orr, 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. Baker, Barnwell, Caperton, Hunter, Johnson of Georgia, Maxwell, Orr, Walker, and Wigfall.
Those who voted in the negative are,
Messrs. Graham, Henry, Johnson of Missouri, Oldham, and Watson.
On motion by Mr. Semmes, to amend the reported amendment by inserting before the words "the value," section 1, line 15, the words "The terms property employed in agriculture shall be construed to include the entire farm or plantation, any part of which may be in cultivation, and all the slaves, stock, teams, and farming utensils thereon,"
It was determined in the affirmative.
On motion by Mr. Walker, to amend the reported amendment by inserting after "act," section 2, line 32, the words "shall be exempt from taxation, under the provisions of this act or any other law,"
It was determined in the affirmative.
The first reported amendment as amended was then agreed to.
The residue of the reported amendments having been agreed to,
On motion by Mr. Orr, to amend the bill by inserting after "pay," section 4, line 1, the words "one-half of,"
It was determined in the affirmative.
On motion by Mr. Oldham, to amend the bill by striking out all after the enacting clause to the fifth section and inserting:
That from and after the passage of this act there shall be levied on the subjects of taxation hereinafter mentioned, and collected from every person, copartnership, or corporation liable therefor, taxes as follows, to wit:
The taxes above levied shall be paid in Confederate States Treasury notes, certificates of indebtedness, or accounts for property purchased or impressed for or on account of the Government, duly certified to as valid and just by a bonded quarter-master or commissary, and that the same has not been paid by him for want of funds; but said Treasury notes, certificates of indebtedness, and accounts certified as aforesaid, shall be received by the collectors in the payment of the tax of one per cent aforesaid, at the market value in specie, to be ascertained, assessed, and declared, from time to time, as hereinafter provided.
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individuals; the tax on such property and assets to be assessed against and paid by such corporation, association, and joint stock company: Provided, That no bank or banking company shall be liable to pay tax upon deposits of money to the credit of and subject to the checks of others: And provided also, That the stock or shares representing property or assets in corporations, associations, or joint stock companies, Shall not be assessed and taxed as property under this act, but the dividends derived therefrom shall be liable to the income tax as provided by existing laws.
The property, income, and moneys of hospitals, asylums, churches, schools, colleges, and charitable institutions.
All property within the enemy's lines shall be exempt so long as it shall remain within such lines, unless income be derived from such property, and in that event the income so derived shall be taxed.
The exemptions enumerated in paragraphs one, two, and three of section five of the act entitled "An act to levy additional taxes for the common defense and support of the Government," approved seventeenth February, eighteen hundred and sixtyfour, are hereby reenacted. Wearing apparel; household furniture, where the value thereof does not exceed one thousand dollars; goods manufactured by any person for the use and consumption of his family; products of gardens, poultry, and fruit raised for the family of the producer, and not for sale, and corn, bacon, and other agricultural products, which were produced in the year eighteen hundred and sixtyfour, and in the possession of the producer on the day of the passage of this act, and necessary for the support of himself and family, including his slaves, during the present year, from or on which taxes in kind have been deducted and delivered, or paid, shall be exempt from taxation.
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The taxes above levied and specified shall be paid in Confederate Treasury notes, certificates of indebtedness, or certified accounts of bonded quartermasters and commissaries, at the market value thereof in specie as aforesaid. Nothing in this act contained shall be construed to exempt the persons engaged in or following the trades, business, and occupations above designated from the payment of the amount of per centum on sales as are levied in the act of February seventeenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, aforesaid; and the taxes above specified, as well as the per centum on sales, shall be paid and collected under and in accordance with the provisions of said act, subject to the changes and modifications above set forth.
On motion by Mr. Oldham,
The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present,
Those who voted in the affirmative are,
Messrs. Barnwell, Brown, Henry, Johnson of Georgia, Johnson of Missouri, Oldham, Semmes, Watson, and Wigfall.
Those who voted in the negative are,
Messrs. Baker, Caperton, Graham, Hunter, Maxwell, Orr, and Walker.
On motion by Mr. Semmes,
Ordered, That the bill be recommitted to the Committee on Finance.
On motion by Mr. Johnson of Missouri,
The Senate resolved into executive session.
The doors having been opened,
On motion by Mr. Graham,
The Senate adjourned.
SECRET SESSION.
Mr. Brown, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, who were instructed by a resolution of the Senate to inquire into the subject, reported
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A bill (S. 218) to authorize the removal of the Naval School; which 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 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.
On motion by Mr. Vest,
The Senate resolved into open legislative session.
EXECUTIVE SESSION.
Mr. Graham, from the committee appointed by the Senate to confer with the President, confidentially, in reference to the present condition of the country, and ascertain, if possible, his plans and purposes, reported thereon.
On motion by Mr. Johnson of Georgia, that the committee be instructed to bring in a written report on the subject,
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. Barnwell, Brown, Caperton, Hunter, Johnson of Georgia, Oldham, and Semmes.
Those who voted in the negative are,
Messrs. Baker, Graham, Henry, Johnson of Missouri, Maxwell, Orr, Walker, Watson, and Wigfall.
On motion by Mr. Orr,
The Senate resolved into open legislative session.
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