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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 --WEDNESDAY, December 7, 1864.
OPEN SESSION.
On motion by Mr. Garland,
Ordered, That the leave of absence granted to the Hon. Robert W. Johnson, on the 15th of November, be extended to Saturday, the 7th day of January next.
Mr. Baker (by leave) introduced
A bill (S. 130) to authorize newspapers to be mailed to soldiers free of postage;
which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads.
Mr. Semmes presented the memorial of Theophilus Nash, of Louisiana, praying to be allowed to fund, in four per cent bonds, certain Treasury notes of the old issue held by him while a prisoner; which was referred to the Committee on Finance.
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Mr. Barnwell, from the Committee on Finance, to whom was referred the bill (S. 127) to authorize the issue of duplicates of lost drafts, reported it with amendments.
The Senate proceeded, as in Committee of the Whole, to the consideration of the said bill; and the reported amendments having been agreed to, 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 authorize the issue of duplicates of Treasurer's drafts lost or destroyed after payment."
Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives therein.
On motion by Mr. Sparrow,
Ordered, That the Committee on Military Affairs be discharged from the further consideration of the resolution submitted by Mr. Henry on the 9th of November, declaring
That it is a sound policy on the part of the Government of the Confederate States to impress, or hire with the consent of the owner, as many negro slaves as the public necessity may require, for any number of years, or during the war, to be employed in all positions in the Army, except as soldiers in the field, upon paying the owners thereof a just compensation; and that it has the constitutional power to do so.
Mr. Brown, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, reported
A bill (S. 131) to regulate the pay of lieutenants in the Navy commanding batteries on shore;
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. Brown,
Ordered, That the Committee on Naval Affairs be discharged from the further consideration of the resolution submitted by Mr. Maxwell on the 24th of November, inquiring into the expediency of allowing rations to warrant officers of the Navy serving on shore.
Mr. Hill, from the Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 190) concerning the emoluments and pay of the clerk of the district court of the Confederate States of America for the eastern district of Virginia, reported it with an amendment.
The Senate proceeded, as in Committee of the Whole, to the consideration of the said bill; and the reported amendment having been agreed to, the bill was reported to the Senate and the amendment was concurred in.
Ordered, That the amendment be engrossed and the bill read a third time.
The said bill as amended was read the third time.
Resolved, That it pass with an amendment.
Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives in the amendment.
Mr. Hill, from the Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred
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the bill (H. R. 238) to increase the salary of the judge of the district court for the eastern district of Virginia for a limited time, reported it without amendment.
The Senate proceeded, as in Committee of the Whole, to the consideration of the said bill.
On motion by Mr. Garland, to amend the bill by striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting:
That so much of section two of the act of March sixteenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, entitled "An act to establish the judicial courts of the Confederate States of America," as allows the same compensation to the judges of the district courts of the Confederate States that is given to the judges of the highest courts of law and equity in the respective States be, and the same is hereby, repealed; and in lieu of that compensation the judges of such district courts shall receive the annual pay of six thousand dollars, to be paid quarterly: Provided, That this act shall only be in force for one year from its passage,
It was determined in the negative.
No further amendment being proposed, the bill 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?
On motion by Mr. Garland,
The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present,
Those who voted in the affirmative are,
Messrs. Baker, Barnwell, Burnett, Caperton, Graham, Henry, Hill, Hunter, Maxwell, Orr, Semmes, Simms, Sparrow, Walker, and Watson.
Those who voted in the negative are,
Messrs. Brown, Garland, Johnson of Georgia, and Johnson of Missouri.
So it was
Resolved, That this bill pass.
Ordered, That the Secretary inform the House of Representatives thereof.
Mr. Hill, from the Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 241) to fix the salaries of district judges for a limited time, reported it without amendment.
The Senate proceeded, as in Committee of the Whole, to the consideration of the said bill.
On motion by Mr. Garland, to amend the bill by striking out "five," line 5, and inserting "seven,"
It was determined in the negative.
No further amendment being proposed, the bill 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.
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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., December 7, 1864.
To the Senate and House of Representatives:
I herewith transmit for your consideration a communication from the Secretary of War, covering an estimate "of funds needed to meet a deficiency in the appropriation to pay the officers and employees" of the War Department.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
The message was read.
Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Finance.
The following message was received from the President of the Confederate States, by Mr. B. N. Harrison, his Secretary:
Richmond, Va., December 7, 1864.
To the Senate and House of Representatives:
I herewith transmit for your consideration a communication from the Secretary of War, covering an estimate "of funds required to meet our treaty obligations to the Indian nations for the period ending June 30, 1865."
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
The message was read.
Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
The Senate resumed, as in Committee of the Whole, the consideration of the bill (S. 107) to provide supplies for the Army, and to prescribe the mode of making impressments.
The question being on agreeing to the motion submitted by Mr. Sparrow on yesterday, to strike out the seventh section of the bill, Mr. Sparrow, by unanimous consent, modified the same so as to include the fifth, sixth, eighth, and ninth sections; and
After debate,
On motion by Mr. Barnwell,
The Senate resolved into executive session
The doors having been opened,
On motion by Mr. Sparrow,
The Senate adjourned.
EXECUTIVE SESSION.
The following messages were received from the President of the Confederate States, by Mr. B. N. Harrison, his Secretary:
Executive Department, Confederate States of America,
Richmond, December 7, 1864.
To the Senate of the Confederate States:
Agreeably to the recommendation of the Secretary of War, I nominate the officers on the accompanying list (for promotion) to the grades affixed to their names, respectively.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
No. 50.]War Department, Confederate States of America,
Richmond, December 6, 1864.
Sir: I have the honor to recommend the following nominations for promotion in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States of America:
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I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant,
JAMES A. SEDDON,
Secretary of War.
To His Excellency Jefferson Davis,
President, etc.
Executive Department, Confederate States of America,
Richmond, December 7, 1864.
To the Senate of the Confederate States:
Agreeably to the recommendation of the Secretary of War, I nominate R. M. Du Bose, of South Carolina, to be second lieutenant, First South Carolina Regiment Artillery, in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States of America.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
No. 51.]War Department, Confederate States of America,
Richmond, December 6, 1864.
Sir: I have the honor to recommend the nomination of R. M. Du Bose, of South Carolina, to be second lieutenant, First South Carolina Regiment Artillery, in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States of America, vice Lieutenant Colcock, promoted, to rank from November 28, 1864.
I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant,
JAMES A. SEDDON,
Secretary of War.
To His Excellency Jefferson Davis,
President, etc.
The messages were read.
Ordered, That they be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Sparrow, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom were referred (on the 6th instant) the nominations of M. C. Butler, to be major-general; J. B. Palmer, to be brigadier-general, with temporary rank (under act approved May 31, 1864); T. D. Erwin and J. M. Lauck, to be chaplains; O. E. Finlay and O. K. Walker, to be adjutants, with rank of first lieutenants; William H. Jamison, to be second lieutenant, Fifteenth South Carolina Battalion Artillery, and L. Q. C. Lamar, to be member of military court, with rank of colonel of cavalry in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States of America, reported, with the recommendation that all of said nominations be confirmed.
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The Senate proceeded to consider said report; and in concurrence therewith, it was
Resolved, That the Senate advise and consent to their appointment, agreeably to the nomination of the President.
On motion by Mr. Sparrow,
The Senate resolved into open legislative session.
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