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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 --NINTH DAY--THURSDAY, February 27, 1862.
OPEN SESSION.
The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr. Ford.
Mr. Boteler announced the presence of Mr. John B. Baldwin, a Representative-elect from the State of Virginia, who came forward, was qualified, and took his seat.
The House then proceeded to the consideration of the unfinished business of yesterday, which was the consideration of the amendment of Mr. Miles to a motion of Mr. Villeré in relation to the meeting and the adjournment of the House.
Mr. Villeré modified his motion by accepting the amendment of Mr. Miles, when Mr. Wilcox moved to amend by striking out the words "12 o'clock" and inserting in lieu thereof the words "11 o'clock."
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Bruce moved to amend further by striking out the latter clause of the motion, which referred to the time of adjournment; which motion was agreed to, and the motion as amended was adopted; which is as follows, to wit:
That the House hereafter meet at 11 o'clock a. m.
Mr. Garnett moved that when the House adjourns to-day it adjourn to meet at a quarter past 1 o'clock to-morrow; which motion was agreed to.
Mr. Crockett offered the following resolution; which was read and, on motion of Mr. Holt, referred to the Committee on Rules, to wit:
Resolved, That the following rule be adopted by this House: No member shall be allowed to speak more than once on any question before the House until all others desiring to speak on the question shall have been heard; nor shall any member be allowed to speak more than twice on the same subject unless by the unanimous consent of the House.
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Mr. Garland introduced the following resolution; which was read and agreed to, to wit:
Resolved, That the Committee on Public Buildings be instructed to procure, as soon as practicable, rooms for the several committees of this House.
Mr. Garland moved to take up his resolution providing stationery for the House from the table; which was agreed to, and
Mr. Garland then moved to refer the same to the Committee on Ways and Means; which was also agreed to.
Mr. Royston moved to take up from the table a resolution introduced by him limiting the legislation of the House.
The motion was lost.
Mr. Trippe introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act to appropriate money to pay the salaries of the several district collectors of the war tax in those States which have assumed the payment of said taxes;"
which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Mr. Perkins introduced
A resolution that the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire and report, what legislation is necessary to enable officers in the Army of the Confederate States to hold their seats in the Congress of t he Confederate States, or whether they are entitled to do so under the Constitution without any legislation;
which was agreed to.
Mr. Kenner presented certain joint resolutions of the legislature of Louisiana in reference to a mail fine from Natchitoches, on Red River, to Monroe, on Ouachita River; which were read and referred to the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads.
Mr. Conrad presented a memorial of the New Orleans Delta Newspaper Company; which was referred to the Committee on Claims, without being read.
Mr. Welsh moved to take up from the table a resolution of the legislature of the State of Mississippi in relation to the shipment of cotton; which was agreed to, and
On motion of Mr. Welsh, was referred to the Committee on Commerce.
Mr. Welsh moved to take up a memorial of the legislature of the State of Mississippi in relation to the pay of the Army of the Confederate States; which was agreed to, and
On motion of Mr. Welsh, was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Jenkins presented a memorial from L. Beckman; which was referred to the Committee on Claims, without being read.
Mr. Boteler presented
A joint resolution of the legislature of Virginia in relation to the pay of noncommissioned officers and privates;
which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, without being read.
Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred
A bill authorizing the President to appoint a commander in chief, reported the same back and recommended its passage, with an amendment.
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Mr. Wright moved that the consideration of the bill be postponed; that it be placed upon the Calendar and printed.
Mr. Gartrell called the question; which was seconded, and the motion was lost.
Mr. Lyons moved that the House do now resolve itself into secret session; which was seconded, and the House having resolved itself into secret session and spent some time therein, again resolved itself into open session.
Mr. Miles moved to recommit to the Committee on Military Affairs
A bill to continue in office the major and brigadier generals of the Provisional Army.
The motion was agreed to.
The House took up for consideration the bill authorizing the President to appoint a commander in chief.
The House then adjourned until quarter past 1 o'clock to-morrow.
SECRET SESSION.
The House being in secret session, a message was received from the Senate, by their Secretary, Mr. Nash; which is as follows:
Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a bill of the following title, viz:
Mr. Lyons moved to take up the bill of the Senate to authorize the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in certain cases; which was agreed to, and the bill was read the first and second times.
Mr. Royston called the question upon engrossing and reading the bill the third time; which was seconded.
The bill was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Lyons introduced
A bill to apprehend suspicious persons during the war, and to suspend the writ of habeas corpus;
which was read the first and second times.
A message was received from the Senate, by their Secretary, Mr. Nash; which is as follows:
Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a joint resolution of the following title, viz:
Joint resolution pledging the Government to maintain the territorial integrity of the Confederacy.
Mr. Gray moved to reconsider the vote by which a bill from the Senate to authorize the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in certain cases was passed.
Mr Smith moved to postpone the bill under consideration, to take up the motion of Mr. Gray;
Whereupon,
Mr. Curry called the question; which was seconded, and the motion was lost.
The House then returned to the consideration of the bill introduced by Mr. Lyons.
Mr. Swan moved to refer the same to the Committee on the Judiciary, with instructions to report thereon as soon as practicable.
Mr. Foote called the question; which was seconded, and the motion prevailed.
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Mr. Trippe offered the following joint resolutions, to wit:
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Confederate States, That if Congress shall adjourn to any other time and place than as at present provided, or in case of any public emergency the daily sessions of Congress at this place shall be prevented forconsecutive days, Congress shall reassemble aton theday after the last regular adjournment of both branches of Congress, provided saidday be not the Sabbath, and if the same be the Sabbath, then on the Monday thereafter.
Resolved further, That the President be, and is hereby, authorized to remove the several Executive Departments, with the archives thereof, whenever in his judgment the public interests may require it to: Provided, That the President is further authorized to reassemble Congress by proclamation at any other time and place he may select and remove said Executive Departments and archives to the place he may so appoint;
which was read the first and second times.
Mr. Clapp moved to amend the same by striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the following words, viz:
That a committee consisting of three members of the Senate and the like number on the part of the House be appointed, whose duty it shall be to select, subject to the approval of Congress, some suitable place where the archives of the Government and such state papers as are not necessary for immediate use or reference may be deposited for safe-keeping, and also where the requisite accommodations for the various Departments of the Confederate Government may be obtained in the event of their removal from the city of Richmond before a permanent seat of government is located; and that said committee be instructed to report to the two Houses of Congress in secret session as early as practicable.
Mr. Foote moved to refer the original resolutions, together with the amendment, to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. Foote moved that when the House was in secret session but one clerk and one doorkeeper be allowed on the floor, and the other officers of the House be excluded.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. Holt moved to reconsider the vote by which all the officers of the House except the Clerk and Doorkeeper were excluded from secret sessions of the body.
The motion was lost.
Mr. Dupré moved to refer the resolution offered by Mr. Trippe and the amendment thereto offered by Mr. Clapp to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. Dupré demanded the question.
The demand was seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
Mr. Sexton moved that Congress go into open session.
The motion was lost.
Mr. Russell moved the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That there shall be a standing committee of the House, to be called a Committee of Ordnance;
which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Boyce offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That a committee of one from each State be appointed, to be known as the Committee of Public Defense, to whom shall be referred such matters as the House may direct;
which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Royston offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That the Committee on Public Buildings be instructed to inquire into the expediency of removing the seat of government from Richmond forthwith to a more
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central point of the Confederate States, and that they report by bill or otherwise to this House in secret session;
which was referred to the Committee on Public Buildings.
Mr. Kenner moved that Congress go into open session.
The motion was agreed to.
The House went into open session.
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