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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 --THIRTY-EIGHTH DAY--WEDNESDAY, April 2, 1862.
OPEN SESSION.
The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Moore.
The Chair laid before the House the following communication from the Speaker of the house of delegates of the State of Virginia:
Hon. Thomas S. Bocock,
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Sir: In accordance with a resolution of the house of delegates, I respectfully tender for the use of the House of Representatives during the recess of the general assembly, the hall of the house of delegates.
As soon as the hall is vacated, it will be transferred to the proper officers of the House of Representatives.
I am, with much respect and consideration, your obedient servant,
HUGH W. SHEFFEY,
Speaker of House of Delegates.
Mr. Curry moved that the House take a recess of five minutes, at the expiration of which time it reassemble in the hall of the house of delegates.
Mr. Perkins moved to amend the motion by substituting therefor the following, to wit:
That when the House adjourn to-day, it adjourn to meet in the hall of the house of delegates to-morrow at eleven o'clock.
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The amendment was lost, and the motion of Mr. Curry was agreed to.
The House then took a recess of five minutes, and reassembled in the hall of the house of delegates, when Mr. Davis moved that the House return to the hall just vacated.
The motion was lost.
Mr. Davis moved that the members proceed to draw for seats.
Mr. Holt moved to amend by substituting in lieu thereof the following words "that the States be called and the members from each State select seats together."
Mr. Curry moved that the motion and amendment be laid on the table; which was agreed to.
Mr. Herbert moved to suspend the rules requiring the States and committees to be called, and that the House proceed to the consideration of a bill to authorize the Secretary of War to receive a regiment of volunteers for the protection of the frontier of Texas.
The motion was lost.
Mr. Jones moved to dispense with the call of the States, and that the House proceed to the call of the committees: which was agreed to.
On motion, the House took up for consideration
A bill reported from the Committee on Ways and Means entitled "An act to admit imports duty free, except such as may be imported from the United States of America."
The bill having been read as follows, viz:
The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That all laws and parts of laws by which duties are levied and collected on foreign goods, wares, or merchandise imported from foreign countries are hereby repealed.
Sec. 2. This act shall take effect from and after its passage, but the provisions of this act shall not apply to goods, wares, or merchandise heretofore imported or now in bond.
Mr. Clopton moved to amend the first section by striking out all after the enacting clause in the same and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
That all laws by which duties are imposed and collected u port any goods, wares, or merchandise imported into the Confederate States from any foreign State are suspended during the continuance of the present war, except as to goods, wares, or merchandise which may be imported from the United States.
Mr. Russell moved the following as an amendment to the amendment, to wit:
That no duties shall be collected upon any goods, wares, or merchandise imported into any part or place of the Confederate States which shall be, at the time, blockaded or declared by the enemy to be blockaded, during the present war, unless the same be imported from the United States.
Mr. Garnett demanded the previous question.
The demand was not sustained.
Mr. Jones demanded the question; which was ordered, and the amendment to the amendment was lost.
The question being on agreeing to the amendment offered by Mr. Clopton,
Mr. Jones called for the question: which being ordered, the amendment did not prevail.
Mr. Jones called the question, which was upon engrossing and reading the bill a third time.
The demand was seconded, and the bill was engrossed and read a third time.
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The question being on the passage of the bill, Mr. Jones demanded the question thereon; which being ordered, Mr. De Jarnette demanded that the vote be taken by yeas and nays.
The demand was sustained.
Pending which,
A message was received from the Senate, by their Secretary, Mr. Nash; which is as follows, to wit:
Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed, with amendments, a bill of this House of the following title, viz:
A bill to provide further means for the support of the Government:
In which amendments I am directed to ask the concurrence of this House.
On motion of Mr. Kenner, the House took up for consideration a bill, reported back from the Senate with an amendment, to provide further means for the support of the Government: and
On motion of Mr. Kenner, the same was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
The vote was then recorded as follows, on the passage of the bill to admit imports duty free, except such as may be imported from the United States of America:
Yeas: Arrington, Ashe, Atkins, Ayer, Baldwin, Batson, Bell, Boteler, Boyce, Bridgers, Eli M. Bruce, Burnett, Chambers, Chambliss, Chilton, Clapp, Clark, Clopton, Cooke, Currin, Curry, Dargan, Dawkins, Dupré, Foote, Foster, Gardenhire, Garland, Garnett, Gartrell, Goode, Graham, Gray, Hanly, Hartridge, Herbert, Hilton, Holcombe, Holt, Johnston, Jones, Kenan of Georgia, Kenan of North Carolina, Kenner, Lander, Lyon, Machen, Marshall, McRae, Menees, Miles, Perkins, Pugh, Rails, Read, Royston, Sexton, Smith of Alabama, Strickland, Trippe, Vest, Villeré, Welsh, Wilcox, Wright of Texas, Wright of Tennessee, and Mr. Speaker.
Nays: Horatio W. Bruce, Conrad, Conrow, Crockett, Davis, De Jarnette, Ewing, Gentry, Harris, Heiskell, Lyons, McDowell, Moore, Russell, Smith of North Carolina, and Smith of Virginia.
So the bill was passed.
Mr. Kenner, from the Committee on Ways and Means, to whom was referred
A bill from the Senate relative to the estimates of the several heads of departments,
reported the same back, with the recommendation that it pass.
The bill was taken up, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Kenner, from same committee, reported
A bill to remit the duty on railroad iron sufficient to complete the Alabama and Mississippi Rivers Railroad;
which was read the first and second times.
The bill was taken up, engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Jones moved that the Speaker be authorized to appoint temporarily an additional member on the Committee on Enrolled Bills; which was agreed to; and the Speaker appointed Mr. Goode, of Virginia.
Mr. Kenner, from Committee on Ways and Means, reported
A bill to authorize the employment of clerks at the offices of the Treasurer and assistant treasurers;
which was read the first and second times.
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The bill was taken up, and having been read as follows, to wit:
Whereas the issue and deposit of Treasury notes at the offices connected with the Treasury involve an increase of labor and responsibility:
The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That the Secretary is hereby authorized to employ such additional tellers and bookkeepers as are required at the offices of the Treasurer and assistant, treasurers for the additional duties required in the receipt and disbursement of Treasury notes; provided, the compensation to be allowed shall not exceed the rates of fifteen hundred dollars per annum for each teller clerk, and provided also that the number of clerks to be employed shall not exceed seven,
Mr. Foster moved to amend by adding thereto the following words, to wit:
Provided, That no persons shall be appointed under this bill who may be subject to military duty.
Mr. Moore demanded the question; which was ordered, and the amendment was lost.
Mr. Ralls moved to amend the bill by striking out the words "fifteen hundred dollars" and inserting in lieu thereof the words "twelve hundred dollars."
The amendment was lost.
Mr. Heiskell moved to amend by adding the following words, to wit:
Provided, That no person shall be appointed in either of said offices who is under the age of forty years and capable of active service in the Army.
Mr. Lyons moved that the words "forty years" be stricken out of the amendment.
The motion was lost, and the amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Menees moved to amend by striking out the words "fifteen hundred dollars" and inserting in lieu thereof the words "twelve hundred dollars," and called for the yeas and nays thereon.
The call was sustained,
Yeas: Ashe, Ayer, Baldwin, Batson, Boteler, Boyce, Bridgers, Burnett, Chambliss, Clark, Conrad, Davis, Dawkins, De Jarnette, Ewing, Foote, Foster, Gaither, Gardenhire, Gartrell, Goode, Gray, Hanly, Heiskell, Hilton, Kenan of North Carolina, Lander, Marshall, Menees, Moore, Perkins, Ralls, Royston, Singleton, Smith of Alabama, Smith of North Carolina, Smith of Virginia, Staples, Strickland, Trippe, Welsh, Wilcox, Wright of Tennessee, and Mr. Speaker.
Nays: Arrington, Barksdale, Bell, Horatio W. Bruce, Eli M. Bruce, Chilton, Clopton, Conrow, Cooke, Curry, Dargan, Dupré, Garland, Hartridge, Herbert, Holcombe, Holt, Johnston, Jones, Kenan of Georgia, Kenner, Lewis, Lyon, Lyons, Machen, McDowell, Miles, Pugh, Read, Vest, and Villeré.
So the amendment was agreed to.
A message was received from the Senate, by their Secretary, Mr. Nash; which is as follows, to wit:
Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a bill of the following title, viz:
In which I am directed to ask the concurrence of this House.
Mr. Chambers, from the Committee on Enrolled Bills, reported as correctly enrolled
A bill making appropriations for the support of the Government
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from April 1 to the 30th of November, 1862, and for objects hereinafter expressed;
A resolution relating to the manner of paying members of the Provisional Congress the arrearages of their pay and mileage;
A bill amending an act approved May 10, 1861, entitled "An act to amend an act to provide for the public defense," approved March 6, 1861; and
A bill fixing the compensation of the President of the Confederate States.
The Speaker signed the same.
The bill under consideration was then engrossed, read a third time; and passed.
Mr. Menees moved to amend the title by striking out the original and inserting in lieu thereof the following, to wit:
A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to increase the salaries of clerks in the offices of the Treasurer and assistant treasurers.
Mr. Moore called the question; which being ordered, the amendment was lost.
On motion of Mr. Kenner, a Senate bill to increase the number of depositories of public funds was taken up, read first and second times, and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
The House then proceeded to the consideration of
A bill to authorize the Secretary of War to receive into the service of the Confederate States a regiment of volunteers for the protection of the frontier of Texas.
And the bill having been read as follows, to wit:
The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That the Secretary of War is hereby authorized to receive into the service of the Confederate States a regiment of volunteers that are now in service in the State of Texas, for the protection of the frontier of said State against Indian depredations; said regiment shall constitute a part of the Army of the Confederate States, and be subject to the laws governing the same,
Mr. Gray moved to amend by striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the following, to wit:
That the Secretary of War be authorized to receive into the service of the Confederate States of America a regiment of volunteers raised by the State of Texas for the protection of the frontier of said State against Indian depredations, upon such terms as may be agreed on between the President and the governor of Texas. And said regiment, when so received, shall constitute a part of the Provisional Army of the Confederate States.
Mr. Davis moved to amend the amendment of Mr. Gray by substituting therefor the following, to wit:
That the President is hereby authorized and empowered to receive into the service of the Confederate States, so far as to pay and support, a regiment of volunteers raised by a law of the State of Texas, for the defense of the frontier of said State. The said regiment to be controlled and managed by the provisions of said law.
Mr. Welsh called the question; which was seconded, and the amendment to the amendment was lost.
Mr. Moore moved to refer the bill and amendments to a special committee to be composed of the members of the Texas delegation.
The motion was lost.
Mr. Curry called the previous question; which was sustained, and the amendment of Mr. Gray was lost.
And the bill was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
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Mr. Ashe moved to reconsider the vote on the passage of
A bill authorizing the employment of additional clerks in the offices of the Treasurer and assistant treasurers.
The motion to reconsider did not prevail.
The Chair presented a message from the President; which was read and laid on the table, and is as follows:
Executive Department, April 1, 1862.
To the honorable the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Sir: I herewith transmit to the House of Representatives a communication from the Secretary of the Navy, conveying information sought by a resolution of the House, requesting the President to communicate to the House what additional sums of money, if any, are in his judgment necessary to the Departments of War and Navy, in order to secure a successful prosecution of the war and effective defense of the Confederate States during the time for which Congress at its present session should make provision.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
The Chair presented a message from the President; which is as follows, to wit:
Executive Department, April 1, 1862.
To the honorable the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Sir: I herewith transmit to the House of Representatives a communication from the Secretary of War, affording as far as practicable the information sought by the resolutions of inquiry adopted by the House of Representatives in regard to the disasters at Forts Henry and Donelson, etc., and replying to the additional resolution of the House of Representatives adopted March 31, 1862, calling for the official response of Gen. A. S. Johnston to the interrogatories propounded to him in regard to those subjects; and also for a copy of the supplementary report of General Pillow in regard to the affair at Fort Donelson.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
On motion, the message and documents were referred to the Committee on the Fort Donelson disaster.
The Chair also presented a communication from the Secretary of the Navy in answer to a resolution of the House, in relation to the plan and construction of the Virginia; which was laid on the table and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Heiskell, from the Committee on the Judiciary, reported and recommended the passage of
A bill to legalize the acts of the district attorney, marshal, and deputy marshals of Tennessee;
which was read first and second times.
The rules were suspended;
The bill was taken up, engrossed, read a third time, and passed. On motion of Mr. Lyons,
The House adjourned until 11 o'clock a. m. to-morrow.
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