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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 --FIRST DAY--TUESDAY, February 18, 1862.
OPEN SESSION.
Journal of the House of Representatives, Congress of the Confederate States, begun and held at the Capitol, in the city of Richmond, in the State of Virginia, on Tuesday, the 18th day of February, 1862, being the first session of the First Congress held under the Permanent Constitution for the Government of the Confederate States of America.
On which day, being the day fixed by the law of the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States for the meeting of the First Congress under the Permanent Constitution, at 12 o'clock m., the members-elect of the House of Representatives were called to order by
The Hon. Howell Cobb, of Georgia, President of the Provisional Congress, in accordance with the authority conferred upon him by an act of the Provisional Congress.
William F. Gordon, jr., was appointed by the President Clerk pro tempore.
The roll of the members of the House of Representatives whose names follow, appeared, when the oath of office was administered to them by the President, and they took their seats.
From the State of--
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The Chair announced that the first business in order was the election of a Speaker.
Mr. Foote nominated the Hon. Thomas S. Bocock, a Representative from the State of Virginia.
On motion of Mr. Foote,
Mr. Bocock was declared unanimously elected Speaker of the House of Representatives for the First Congress.
Mr. Boyce moved that a committee of two be appointed to wait on the Speaker-elect and conduct him to the chair.
The motion was agreed to; and
The Chair appointed Messrs. Boyce and Foote.
Mr. Bocock was then conducted to the chair, where the oath to support the Constitution of the Confederate States of America was administered by Mr. Cobb, the presiding officer.
A message was received from the Senate, by Mr. Albert R. Lamar, Secretary pro tempore of that body, informing the House of Representatives that the Senate was organized by the election of the Hon. R. M. T. Hunter, of Virginia, as President pro tempore, and James H. Nash, of South Carolina, as Secretary.
Mr. Curry offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That the rules of the Provisional Congress be temporarily adopted, so far as they are applicable, as the rules of this House, and that a committee of five, of which the Speaker shall be chairman, be appointed to report rules for the permanent government of the House of Representatives, and that said committee also, in conjunction with such committee as may be appointed on the part of the Senate, report joint rules for the government of the two Houses.
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The resolution was agreed to; and
The Chair appointed as said committee Messrs. Curry of Alabama. Jones of Tennessee, Perkins of Louisiana, and Lewis of Georgia.
Mr. Chilton moved that the House proceed, viva vote, to the election of a Clerk,
The motion was agreed to.
Nominations for the office of Clerk were then made as follows, viz:
The House then proceeded to the election of a Clerk, the result of which vote was as follows:
For Robert E. Dixon: Messrs. Ashe, Batson, Bridgers, Breckinridge, Chilton, Clark, Conrad, Curry, Crockett, Dupré, Davidson, Garland, Gartrell, Gaither, Hanly, Hilton, Holt, Johnston, Kenan of Georgia, Kenan of North Carolina, Kenner, Lyon, Lewis, Marshall, Machen, McDowell, McQueen, Miles, Pugh, Perkins, Royston, Read, Strickland, Trippe, Villeré, and Wright of Georgia, 36.
For M. W. Clusky: Messrs. Barksdale, Bocock, Bonham, Boyce, Clapp, Currin, Davis, De Jarnette, Elliott, Foote, Gardenhire, Heiskell, Jenkins, Jones, McRae, Menees, Pryor, Singleton, Swan, Tibbs, Welsh, and Wilcox, 22.
For T. C. Johnson: Messrs. Bell, H. W. Bruce, Clopton, Conrow, Cooke, Dargan, Dawkins, Ewing, Freeman, Farrow, Gray, Graham, Harris, Herbert, Lander, McLean, Moore, Russell, Ralls, Sexton, Vest, and Wright of Texas, 22.
For James McDonald: Messrs. Boteler, Chambliss, Goode, Lyons, Preston, Smith of Virginia, and Staples, 7.
The name of Mr. McDonald was withdrawn by Mr. Lyons.
The whole number of votes cast, 87; necessary to a choice, 44.
No gentleman having received a majority of the votes cast, the roll was again called with the following result:
No gentleman having received a majority of all the votes cast, the roll was again called with the following result:
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Kenan of Georgia, Kenan of North Carolina, Kenner, Lyon, Lewis, Lyons, Machen, Marshall, McDowell, McQueen, Miles, Pugh, Perkins, Preston, Royston, Russell, Read, Ralls, Strickland, Staples, Trippe, Villeré, and Wright of Georgia, 44.
R. E. Dixon, having received a majority of the whole number of votes given, wits declared duly elected Clerk of the House of Representatives of the Congress of the Confederate States for the first session.
The said Robert E. Dixon appeared; when the oath to support the Constitution of the Confederate States of America and the oath truly and faithfully to discharge the duties of his office to the best of his knowledge and abilities were administered to him by the Speaker; when lie entered upon the duties of his office.
The House then proceeded, on motion of Mr. Russell, viva voce, to the election of Doorkeeper, and the vote being taken, it appeared that the following-named members voted for R. H. Wynne, of Alabama:
Messrs. Ashe, Batson, Bell, Bridgers, Barksdale, Bocock, Bonham, Boyce, Boteler, Chilton, Clark, Clopton, Conrad, Curry, Clapp, Conrow, Cooke, Currin, Chambliss, Crockett, Dargan, Dawkins, Dupré, Davis, Davidson, De Jarnette, Elliott, Freeman, Farrow, Foote, Garland, Gertrell, Gaither, Gardenhire, Gray, Graham, Goode, Hanly, Hilton, Holt, Harris, Heiskell, Herbert, Jenkins, Jones, Johnston, Kenan of Georgia Kenan of North Carolina, Kenner, Lander, Lewis, Lyon, Lyons, Machen, Marshall, McRae, McDowell, McLean, McQueen, Menees, Miles, Moore, Pugh, Perkins, Pryor, Preston, Royston, Russell, Read, Ralls, Strickland, Singleton, Swan, Sexton, Smith of Virginia, Staples, Trippe, Tibbs, Villeré, Vest, Welsh, Wilcox, Wright of Georgia, and Wright of Texas, 83 [84].
The following-named members voted for L. D. Gilbert, of the State of Kentucky:
Messrs. H. W. Bruce and Ewing, 2.
R. H. Wynne, having received a majority of the whole number of votes, was declared duly elected Doorkeeper of the House of Representatives; and thereupon the said R H. Wynne appeared and the oath of office was administered to him by the Speaker, and he entered upon the discharge of his duties.
Mr. Smith of Virginia offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed, to join such committee as may be appointed on the part of the Senate, to inform the President that the Congress of the Confederate States is organized.
Mr. Chilton of Alabama moved to amend the resolution by adding the following words at the end thereof, viz:
and are ready to receive any communication he may be pleased to make.
Which motion was agreed to, and the resolution as amended was adopted.
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The following is the committee appointed by the Chair under the resolution, viz: Messrs. Smith of Virginia. Chilton of Alabama, and Wright of Georgia.
Mr. Smith of Virginia offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That the Senate be invited to assemble in this Hall to-morrow at one o'clock and, together with the members of the House, count the ballots for President and Vice-President of the Confederate States of America.
The resolution was agreed to.
Mr. Hanly presented a petition (accompanied by certain papers therein named) from J.P. Johnson, contesting the seat of A. H. Garland, the Representative from the Third district of Arkansas.
The petition was read and, on motion of Mr. Hanly, laid on the table.
Mr. Elliott offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Confederate Congress, That the office of Sergeant-at-Arms be, and the same is hereby, created, and the House proceed to the election of said officer.
On motion of Mr. Perkins,
The House adjourned until to-morrow at 12 o'clock.
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