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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 --SIXTH DAY--SATURDAY, January 17, 1863.
OPEN SESSION.
The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr. Crumly.
Mr. Royston announced the presence of the Hon. Robert M. Jones, a Delegate-elect from the Choctaw Nation.
Mr. Jones came forward, was duly qualified, and proceeded to take his seat.
The Chair laid before the House the following letter, viz:
Tallahassee, Fla., December 8, 1862.
Mr. T. S. Bocock,
Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Confederate States:
I, representing the First Congressional district of Florida, do hereby resign my position of member of the House of Representatives of the Confederate States.
Yours, respectfully, etc.,
JAMES B. DAWKINS.
The Chair laid before the House a message from the President; which is as follows, viz:
Richmond, Va., January 15, 1863.
To the Senate and House of Representatives:
I herewith transmit a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, covering certain estimates.
I recommend that an appropriation be made of the amount and for the purpose specified.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
which was read and, with accompanying documents, ordered to be printed and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
The Chair also presented a communication from the Patent Office, presenting a list of patents granted during the year 1862; which was ordered to be printed and referred to the Committee on Patents, without being read.
On motion of Mr. Lyons,
The House resolved itself into secret session; and having spent some time therein, again resolved itself into open session.
On motion, the Speaker appointed Mr. Royston on the Committee on Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments, vice Mr. Dawkins, resigned.
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Mr. Lyons, from the Committee on Public Buildings, made the following report, viz:
The committee respectfully report that it has performed the duty assigned to it, and ascertained:
The committee deem it proper to add that they do not believe it would be practicable to obtain suitable committee rooms if the exchange be not purchased or rented, and that the Clerk and Doorkeeper of the House are now suffering much inconvenience from the want of suitable apartments. The committee deem it appropriate to state, also, that if the Exchange Building is taken another inconvenience which is now seriously felt at the close of every session will be removed, to wit: The want of a room which can be used by the President for examining and signing bills.
In the opinion of the committee, it will be more economical to purchase than to rent the building, and therefore recommend that it be purchased, and that the resolution herewith submitted be adopted and submitted to the Senate for its concurrence.
If that resolution be not adopted, then they recommend that the building be rented for the use of Congress.
If the property be purchased, the vendors will pay the expense of $5,000 for alterations and will receive Confederate bonds bearing 8 per cent interest in payment for the property, or Confederate notes, as Congress may prefer.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
On motion of Mr. Lyons,
A joint resolution to authorize the purchase of the Exchange Building
was taken up, read first and second times;
When,
Mr. Gartrell moved to lay the same on the table; which was agreed to.
Mr. Foote introduced
A bill providing for the enrollment of persons of foreign birth in the Confederate Army;
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Foote offered the following resolution, to wit:
Resolved, That the Committee on Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments be instructed to inquire whether any contracts have been made by officers of the Government in Richmond, during the present war, for ice; and, if so, what are the terms of such contracts, together with all important particulars connected therewith.
Mr. Foote offered the following resolution; which was read and agreed to, to wit:
Resolved, That the Committee on the Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments be instructed to inquire what persons, if any, in the employment of either of said departments, and intrusted with the custody and disbursement of money, are now in default for failure to settle their accounts in the manner required by law, with material circumstances connected therewith; also what persons are in the employment of such departments who are required by law to give bond for the faithful performance of official duty heretofore failed to give bond; also if the head of either of said departments has assumed authority to appoint agents to be intrusted with the custody or disbursement of public money without requiring bond for faithful performance of the duties assigned to them; and report fully to the House their action thereon.
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Mr. Foster introduced
A bill to amend an act entitled "An act to regulate destruction of property under military authority, and to provide indemnity therefor," passed 17th March, 1862;
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Perkins introduced
Joint resolution calling upon the States to provide for the speedy trial of such officers of the United States as may be turned over to them by the Confederate Government;
which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
On motion of Mr. Foote, the rules were suspended, and the House proceeded to the consideration of the following resolution offered by him, to wit:
Resolved, That the Committee on Public Buildings be authorized to negotiate for the rent of the Exchange Building for the space of one year.
Mr. Clark moved to lay the resolution on the table.
Upon which motion Mr. Lyons demanded the yeas and nays;
Which being ordered,
Yeas: Ayer, Burnett, Chilton, Clark, Clopton, Conrow, Curry, Davidson, Davis, Ewing, Farrow, Foster, Garland, Gartrell, Graham, Heiskell, Johnston, Jones, Kenner, Lander, Machen, McDowell, McLean, McQueen, Menees, Moore, Pugh, Royston, Sexton, Smith of Alabama, Staples, Strickland, Villeré, Wright of Georgia, Wright of Tennessee, and Wright of Texas.
Nays: Arrington, Baldwin, Barksdale, Bell, Boteler, Boyce, Horatio W. Bruce, Clapp, Cooke, Crockett, Currin, Dargan, Foote, Gaither, Goode, Hilton, Hodge, Holt, Lewis, Lyons, McRae, Miles, Perkins, Read, Swan, Trippe, Vest, and Mr. Speaker.
So the motion prevailed.
Mr. Davis moved to reconsider the vote just taken.
The House then proceeded to the consideration of the unfinished business of yesterday; which was the consideration of a motion to refer to the Committee on Ways and Means a bill to fund the currency.
And the motion prevailed.
Mr. Lyons offered the following resolution; which, on motion, was read and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, to wit:
Resolved, That the President be requested to communicate with the legislatures of the several States in the Confederacy and request them to enact laws declaring that contracts which may be thereafter made shall be payable in the notes of the Confederate Government, unless such contract shall stipulate for payment in gold or silver.
Mr. Lyons offered the following resolution; which was read and agreed to, to wit:
Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs inquire into the expediency of so amending the Articles of War as to authorize the President to commission persons under twenty-one years of age as officers of the Army.
Mr. Lyons presented a memorial from the city council of Richmond, praying exemption from military service of certain workmen in the gas and water works; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, without being read.
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Mr. Lyons offered the following resolution, to wit:
Resolved, That the Committee on Printing do inquire and report to this House whether a satisfactory arrangement can not be made with the editors of the newspapers of the city of Richmond, or some of them, to publish in their papers the proceedings and debates of this House, and such documents (except bills) as the House may order to be printed.
Upon the passage of which he demanded the yeas and nays;
Which being ordered,
Yeas: Arrington, Barksdale, Bell, Boteler, Boyce, Horatio W. Bruce, Burnett, Chilton, Clapp, Clark, Cooke, Crockett, Currin, Davidson, Ewing, Foote, Foster, Goode, Graham, Hilton, Lewis, Lyons, McRae, Menees, Miles, Staples, Trippe, Wright of Texas, and Mr. Speaker.
Nays: Ayer, Baldwin, Clopton, Conrow, Curry, Dargan, Elliott, Farrow, Garland, Gartrell, Machen, McDowell, McQueen, Moore, Perkins, Pugh, Royston, Sexton, Strickland, Vest, and Villeré.
There being no quorum present,
Mr. Miles presented the following communication, to wit:
Richmond, January 17, 1863.
Hon. Thos. S. Bocock,
Speaker of the House of Representatives:
The undersigned beg leave respectfully to inform you that the Hon. M. L. Bonham having been elected governor of South Carolina, has resigned his seat in the present Congress.
Very respectfully,
The Speaker appointed Mr. Boyce on the Committee on Ways and Means, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Mr. Bonham.
And on motion,
The House adjourned until 12 o'clock m. on Monday.
SECRET SESSION.
The House being in secret session,
The Chair presented a message from the President; which is as follows, to wit:
Richmond, Va., January 15, 1863.
To the Senate and House of Representatives:
I herewith transmit a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury in reference to a matter which I commend to your special attention and early decision in secret session.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
On motion of Mr. Kenner, the message and accompanying documents were referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, with instructions to report as soon as practicable.
Mr. Foote, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, to whom was referred
A bill to amend an act recognizing the existence of war between the United States and the Confederate States, and concerning letters of marque, prizes, and prize goods,
reported the same back, with the recommendation that it pass.
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And the question on the postponement of the further consideration of the bill being decided in the negative, the bill was engrossed and read a third time.
And the question being on the passage of the same,
Mr. Kenner demanded that the yeas and nays be recorded thereon; and the demand being sustained,
Yeas: Arrington, Barksdale, Bell, Boteler, Breckinridge, Bridgers, Horatio W. Bruce, Chilton, Clapp, Clark, Clopton, Collier, Conrow, Cooke, Curry, Dargan, Davidson, Elliott, Ewing, Farrow, Foote, Foster, Gaither, Garland, Gartrell, Goode, Heiskell, Hilton, Johnston, Lander, Lewis, McDowell, McLean, McQueen, McRae, Menees, Miles, Moore, Perkins, Preston, Read, Royston, Russell, Sexton, Smith of Alabama, Staples, Strickland, Trippe, Vest, Villeré, Wright of Texas, and Mr. Speaker.
Nays: Crockett, Currin, Davis, Hodge, Holt, Kenner, and Lyons.
So the bill was passed.
The Chair laid before the House a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury in relation to the coin removed from the banks of New Orleans; which was read and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
On motion of Mr. Royston,
The House resolved itself into open session.
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