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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 --SIXTEENTH DAY--THURSDAY, December 24, 1863.
OPEN SESSION.
The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Marshall.
The Speaker laid before the House a communication from the President; which was read as follows, viz:
Richmond, Va., December 22, 1863.
To the House of Representatives:
In response to your resolution of the 10th instant, I herewith transmit for your information a communication from the Secretary of War, covering a list of the officers of artillery in the Provisional Army, for the performance of ordnance duties, appointed since the 16th day of September, 1862, and the "roll of merit" reported by the board of examiners.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
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On motion of Mr. Boteler, the message and accompanying documents were laid upon the table and ordered to be printed.
The Speaker also laid before the House another communication from the President; which was read as follows, viz:
Richmond, Va., December 23, 1863.
To the Senate and House of Representatives:
I herewith transmit for your information a communication from the Secretary of War, covering "General Lee's report of the operations of the Army of Northern Virginia from the date of his assumption of command to and including the battle of Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862, and the subordinate reports appertaining thereto."
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
On motion of Mr. Miles, the message and accompanying documents were laid on the table and ordered to be printed.
Mr. H. W. Bruce, from the Committee on Enrolled Bills, reported as correctly enrolled
A bill to be entitled "An act to amend so much of section eleven of the tax law as requires one-tenth of the sweet potatoes produced this year to be paid to the Government."
And the Speaker signed the same.
The House proceeded to the consideration of the unfinished business of the day before yesterday; which was
A bill to be entitled "An act to prohibit dealing in the paper currency of the enemy."
Mr. Foote demanded the question; which was ordered.
And the question being on agreeing to the amendment of Mr. Davidson,
It was decided in the affirmative.
Mr. Dargan submitted the following amendment:
In the second section, strike out the words "have in his possession" and insert in lieu thereof the words "circulate or in any manner trade in."
Mr. Foote demanded the question; which was ordered, and the amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Clapp offered the following amendment (in the nature of a substitute for the second section), viz:
Amend by striking out section 2 and inserting in lieu thereof as follows:
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Foote offered the following amendment as an additional section; which was agreed to, viz:
But this act shall not be construed to apply to any person acting on behalf of the Government of the Confederate States by special authority from the President or any of the heads of Departments.
Mr. Chilton offered the following amendment; which was agreed to:
Add at the end of the bill the words "Provided, That the purchase of postage stamps shall not be considered a violation of this act."
Mr. Foote demanded the question; which was ordered, and the bill was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
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Mr. Perkins, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, reported
A bill to be entitled "An act to establish a bureau of foreign supplies;"
which was read first and second times, postponed, placed on the Calendar, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Perkins, from the same committee, also reported
A bill to be entitled "An act to prevent the running of the blockade, except on Government account, for articles necessary for the prosecution of the war;"
which was read first and second times, postponed, placed on the Calendar, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Gartrell, from the Committee on the Judiciary, to which had been referred
A bill to be entitled "An act to amend the act to regulate impressments,"
reported the same back and moved that the committee be discharged from its further consideration, and that it do lie upon the table.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. Gray, by unanimous consent, introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act authorizing the tax in kind on bacon to be commuted by collection of salt pork as an equivalent."
The bill having been read a first and second time,
Mr. Gray moved that the rule be suspended requiring the bill to be referred to a committee; which motion was agreed to.
And the bill having been taken up for consideration,
Mr. Chambliss offered the following amendment; which was not agreed to, viz:
Insert after the word "receive" the words "at the option of the producer."
The bill was then engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Gray moved to reconsider the vote by which the bill was passed, and demanded the question; which was ordered, and the motion to reconsider was lost.
Mr. Read, from the Committee on Patents, to which had been referred
A bill to be entitled "An act to grant a special copyright to William J. Hardee and S. H. Goetzel for Hardee's Rifle and Infantry Tactics," reported the same back, with the recommendation that it do pass.
The bill was postponed, placed on the Calendar, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Clopton, from the Committee on Claims, to which had been referred a memorial of clerks in the Executive Departments, praying increased compensation, reported the same back, moved that the committee be discharged from its further consideration, and that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means; which was agreed to.
Mr. Clopton, from the same committee, to which had been referred
A bill to be entitled "An act for the relief of William F. Haines," reported back the same and moved that the committee be discharged from its further consideration, and that it do lie upon the table.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. Clopton, from the same committee, reported a joint resolution for the relief of Maj. William F. Haines (as a substitute for the original bill); which was read a first and second time, postponed, placed on the Calendar, and ordered to be printed.
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Mr. Clopton, from the same committee, to which had been referred the claim of T. S. N. King, executor of W. E. Newsom, deceased, for property destroyed by the United States, reported the same back, with the recommendation that the committee be discharged from its further consideration, and that it do lie upon the table.
It was so ordered.
Mr. Farrow, from the same committee, to which had been referred the memorial of Mrs. M. E. Parker, praying to be refunded the excess of a Confederate war tax improperly assessed, reported the same back, with the recommendation that the committee be discharged from its further consideration, and that it do lie upon the table.
It was so ordered.
Mr. Farrow, from the same committee, to which had also been referred the memorial of Allen C. Hammond, of Berkeley County, Va., praying Congress to authorize the repayment of certain funds invested by him in the Confederate "call loan" in 1862, reported back the same, with the recommendation that the committee be discharged from its further consideration, and that it do lie upon the table.
It was so ordered.
Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to which had been referred
A bill to be entitled "An act to continue in force an act entitled 'An act to provide for the compensation of certain persons therein named,' approved May first, eighteen hundred and sixty-three,"
reported back the same, with the recommendation that it do pass.
The question being on postponing the bill and placing it upon the Calendar,
It was decided in the negative.
The bill was then engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Miles, from the same committee, to which had been referred
A resolution touching the expediency of transferring the management and control of provost and conscript duties to the governors of the States,
reported the same back, with the recommendation that the committee be discharged from its further consideration, and that it do lie upon the table.
It was so ordered.
Mr. Miles, from the same committee, to which had been referred a series of bills, resolutions, etc., relating to the allowance of rations and clothing to officers, reported back the same, with the recommendation that the committee be discharged from their further consideration, and that they do lie upon the table.
It was so ordered.
Mr. Miles, from the same committee, to which had also been referred
A bill to be entitled "An act to allow commissioned officers of the Army rations and the privilege of purchasing clothing from the Quartermaster's Department,"
reported the same back, with the recommendation that it do pass.
The bill was postponed, placed on the Calendar, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Singleton, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, to which had been referred the resolution submitted by Mr. Hanly, touching the privileges to be conferred upon the Delegates from the Indian nations, reported the same back, with the recommendation that they be adopted.
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The question being on postponing the resolutions and placing them on the Calendar,
It was decided in the negative, and the resolutions were adopted.
Mr. Elliott, from the Committee on Enrolled Bills, reported as correctly enrolled
And the Speaker signed the same.
Mr. Singleton, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, to which had been referred
A bill to be entitled "An act for filling vacancies of Delegates to Congress in certain Indian nations,"
reported the same back, with the recommendation that the committee be discharged from its further consideration, and that it do lie upon the table.
It was so ordered.
Mr. Singleton, from the same committee, reported a bill in lieu of the one just disposed of, to be entitled
An act to provide for filling vacancies of Delegates to Congress in certain Indian nations.
The bill having been read a first and second time, and the question being on postponing the same and placing it on the Calendar,
It was decided in the negative.
The bill was then engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
The morning hour having expired, a bill on the Calendar was taken up for consideration, to be entitled
An act to provide for wounded and disabled officers and soldiers.
The question being on agreeing to the amendment submitted by Mr. Read (in the nature of a substitute),
Mr. Clapp offered the following amendment; which was agreed to, viz:
In section 1, after the word "soldiers," in third line, insert the words "or seamen."
A message was received from the Senate, by Mr. Nash, the Secretary of that body; which is as follows, viz:
Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed, without amendment, a bill of this House of the following title, viz:
Mr. Singleton offered the following amendment to the amendment of Mr. Read:
In fifteenth line, after the word "declared," insert the words "Provided, That every such officer, musician, or private shall make it appear, to the satisfaction of the Secretary of War, that he has no other adequate means of subsistence."
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Kenan of Georgia offered the following amendment to the amendment of Mr. Read:
In the first section, after the word "seamen," insert the words "and the widows and orphans of deceased officers and privates."
Mr. Hilton demanded the question; which was ordered.
The question being on agreeing to the amendment of Mr. Kenan,
Mr. Kenan demanded the yeas and nays;
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Which were ordered,
Yeas: Atkins, Bell, Eli M. Bruce, Clark, Clopton, Conrow, Currin, Curry, De Jarnette, Freeman, Gardenhire, Gray, Hilton, Kenan of Georgia, Lander, Lewis, McLean, Ralls, Sexton, Singleton, Strickland, Trippe, Welsh, Wright of Tennessee, and Wright of Texas.
Nays: Ashe, Horatio W. Bruce, Chambliss, Chilton, Dargan, Foote, Foster, Gaither, Garland, Goode, Hanly, Hartridge, Jones, Kenan of North-Carolina, Machen, Miles, Miller, Read, Simpson, Smith of Alabama, and Wilcox.
No quorum having voted,
Mr. Jones moved that the House adjourn.
Mr. Curry moved that the House adjourn until Saturday, 12 o'clock.
Mr. Kenan moved to amend the motion of Mr. Curry by striking out "Saturday" and inserting "Monday."
Mr. Clark moved to amend the amendment by striking out "Monday" and inserting "Wednesday."
The amendment to the amendment was lost.
The question recurring on agreeing to the amendment of Mr. Kenan,
Mr. Wilcox demanded the yeas and nays;
Which were ordered,
Yeas: Bell, Chambliss, Chilton, Chrisman, Clark, Conrow, Dargan, De Jarnette, Farrow, Gaither, Gardenhire, Goode, Gray, Hanly, Hartridge, Hilton, Kenan of Georgia, Kenan of North Carolina, Lander, Lewis, Lyon, Miles, Miller, Ralls, Read, Sexton, Simpson, Singleton, Trippe, and Wright of Texas.
Nays: Ashe, Atkins, Eli M. Bruce, Horatio W. Bruce, Clapp, Clopton, Currin, Curry, Foote, Foster, Freeman, Garland, Heiskell, Johnston, Jones, Machen, McLean, Menees, Perkins, Smith of Alabama, Strickland, Swan, Villeré, Welsh, Wilcox, and Wright of Tennessee.
So the amendment was agreed to.
The motion of Mr. Curry was agreed to.
Mr. H. W. Bruce, from the Committee on Enrolled Bills, reported as correctly enrolled a Senate bill to be entitled
And the Speaker signed the same.
On motion,
The House adjourned.
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