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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 --EIGHTH DAY--TUESDAY, January 20, 1863.
OPEN SESSION.
The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Doggett.
The Chair laid before the House a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting copies of the resolutions of the legislatures of South Carolina and Alabama guaranteeing the payment of the war debt of the Confederate States; which were read and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, by unanimous consent of the House, reported and recommended the passage of
A bill declaring what persons shall be exempt from military duty; which was read first and second times.
And the question upon postponing the further consideration of the bill and placing it on the Calendar being decided in the negative,
Mr. Miles moved that the bill be printed and made the special order for to-morrow.
Mr. Curry moved to amend the motion of Mr. Miles by adding thereto the words "and from day to day until disposed of."
The amendment was agreed to, and the motion as amended was adopted.
The House then proceeded to the consideration of the motion of Mr. Davis to reconsider the vote by which the House disagreed to the resolution of Mr. Foote providing for the renting of the Exchange Building.
Mr. Heiskell demanded the question; which was sustained; and
Mr. Pugh demanded the yeas and nays;
Which were ordered,
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Yeas: Arrington, Baldwin, Bell, Boteler, Boyce, Horatio W. Bruce, Chambliss, Chilton, Clapp, Cooke, Currin, Curry, Davis, Foote, Foster, Gaither, Goode, Hilton, Holt, Johnston, Lewis, Lyons, McRae, Miles, Preston, Russell, Swan, Tibbs, Vest, and Wright of Tennessee.
Nays: Ayer, Bridgers, Burnett, Clark, Clopton, Collier, Conrad, Conrow, Crockett, Davidson, Dupré, Elliott, Ewing, Farrow, Garland, Gartrell, Graham, Heiskell, Jones, Kenner, Lander, Machen, McDowell, McLean, McQueen, Menees, Moore, Pugh, Ralls, Royston, Sexton, Smith of Alabama, Staples, Strickland, Villeré, Wright of Georgia, and Wright of Texas.
So the motion to reconsider did not prevail.
Mr. Foster offered joint resolutions respecting the present war, and the causes leading thereto; which were read first and second times, referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and ordered to be printed.
On motion of Mr. H. W. Bruce,
The House resolved itself into secret session; and having spent some time therein, again resolved itself into open session;
When,
The Chair presented a communication from the Secretary of War, covering the report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs; which was read, referred to the Committee of Indian Affairs, and ordered to be printed.
And on motion of Mr. Clapp,
The House adjourned until 12 o'clock m. to-morrow.
SECRET SESSION.
The House being in secret session,
The Chair presented a message from the President; which is a follows, to wit:
Executive Office, Richmond, January 20, 1863.
To the House of Representatives of the Confederate States:
I have the honor to request that my message, sent to the House at the opening of the session, may be returned to me to change a word which is an error.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
On motion of Mr. Russell,
It was ordered that the message be returned to the President, as requested in the message.
The House then proceeded to the consideration of the unfinished business; which was the consideration of
A bill to authorize a foreign loan.
And the bill having been read as follows, to wit:
The Congress of the Confederate States do enact, That the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to complete and carry into effect a certain contract made with Messrs. Erlanger & Co., of Paris, for the purpose of raising, by loan, the sum of seventy-five millions of francs, and to that end he may cause to be issued bonds of the Confederate States, payable twenty years after date, with coupons attached for the payment of interest ahead, at the rate of seven per cent per annum, and also certificates for the delivery of cotton in exchange for the said bonds, the said bonds and certificates to be issued in such form and with such signatures as the said Secretary shall deem proper.
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all payments, and generally to do all such acts, and execute all such instruments of writing, and receive all such notices as may be necessary and proper for carrying into complete execution the said contract and all things required by the same.
Mr. Perkins moved to amend the same by striking out the whole thereof and inserting in lieu thereof the following, to wit:
The Congress of the Confederate States do enact, That the President be, and he is hereby, authorized to negotiate a loan of twenty-five million dollars abroad, on such terms and under such guards as he may deem just and called for by the public interest.
Mr. Davis moved a call of the House.
The motion did not prevail.
Mr. Gartrell demanded the question; which was upon agreeing to the amendment of Mr. Perkins, and the demand being sustained,
Mr. Foote called for the yeas and nays thereon;
Which being ordered,
Yeas: Arrington, Bell, Chilton, Clapp, Clopton, Curry, Davis, Foote, Foster, Perkins, Royston, Smith of Alabama, Staples, and Trippe.
Nays: Ayer, Baldwin, Barksdale, Boteler, Boyce, Bridgers, Horatio W. Bruce, Chambliss, Clark, Collier, Conrad, Conrow, Cooke, Crockett, Currin, Dargan, Davidson, Dupré, Elliott, Ewing, Farrow, Garland, Gartrell, Goode, Graham, Heiskell, Hilton, Holt, Johnston, Jones, Kenner, Lewis, Lyons, Machen, McDowell, McQueen, Menees, Miles, Moore, Preston, Pugh, Ralls, Sexton, Strickland, Tibbs, Vest, Villeré, Wright of Georgia, Wright of Tennessee, and Wright of Texas.
So the amendment was lost.
Mr. Perkins moved to postpone the further consideration of the bill until Friday next, with a view of obtaining further information from the Secretary of the Treasury in relation thereto.
Mr. Holt demanded the question; which was sustained; and
Mr. Foote called for the yeas and nays;
Which being ordered,
Yeas: Arrington, Bell, Bridgers, Chilton, Clapp, Clopton, Collier, Curry, Davis, Dupré, Ewing, Farrow, Foote, Foster, Menees, Perkins, Ralls, Royston, Trippe, Villeré, Wright of Georgia, and Wright of Tennessee.
Nays: Ayer, Baldwin, Barksdale, Boteler, Boyce, Horatio W. Bruce, Chambliss, Clark, Conrad, Conrow, Cooke, Crockett, Currin, Dargan, Davidson, Elliott, Gaither, Garland, Gartrell, Goode, Graham, Heiskell, Hilton, Holt, Johnston, Jones, Kenner, Lander, Lewis, Lyons, Machen, McDowell, McLean, McQueen, McRae, Miles, Moore, Pugh, Sexton, Smith of Alabama, Strickland, Tibbs, Vest, and Wright of Texas.
So the motion to postpone did not prevail, and the bill was engrossed and read a third time.
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And the question being on the passage of the same,
Mr. Davis called for the yeas and nays thereon;
Which were ordered,
Yeas: Arrington, Ayer, Baldwin, Barksdale, Bell, Boteler, Boyce, Bridgers, Horatio W. Bruce, Chambliss, Clapp, Clark, Collier, Conrad, Conrow, Cooke, Crockett, Currin, Dargan, Davidson, Dupré, Elliott, Farrow, Foster, Gaither, Garland, Gartrell, Goode, Graham, Heiskell, Hilton, Holt, Johnston, Jones, Kenner, Lander, Lewis, Lyons, Machen, McDowell, McLean, McQueen, McRae, Menees, Miles, Moore, Pugh, Ralls, Sexton, Smith of Alabama, Strickland, Tibbs, Trippe, Vest, Villeré, Wright of Georgia, Wright of Tennessee, and Wright of Texas.
Nays: Chilton, Clopton, Curry, Davis, Ewing, Foote, Perkins, and Royston.
So the bill was passed.
Mr. Davis moved that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the proceedings on the passage of the bill.
The motion was lost.
On motion of Mr. Jones, the rule requiring the bill to lie on the table two days was suspended, and the Clerk was directed to transmit it to the Senate.
And on motion of Mr. Heiskell,
The House resolved itself into secret [open] session.
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