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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-SECOND DAY--THURSDAY, January 14, 1864.
OPEN SESSION.
The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr. Edwards.
The Chair laid before the House a communication from the President; which was read as follows, viz:
Richmond, Va., January 13, 1864.
To the House of Representatives:
In response to your resolution of the 17th ultimo, I herewith transmit for your information a communication from the Secretary of War relative to the steps taken in response to "An act to prevent the absence of officers and soldiers without leave," approved the 16th of April, 1863.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
The communication was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs and ordered to be printed.
Also, another communication from the President, as follows; which was laid upon the table and ordered to be printed, viz:
Richmond, Va., January 13, 1864.
To the House of Representatives:
In response to your resolution of the 12th ultimo, I herewith transmit for your information a communication from the Secretary of War, covering a list of those persons who have been specially noticed and promoted from the ranks for gallantry in the field.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Also, another communication from the President, as follows, viz:
To the Senate and House of Representatives:
I herewith transmit for your information a communication from the Secretary of War, covering a copy of "Major-General Hindman's report of his operations while in command of the Trans-Mississippi District."
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Richmond, Va., January 13, 1864.
The communication and accompanying documents were laid upon the table and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Hanly moved that the usual number of copies of said report be printed for the use of the House; which motion was referred to the Committee on Printing.
The Chair laid before the House a report from the Commissioner of Patents; which was referred to the Committee on Patents and ordered to be printed.
Also, a Senate bill (S. 181) for the relief of William M. Bowles, Richard Bowles, and others; which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
The Chair announced the appointment of the special committee under the resolution of Mr. Goode as follows, viz:
Messrs. Goode of Virginia, Hilton of Florida, McLean of North Carolina, Wright of Tennessee, and Trippe of Georgia.
Mr. Jones moved that the rules be suspended for the purpose of taking up for consideration the bill to make additional appropriations for the support of the Government of the Confederate States of America for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1864.
The motion was agreed to.
The House then, on motion of Mr. Jones, resolved itself into committee for the purpose of considering said bill, Mr. Sexton in the
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chair; and having spent some time therein, the committee rose and reported, through their Chairman, that the committee had had under consideration the matter referred to it and recommended the passage of the bill with sundry amendments.
The first amendment of the committee was read as follows, viz:
Strike out, in page 4, line 15, the words "noncommissioned officers and privates."
The amendment was agreed to.
The second amendment was agreed to as follows, viz:
In line 26, page 9, strike out "sixty-four" and insert "eighty-one."
The third amendment was agreed to as follows, viz:
Insert, to come in at end of the clause under the head of Indian affairs, the words
"For interest on eighty thousand six hundred and thirty-four dollars and ninety-six cents, the removal and subsistence fund due the Cherokee Indians in North Carolina, from May twenty-third, eighteen hundred and sixty, to May twenty-third, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, nineteen thousand three hundred and fifty-two dollars and thirty-six cents."
Mr. Garland moved to amend by striking [out], on page 4, the following, viz:
For pay of officers, etc., required to collect the tax in kind, twelve millions two hundred and thirteen thousand two hundred and four dollars, from July first, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, to June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and sixty-four,
And demanded the yeas and nays; which were ordered.
Mr. Machen demanded the previous question.
The main question having been ordered,
Yeas: Collier, Crockett, Ewing, Foster, Gardenhire, Garland, Gartrell, Hanly, McDowell, Miller, Villeré, and Welsh.
Nays: Arrington, Baldwin, Barksdale, Boteler, Boyce, Bridgers, Horatio W. Bruce, Chambliss, Chrisman, Clark, Clopton, Conrow, Curry, Davidson, De Jarnette, Dupré, Elliott, Farrow, Freeman, Funsten, Gaither, Goode, Graham, Gray, Hartridge, Hilton, Ingram, Johnston, Jones, Kenan of Georgia, Lander, Lewis, Lyons, Machen, Martin, McQueen, Moore, Munnerlyn, Perkins, Preston, Pugh, Read, Russell, Sexton, Simpson, Singleton, Strickland, Trippe, Wilcox, Wright of Texas, and Mr. Speaker.
So the amendment was lost.
The bill was then engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
On motion of Mr. Jones, the forty-second rule, requiring the bill to lie over two days for reconsideration, was suspended.
Mr. Miles, under a suspension of the rules, reported
A bill to repeal an act to organize bands of partisan rangers, approved April 21, 1862, and for other purposes;
which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to which had been referred
A resolution of inquiry into abuses of "commutation" said to exist in the War Department,
reported back the same, with the recommendation that the committee be discharged from its further consideration, and that it be referred to the Committee on the Commissary and Quartermaster's Departments to make the inquiry.
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So ordered.
Also, a resolution of inquiry relative to fines illegally imposed on citizens not in the Army, and the confiscation of their property by courts-martial in the city of Richmond, with the recommendation that the committee be discharged from its further consideration, and that it be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary to make the inquiry.
It was so ordered.
Also, a resolution instructing the Committee on Military Affairs to inquire into the expediency of providing by law for temporarily filling vacancies caused by the capture of officers, with the recommendation that the committee be discharged from its further consideration, and that it do lie upon the table; which was agreed to.
Mr. Chilton moved to suspend the rules, to enable him to introduce a bill.
The motion was lost.
A communication was received from the President, by Mr. Harrison, his Private Secretary; which is as follows, viz:
Richmond, Va., January 14, 1864.
Mr. Speaker: The President, on the 13th instant, approved and signed an act entitled
The House then, on motion of Mr. Wright of Texas, resolved itself into secret session; and having spent some time therein, again resolved itself into open session.
On motion of Mr. Farrow, leave of absence was granted his colleague, Mr. Simpson, detained from his seat by indisposition.
On motion of Mr. Welsh, leave of absence was granted Mr. Clapp (detained from his seat by indisposition).
Mr. Hilton moved that the House take a recess until half past 7 o'clock.
Mr. Smith of North Carolina moved to amend by striking out "half past 7" and inserting "7."
Mr. Kenan of Georgia moved that the House adjourn; which latter motion was agreed to, and
The Chair announced that the House stood adjourned until 11 o'clock to-morrow.
SECRET SESSION.
The House being in secret session, resumed the consideration of the special order; which was the bill to tax, fund, and limit the currency.
Mr. Gray moved to amend the second section by adding at the end the following, viz:
Provided, That the tax on notes shall not exceed eighty per cent on and after the first of August next.
The amendment was lost.
Mr. Baldwin moved to amend the third section by striking out the same and inserting in lieu thereof the following, viz:
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The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Chilton submitted the following amendment as an independent section:
Mr. Smith of North Carolina moved to amend the amendment by inserting after the words "Patent Office" the words "and the several State treasurers."
The amendment to the amendment was lost.
The question recurring on the amendment of Mr. Chilton,
Mr. Chilton demanded the yeas and nays;
Which were ordered,
Yeas: Bell, Eli M. Bruce, Horatio W. Bruce, Chilton, Collier, De Jarnette, Farrow, Foote, Foster, Gartrell, Graham, Hanly, Heiskell, Hilton, Lyons, Machen, McDowell, McQueen, Perkins, Preston, Simpson, and Singleton.
Nays: Arrington, Baldwin, Barksdale, Boteler, Boyce, Bridgers, Chambliss, Clark, Clopton, Conrad, Crockett, Curry, Dargan, Davidson, Dupré, Elliott, Ewing, Freeman, Funsten, Gaither, Garland, Garnett, Goode, Hartridge, Ingram, Johnston, Jones, Lander, Lewis, Lyon, Martin, McRae, Miles, Munnerlyn, Pugh, Read, Russell, Sexton, Smith of North Carolina, Staples, Strickland, Swan, Trippe, Villeré, Welsh, Wilcox, and Wright of Texas.
So the amendment was lost.
Mr. Sexton moved to reconsider the vote just taken.
The motion was lost.
Mr. Johnston submitted the following amendment:
Strike out, in the fourth section, after the word "act," in the second line, the words "shall continue to be receivable in payment of all public dues, except export duties, but shall not hereafter be fundable," and insert the words "shall be placed upon the same footing with, and entitled to all the advantages of, the new issue of Treasury notes authorized to be made by the fifth section of this act."
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Baldwin moved to amend the fourth section by striking out the last sentence and inserting in lieu thereof the following, viz:
All call-loan certificates, and the Treasury notes in which they may hereafter be redeemed, shall be fundable and receivable, and shall be taxed in all respects as has been herein provided for Treasury notes heretofore issued.
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Russell submitted the following amendment (in the nature of a substitute for the fifth section):
Every person who shall be liable to pay or deliver any tax in kind for the year eighteen hundred and sixty-four may, at his option, commute the same by the payment of coin or commutation bills, as hereinafter provided.
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The President shall cause to be made and issued bills to be called "commutation bills," which shall be of any of the denominations heretofore authorized for Treasury notes not bearing interest, and shall purport that the Confederate States of America owe to the bearer the sums of money therein respectively specified, and that the bills are receivable in commutation of certain taxes according to law. Such bills, when received into the Treasury, may be reissued, or others may be issued, but the whole amount of them outstanding shall not at any time exceedmillions of dollars. Such of said bills as shall remain outstanding at the conclusion of a definitive treaty of peace between the Confederate States and the United States will be paid within two years thereafter.
The commutations hereinbefore authorized to be made shall, until otherwise provided by law, be made at the following rates: For wheat,per bushel; for corn,per bushel; for oats,per bushel; for rye,per bushel; for buck-wheat,per bushel; for rice,per pound; for sweet potatoes,per bushel; for Irish potatoes,per bushel; for cured hay,per ton; for fodder,per ton; for sugar,per pound; for molasses,per gallon; for cotton,cents per pound; for wool,per pound; for tobacco,per pound; for pease,per bushel; for beans,per bushel; for ground pease,per bushel, and for bacon,cents per pound.
Whenever the amount which any taxpayer is bound to deliver of any crop, as tax in kind, for the year eighteen hundred and sixty-four, shall be agreed upon between him and the assessor, or shall be assessed according to law, or when the taxpayer shall exhibit his account of hogs slaughtered, the taxpayer, if he elects to commute the same according to this act, shall notify the assessor thereof, in writing, and thereupon the amount of money payable on account of such commutation shall be immediately due and shall be certified by the assessor to the proper collector, and the amount due shall be paid or collected, in commutation bills or coin (at the option of the taxpayer), according to the laws relating to the collection of income taxes, so far as the same are applicable.
Mr. Gartrell called the question; which was ordered.
And being on the amendment of Mr. Russell,
Mr. Russell demanded the yeas and nays;
Which were ordered,
Yeas: Boteler, Chambliss, Clopton, Collier, Curry, Goode, Heiskell, Hilton, Holcombe, Lewis, Lyons, Martin, McQueen, Munnerlyn, Preston, Pugh, Russell, Swan, and Villeré.
Nays: Arrington, Baldwin, Barksdale, Bridgers, Eli M. Bruce, Horatio W. Bruce, Burnett, Chilton, Clark, Conrad, Crockett, Dargan, Davidson, De Jarnette, Dupré, Elliott, Farrow, Foote, Foster, Funsten, Gaither, Garnett, Gartrell, Graham, Gray, Hanly, Hartridge, Johnston, Jones, Kenan of North Carolina, Lander, Lyon, Machen, McDowell, McLean, McRae, Menees, Miller, Perkins, Sexton, Singleton, Smith of Alabama, Smith of North Carolina, Staples, Strickland, Trippe, Welsh, Wilcox, and Wright of Texas.
So the amendment was lost.
Mr. Russell moved to amend the fifth section by striking out the same and inserting in lieu thereof the following, viz:
The President shall cause to be made and issued bills to be called "commutation bills," which shall be of any of the denominations heretofore authorized for Treasury notes not bearing interest, and shall purport that the Confederate States of America owe to the bearer the sums of money therein respectively specified, and that the bills are receivable in commutation of certain taxes according to law. Such bills, when received into the Treasury, may be reissued, or others may be issued, but the whole amount of them outstanding shall not at any time exceedmillions of dollars. such of said bills as shall remain outstanding at the conclusion of a definitive treaty of peace between the Confederate States and the United States will be paid within two years thereafter.
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The commutations hereinbefore authorized to be made shall, until otherwise provided by law, be made at the following rates: For wheat,per bushel; for corn,per bushel; for oats,per bushel; for rye,per bushel; for buck wheat,per bushel; for rice,per pound; for sweet potatoes,per bushel; for Irish potatoes,per bushel; for cured hay,per ton; for fodder,per ton; for sugar,per pound; for molasses,per gallon; for cotton,cents per pound; for wool,per pound; for tobacco,per pound; for pease,per bushel; for beans,per bushel; for ground pease,per bushel, and bacon,cents per pound.
Whenever the amount which any taxpayer is bound to deliver of any crop, as tax in kind, for the year eighteen hundred and sixty-four, shall be agreed upon between him and the assessor, or shall be assessed according to law, or when the taxpayer shall exhibit his account of hogs slaughtered, the taxpayer, if he elects to commute the same according to this act, shall notify the assessor thereof, in writing, and there upon the amount of money payable on account of such commutation shall be immediately due and shall be certified by the assessor to the proper collector, and the amount due shall be paid or collected, in commutation bills or coin (at the option of the taxpayer), according to the laws relating to the collection of income taxes, so far as the same are applicable.
Mr. Swan called the question; which was ordered, and the amendment was lost.
Mr. Chilton moved to amend the sixth section as follows, viz: Strike out, in line 4, the words "they shall be exempt from taxation."
Mr. Foster called the question; which was ordered.
Mr. Lyons demanded the yeas and nays; which were not ordered, and the amendment was lost.
Mr. Garnett moved to amend the sixth section by striking out the word "only," in third line, and inserting the words "and export duties heretofore laid."
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Dargan moved to amend the sixth section by striking out all after the word "dues," in second line, down to and including the word "only," in third line, and the amendment just agreed to.
Mr. Foster called the question; which was ordered, and the amendment was lost.
Mr. Chilton moved to amend the sixth section by inserting after the word "taxation," in line 4, the words "shall be a legal tender in the payment of all private debts contracted after the passage of this act."
Mr. Wright of Texas called the question; which was ordered.
Mr. Foster demanded the yeas and nays;
Which were ordered,
Yeas: Barksdale, Boteler, Eli M. Bruce, Chilton, Collier, Conrad, Davidson, Dupré, Elliott, Ewing, Foote, Foster, Gartrell, Heiskell, Hilton, Johnston, Kenan of Georgia, Kenan of North Carolina, Lewis, Machen, McRae, Miller, Perkins, Preston, Smith of North Carolina, Strickland, Villeré, and Wright of Texas.
Nays: Baldwin, Boyce, Bridgers, Horatio W. Bruce, Burnett, Chambliss, Clopton, Conrow, Crockett, Curry, Dargan, Farrow, Funsten, Garland, Garnett, Goode, Graham, Gray, Hanly, Hartridge, Holcombe, Ingram, Jones, Lander, Lyons, Martin, McLean, McQueen, Munnerlyn, Pugh, Sexton, Singleton, Trippe, Welsh, Wilcox, and Mr. Speaker.
So the amendment was lost.
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Mr. Smith of North Carolina submitted the following amendment:
Add at end of section 6 the words "and all contracts for the payment of money entered into after the passage of this act shall be held and deemed payable in said notes, unless the contrary intent shall therein appear."
Pending which,
The House,
On motion of Mr. Foster,
Resolved itself into open session.
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