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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 --THIRTEENTH DAY--TUESDAY, January 27, 1863.
OPEN SESSION.
The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Moore.
On motion of Mr. Garland, leave of absence was granted Mr. Atkins of Tennessee, on account of illness.
Mr. Jones, the Delegate from the Choctaw Nation, by consent, offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That there be printed, for distribution to the different Indian tribes within the bounds of the Confederate States, two hundred additional copies of the report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Foote, by consent, presented a letter from the Surgeon-General in relation to ice contracts entered into by the Government; which was read and referred to the Committee on the Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments.
The House then proceeded to the consideration of the unfinished business of yesterday; which was the joint resolution offered by Mr. Crockett.
The question being on the motion of Mr. Foote to amend the motion of Mr. Crockett,
Mr. Breckinridge demanded the question; which was ordered.
Mr. Foote, by consent, withdrew his motion to amend, and the motion of Mr. Crockett was agreed to.
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A message was received from the Senate, by their Secretary, Mr. Nash; which is as follows, viz:
Mr. Speaker: I am directed by the Senate to request the House of Representatives to direct their Clerk to cause all bills and joint resolutions to be numbered in consecutive order, making no distinction between those introduced in open legislative session and those originating in secret session, the present manner of numbering said bills and resolutions producing confusion in the Journals of the Senate.
A message was received from the President, by his Private Secretary, Mr. Harrison.
On motion of Mr. Dupré,
The House took from the table for consideration
A bill to be entitled "An act to consolidate regiments," etc., and referred the same to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. McLean offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That the President be respectfully requested to communicate to this House, if not incompatible with the public interests, in what States of the Confederacy the conscript law has been or is now being enforced, and whether any State or States of the Confederacy have been exempted from its operation. And also whether any State or States of the Confederacy have in its or their service any number of troops as reserved State forces which have been raised out of persons at the time subject to the conscript acts;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Vest, by consent, introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act in relation to the transfer of troops, and to repeal an act entitled 'An act in relation to the transfer of troops,' approved September twenty-third, eighteen hundred and sixty-two;"
which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Smith of North Carolina offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That the Committee on Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments and Military Transportation be directed to inquire into the expediency of providing for the exemption of such contracts as have been or may hereafter be made with State authorities for the supply of clothing to the troops from such States, from the late act abolishing commutation therefor, approved October eighth, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, and to report by bill or otherwise;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Smith of North Carolina also introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act to amend an act entitled 'An act to organize the Department of State,' approved February twenty-first, eighteen hundred and sixty-one;"
which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. McDowell presented the memorial of John A. Barnes, of North Carolina, praying compensation for services rendered as surgeon; which was referred to the Committee on Claims, without being read.
Mr. McDowell also presented a design for a flag; which was referred to the Committee on Flag and Seal.
Mr. Miles introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act to provide for the arrest of soldiers absent from their commands without leave, and providing compensation to their captors;"
which was read the first and second times, ordered to be printed, and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Miles also introduced
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A bill to be entitled "An act to amend an act relative to prisoners of war;"
which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on the Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments.
Mr. Miles also introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act to allow minors to hold commissions in the armies of the Confederate States;"
which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Miles also introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act to provide for the appointment of additional quartermasters in the Provisional Army;"
which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Miles also introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act to increase the strength and efficiency of heavy artillery for coast defenses, and other purposes;"
which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Miles offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved,, That the Committee on Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments be instructed to inquire into the expediency of increasing the compensation for horses killed in battle, and of providing for compensation for horses lost or disabled in service, where no fault attaches to the owners thereof, and to report by bill or otherwise;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Miles also offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of diminishing the number of partisan ranger corps now in service, and improving the efficiency of their organization, and to report by bill or otherwise;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. McQueen introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act to amend an act entitled 'An act to establish the general staff of the Army of the Confederate States;'" which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Farrow presented a communication from R. S. Chick relative to the payment of the war tax by refugees; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, without being read.
Mr. Farrow also introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act relative to orders from heads of Departments;"
which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Jones of Tennessee presented a letter from W. V. Thompson, Ninth Battalion Tennessee Cavalry, praying the passage of an act to pay for horses lost in service; which was read and referred to the Committee on the Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments.
Mr. Swan moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the resolution offered by Mr. Miles relative to the loss of horses was agreed to.
The motion was lost.
Mr. Heiskell offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That the privilege accorded by this House to certain committees of this House to report at any time be withdrawn;
which was read and laid on the table, under the rules.
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Mr. Heiskell also offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That this House will, on Thursday, the twenty-ninth of the present month, at one o'clock, take up the Calendar and dispose of the same regularly;
which was read and laid on the table, under the rules.
Mr. Foote offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That the Committee on the Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments be instructed to inquire into the facts and circumstances connected with the large accumulation of commissary supplies at Manassas and in that vicinage, just before the evacuation of that post by our army, and that said committee particularly inquire whether such accumulation of supplies at that place, at the period specified, was in accordance with the advice of General Johnston, or in opposition thereto; and also that said committee do inquire whether the flour accumulated in the vicinage mentioned was flour ground in the country immediately proximate to the position of our army, or flour ground in the neighborhood of Richmond, at higher price than flour was then commanding in the neighborhood of the army, and transported at great additional expense to the place where it was needed;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Foote also offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That the Committee on the Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments be instructed to inquire into the amount of losses, in commissary and quartermaster's supplies, at Nashville, Clarksville, Bowling Green, and Manassas, upon the evacuation of those places by our army, with such particulars as may enable Congress to understand whether those losses were necessarily incurred, or were the result of official neglect or mismanagement;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Foote also offered the following resolution, viz:
Resolved, That the Committee on the Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments be instructed to inquire whether or not great abuses have occurred in the transportation service, whereby persons connected in speculative operations have been allowed, by the connivance of persons in the employment of the Government, to transport commodities on their own account, to the exclusion of others, and even of the Government itself, whereby great public mischief has accrued;
which was read and agreed to.
Mr. Foote introduced joint resolutions entitled "Joint resolutions in regard to the Emperor of the French;" which were read the first and second times.
Mr. Dargan moved that the rule requiring a reference of the same to a committee be suspended.
Upon which Mr. Lyons demanded the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered,
Yeas: Arrington, Ashe, Batson, Bell, Bridgers, Eli M. Bruce, Horatio W. Bruce, Chrisman, Clark, Collier, Crockett, Dargan, Davidson, Davis, Ewing, Foote, Foster, Gaither, Garland, Gartrell, Goode, Graham, Hanly, Jones, Lander, Lyon, Lyons, Machen, Marshall, McDowell, McQueen, McRae, Preston, Ralls, Sexton, Singleton, Smith of North Carolina, Smith of Virginia, Staples, Strickland, Tibbs, Vest, Wright of Georgia, Wright of Texas, and Mr. Speaker.
Nays: Baldwin, Boteler, Boyce, Burnett, Chambliss, Chilton, Clopton, Conrad, Conrow, Currin, Curry, De Jarnette, Dupré, Elliott, Farrow, Gray, Hartridge, Hilton, Holcombe, Holt, Kenan of Georgia, Lewis, McLean, Perkins, Royston, Russell, Smith of Alabama, Swan, Trippe, Villeré, and Wilcox.
So the rule was not suspended.
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Mr. Lyons, by unanimous consent, offered an amendment, by way of substitute; which was, together with the joint resolutions, referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Foote offered joint resolutions in relation to the bringing about a termination of the present war; which were read the first and second times and, on motion of Mr. Conrad, were laid upon the table.
Mr. Foote also offered the following resolution, viz:
Whereas it is understood that grave doubts have been expressed in several quarters touching a settlement alleged to have been made in regard to a large amount of tobacco supposed to be in the ownership of one Auguste Belmont, of the city of New York, whereby said tobacco has been released from the operation of the confiscation acts of this Government, the Committee on the Judiciary are instructed to inquire fully into all the particulars of said transaction, and to recommend such action in the premises as they shall deem judicious and proper;
which was read and agreed to.
On motion of Mr. Kenner,
The House resolved itself into secret session;a and having spent some time therein, again resolved itself into open session;
[Note a: a The Journal of this secret session has not been found.]
When,
On motion,
The House adjourned until 12 o'clock to-morrow.
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