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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 --EIGHTY-EIGHTH DAY--WEDNESDAY, April 29, 1863.
OPEN SESSION.
The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Read.
Mr. Chilton moved to suspend the rules to enable him to report a joint resolution from the Committee on Commissary and Quartermaster's Departments, and upon his motion demanded the yeas and nays;
Which were ordered,
Yeas: Arrington, Ashe, Atkins, Baldwin, Barksdale, Batson, Bell, Boteler, Boyce, Horatio W. Bruce, Chambers, Chilton, Clopton, Collier, Conrad, Conrow, Crockett, Currin, Curry, Ewing, Farrow, Freeman, Garland, Gray, Hanly, Harris, Hartridge, Heiskell, Herbert, Hilton, Hodge, Holcombe, Holt, Jones, Kenner, Lyon, Machen, Marshall, Martin, McLean, McQueen, Menees, Miles, Perkins, Pugh, Read, Russell, Sexton, Simpson, Smith of Alabama, Smith of North Carolina, Swan, Trippe, Vest, Villeré, Welsh, Wilcox, Wright of Georgia, Wright of Tennessee, and Mr. Speaker.
Nays: None.
So the rules were suspended.
Mr. Chilton, from the Committee on Commissary and Quartermaster's Departments, to which had been referred a joint resolution of the House to be entitled
The House having refused to postpone the joint resolution and place it upon the Calendar, it was taken up for consideration and read as follows, viz:
Resolved by the Congress of the Confederate States of America, That the Secretary of the Treasury audit and pay the accounts of the acting quartermaster and other officers of the Indian troops for camp utensils, horse equipments, clothing, ordnance and ordnance stores furnished by Jones & Thebo and R. M. Jones, for the use of said troops: Provided, That said accounts have been examined and approved by Brigadier-General Albert Pike.
The question being on agreeing to the amendments of the Senate, which are as follows, viz:
Strike out, in line 2, the words "Secretary of the Treasury" and insert "Quartermaster-General."
Insert, in line 7, after the word "troops," the words "upon the bills of particulars herewith filed, amounting to eleven thousand two hundred and sixteen dollars and seventy-five cents.
The same was agreed to.
Mr. Swan, under a suspension of the rules, reported, from the special committee appointed to take into consideration the election of Representatives to Congress in certain States
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A bill to be entitled "An act for holding elections for Representatives in the Congress of the Confederate States in the State of Tennessee."
The bill was read a first and second time.
The House having refused to postpone and place the bill on the Calendar,
The question recurred on ordering the bill to be engrossed for a third reading.
Mr. Hilton called the question; which was ordered, and it was decided in the affirmative.
And the bill was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Conrad moved to suspend the rules to enable him to introduce a bill.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. Conrad introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act to provide for the election of members of Congress in certain districts in the State of Louisiana."
The bill was read a first and second time.
The House having refused to postpone the bill and place it upon the Calendar, the bill was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Smith of North Carolina asked leave of absence for Mr. McDowell; which was granted.
Mr. Chilton moved to suspend the rules to enable him to report a bill from the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. Chilton, from the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads, to which had been referred
A bill to be entitled "An act to establish certain post routes therein named,"
reported back the same, with the recommendation that it pass.
The House having refused to postpone and place the bill on the Calendar,
Mr. Hartridge moved to amend the bill as follows:
From Bengal, in Bullock County, Georgia, via William Deloach's mills, in Bullock County, thence to Benjamin Brewton's mills, in Tatnall County, and thence to Reidsville, in said county of Tatnall.
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Ashe moved to amend the bill as follows, viz:
From Old Hundred Depot, on the Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad, in Richmond County, by Rockingham, Wadesboro, Lanesboro, and Monroe, to Charlotte, and from Why Not Post-Office, in Randolph County, to Troy, in Randolph [Montgomery] County.
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Machen moved to recommit the bill to the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads.
The motion was not agreed to.
Mr. Martin moved to amend the bill as follows, viz: After the word "Bayport," insert "and from Waldo to Micanopy, in the county of Alachua."
The amendment was agreed to.
The bill was then engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
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 rejected the bill of this House entitled
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The Senate have passed a joint resolution of the following title, viz:
In which I am directed to ask the concurrence of this House.
The President of the Confederate States has notified the Senate that he did, on the 27th instant, approve and sign the following acts:
Mr. Wilcox moved to suspend the rules, for the purpose of allowing the chairman of the Committee of the Judiciary to report back a bill.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. Russell, from the Committee on the Judiciary, to which had been referred a House bill to be entitled "An act to change the place of holding the district court for the western district of Texas," reported back the same, with the recommendation that it do pass.
The House having refused to postpone the bill and place it upon the Calendar, it was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Chilton moved to reconsider the vote by which the House refused to concur in the Senate amendment to the House bill to be entitled
Mr. Wright of Georgia moved to take up a Senate bill entitled
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. Jones moved to amend the bill by striking out, after the word "that," in section 1, line 2, all down to and including "composition," in the seventeenth line.
Mr. Jones demanded the yeas and nays on his motion;
Which were ordered,
Yeas: Atkins, Chilton, Conrad, De Jarnette, Ewing, Garland, Hanly, Hartridge, Hilton, Holt, Machen, Martin, McQueen, Miles, Munnerlyn, Pugh, Swan, and Mr. Speaker.
Nays: Arrington, Ashe, Barksdale, Batson, Bell, Boteler, Boyce, Eli M. Bruce, Horatio W. Bruce, Chambers, Clapp, Clopton, Collier, Conrow, Curry, Farrow, Graham, Gray, Heiskell, Herbert, Holcombe, Kenner, Lewis, Lyon, Lyons, Marshall, McLean, Menees, Miller, Moore, Perkins, Russell, Simpson, Singleton, Trippe, Vest, Villeré, Welsh, Wright of Georgia, and Wright of Texas.
So the amendment was not agreed to.
Mr. Wright of Georgia moved to amend the bill as follows: In section 5, line 6, after the word "work," insert the words "and for bills and resolutions on which final action is yet to be taken."
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Wright of Georgia also moved to amend by striking out all after the word "margin," in the thirteenth line, same section, down to and including the word "taken," in the sixteenth line.
The amendment was agreed to.
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Mr. Perkins moved to amend the bill by striking out the fifteenth section.
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Perkins moved to amend by adding the following proviso:
Provided, That nothing contained in this act shall be so construed as to take from the Speaker of the House the right to revise and correct the said Journal before it is filed with the Attorney-General: And provided further, That he is authorized to employ such additional clerks for making the transcripts as he may deem necessary, to be paid out of the contingent fund of the House.
The amendment was agreed to.
The bill was then read a third time, and the question being on its passage,
Mr. Jones demanded the yeas and nays;
Which were ordered,
Yeas: Ashe, Atkins, Barksdale, Bell, Boyce, Eli M. Bruce, Horatio W. Bruce, Chambers, Chilton, Clopton, Collier, Conrad, Currin, Curry, De Jarnette, Ewing, Farrow, Gaither, Garnett, Gray, Herbert, Hodge, Holcombe, Holt, Kenner, Lewis, Lyon, Lyons, Marshall, McQueen, Menees, Miles, Miller, Perkins, Russell, Sexton, Simpson, Singleton, Trippe, Villeré, Welsh, Wright of Georgia, and Wright of Texas.
Nays: Arrington, Bridgers, Conrow, Hilton, Jones, Machen, Moore, Pugh, Smith of North Carolina, Vest, and Mr. Speaker.
So the bill was passed.
A message was received from the Senate, through the hands of Mr. Nash, the Secretary of that body; which is as follows, viz:
Mr. Speaker: The Senate have directed me to return to this House, in accordance with its request, the bill of the House (H. R. 61) entitled "An act to make appropriations for the support of the Government of the Confederate States of America for the periods therein mentioned."
The Senate have passed, without amendment, a bill of this House of the following title, viz:
Mr. Hanly moved that an additional member be appointed on the Committee on Accounts.
The motion was agreed to.
On motion, the Speaker appointed Mr. Machen.
Mr. Curry moved to suspend the rules, to allow him to report back a bill from the Committee on Commerce.
The rules were suspended.
Mr. Curry, from the Committee on Commerce, to which had been referred a bill to be entitled
The House having refused to postpone the bill and place it upon the Calendar, it was read a third time, and the question being on its passage,
Mr. Jones demanded the yeas and nays; which were not ordered.
Mr. Jones moved a call of the House, and on his motion demanded the yeas and nays;
Which were ordered.
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Yeas: Arrington, Atkins, Barksdale, Bell, Boteler, Bridgers, Eli M. Bruce, Chambers, Chilton, Conrad, Ewing, Hartridge, Herbert, Holcombe, Jones, Kenner, Lyons, McQueen, Menees, Munnerlyn, Perkins, Pugh, Simpson, Singleton, Swan, Trippe, Vest, Villeré, Welsh, Wright of Georgia, Wright of Tennessee, Wright of Texas, and Mr. Speaker.
Nays: Ashe, Boyce, Clopton, Collier, Conrow, Curry, De Jarnette, Farrow, Gaither, Graham, Gray, Hilton, Holt, Lewis, Machen, Marshall, Martin, Miller, Moore, Russell, Sexton, and Smith of North Carolina.
So the motion for the call of the House was agreed to.
It appearing from the vote last taken that a quorum was present,
Mr. Jones, by unanimous consent, withdrew his motion for a call.
Mr. Herbert, from the special committee to examine into the affairs of Castle Thunder, moved that the rules be suspended to allow the testimony taken before the committee to be reported.
The rules were suspended.
Mr. Herbert then presented the said testimony; which was ordered to be printed.
Mr. Moore, under a suspension of the rules, reported back from the Committee on the Judiciary a House bill to be entitled
The House having refused to postpone the bill and place it on the Calendar, it was taken up for consideration and read as follows, viz:
The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That in the several Indian nations entitled by treaty to Delegates in the Congress of the Confederate States, the regulations for holding elections for such Delegates shall be as follows:
Such elections shall be held in all such Indian nations on the first Monday in September, anno Domini eighteen hundred and sixty-three, and in each second year thereafter.
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The question recurred upon agreeing to the amendments of the Senate; which are as follows, viz:
"In every nation in which elections are authorized by this act, polls shall be opened at the usual time and places of holding elections, and the returning officers shall make the usual returns to the governor or principal chief of the nation within ten days after such elections."
The amendments were agreed to.
The House then resumed the consideration of Mr. Chilton's motion to reconsider the vote by which the House refused to concur in the Senate amendment to the House bill (H. R. 61) to be entitled "An act to make appropriations for the support of the Government of the Confederate States of America for the periods therein mentioned."
Mr. Singleton called the question; which was ordered.
Mr. Chilton demanded the yeas and nays;
Which were ordered,
Yeas: Bell, Boyce, Chilton, Clopton, Conrad, Conrow, Crockett, Currin, Curry, Ewing, Farrow, Garland, Hartridge, Heiskell, Herbert, Hilton, Holt, Jones, Kenner, Lewis, Lyon, Machen, Marshall, McQueen, McRae, Miles, Moore, Munnerlyn, Simpson, Singleton, Trippe, Villeré, Wright of Georgia, Wright of Texas, and Mr. Speaker.
Nays: Arrington, Ashe, Baldwin, Barksdale, Batson, Boteler, Bridgers, Eli M. Bruce, Horatio W. Bruce, Chambers, Collier, De Jarnette, Gaither, Garnett, Graham, Hodge, Holcombe, Lyons, Martin, Menees, Miller, Perkins, Pugh, Russell, Sexton, Smith of Alabama, Smith of North Carolina, Swan, Vest, Welsh, Wilcox, and Wright of Tennessee.
So the motion to reconsider prevailed.
The question recurring upon agreeing to the Senate amendment,
Mr. Garland called the question; which was ordered.
The amendment was concurred in.
A message was received from the Senate, by Mr. Nash, their Secretary; which is as follows, viz:
Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed, with amendments, a bill of this House of the following title, viz:
In which amendments I am directed to ask the concurrence of this House.
Mr. Russell, under a suspension of the rules, reported back from the Committee on the Judiciary a Senate bill to be entitled
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The House having refused to postpone and place the bill on the Calendar, it was read a third time and passed.
Mr. Russell, from the same committee, reported back a Senate bill to be entitled
The House refusing to postpone, it was read a third time and passed.
Mr. Russell, from the same committee, reported back, with amendments, joint resolutions of the House expressing the opinion of Congress in relation to the conduct of certain citizens of Louisiana within the lines and in the presence of the enemy.
The House having refused to postpone, the same were taken up for consideration and read as follows, to wit:
Resolved, That while Congress views with pride the course pursued by the true men and women of the Confederacy, who, falling within the lines of the enemy, have resisted all appeals to their pecuniary interests, and refused, in spite of pains and penalties, either to perjure themselves or to forswear their own Government by taking an oath of allegiance to support that of the United States, it regards with peculiar satisfaction the conduct of those citizens of Louisiana, who, by refusing the oath and openly registering themselves enemies of the United States in the immediate presence and in defiance of General Butler's military authorities, have borne most honorable testimony by their martyr-like courage to the patriotic spirit and Christian faith of our people.
Resolved, That while such conduct has secured them the present respect and sympathy of all good people, it will be esteemed, in the future, a most honorable claim upon the gratitude of their country, and the highest evidence of their devotion to truth and principle.
The question being on agreeing to the amendments of the committee, which are as follows, viz:
Joint resolutions of Congress in commendation of the conduct of those citizens of Louisiana and other States, who, on falling within the lines of the enemy, have refused to take the oath of allegiance to the United States.
Resolved, That Congress views with pride the course pursued by the true men and women of the Confederacy, who, falling within the lines of the enemy, have resisted all appeals to their pecuniary interests, and refused, in spite of pains and penalties, to forswear their own Government by taking the oath of allegiance to support that of the United States, and regards with peculiar satisfaction the conduct of those citizens of Louisiana, who, by refusing the oath and openly registering themselves enemies to the United States in the immediate presence and in defiance of General Butler's military authorities, have borne most noble testimony by their martyr-like courage to the patriotic spirit and Christian faith of our people.
Resolved, That while such conduct has secured them the present respect and sympathy of all good people, it will be esteemed, in the future, a most honorable claim upon the gratitude of their country, and the highest evidence of their devotion to truth and principle,
Mr. Villeré moved to lay the joint resolutions and amendments on the table.
The motion was lost.
Mr. Conrad moved to amend the amendments of the committee as follows, viz:
That Congress has beheld with sorrow and indignation the wanton cruelties practiced by our vindictive enemies upon the inhabitants of those portions of our country which have fallen under their control.
That while deeply sympathizing with the sufferings of those devoted patriots, Congress can only assure them of their undiminished confidence in the ultimate triumph of our cause, and that the firmness and fortitude which they have exhibited deserve and receive the gratitude of their country and the admiration of the civilized world.
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The amendment was agreed to.
The resolutions as amended were then read a third time and passed.
Mr. Conrad moved to amend the title as follows, viz:
Joint resolutions expressing the sympathy of Congress for the inhabitants of those portions of the Confederacy that are occupied by the enemy.
The amendment was agreed to.
The Speaker presented a bill of the House to be entitled
The bill was referred to the Committee on the Medical Department.
Mr. Chambers, from the Committee on Enrolled Bills, reported as correctly enrolled bills of the following titles:
An act to authorize the Secretary of the Navy to appoint clerks to the commandant and quartermaster of the Marine Corps;
A bill to be entitled "An act to amend an act entitled 'An act to regulate impressments,' approved March twenty-sixth, eighteen hundred and sixty-three;"
An act to authorize the appointment of a chief constructor in the Navy, and to fix the pay;
An act to amend an act entitled "An act to amend an act entitled 'An act recognizing the existence of war between the United States and the Confederate States, and concerning letters of marque, prizes, and prize goods,' approved May sixth, eighteen hundred and sixty-one," approved May 21, 1861, and numbered 170 of the acts of the second session of the Provisional Congress of 1861;
An act to regulate the supplies of clothing to enlisted men of the Navy during the war; and
An act to increase the pay of masters' mates in the Navy;
which were severally signed by the Speaker.
Mr. Atkins, under a suspension of the rule, reported back from the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads a Senate bill to be entitled
The House refusing to postpone, the bill was read a third time and passed.
Mr. Chilton, from the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads, reported back a Senate bill to be entitled
The House having refused to postpone and place the bill upon the Calendar, it was read a third time and passed.
Mr. Chilton, from the same committee, reported back a Senate bill to be entitled
The House having refused to postpone, the same was taken up for consideration and read as follows, viz:
The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That the Postmaster-General be, and he is hereby, authorized, if found practicable and necessary, to establish express mails for the conveyance of Government dispatches and letters
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only, as a means of securing greater dispatch than can be afforded by the regular mails; and the lines of express mails so established shall be deemed post routes.
Sec. 2. The rates of postage on such lines, to be prepaid, shall be fifty cents on a single letter not exceeding one-half ounce in weight, and fifty cents additional for every additional half ounce or fraction of a half ounce, for any distance not exceeding five hundred miles, and double these rates for any distance exceeding five hundred miles.
The question recurred upon agreeing to the amendments of the committee; which are as follows, viz:
"The rates of postage on such lines shall be fixed by the Postmaster-General, but shall not exceed one dollar on a single letter not exceeding in weight one-half ounce for any distance not exceeding five hundred miles, and for any distance exceeding five hundred miles, double the said rate to be so fixed: Provided, This law shall not repeal the laws now in force regulating the ordinary mail service."
The amendments were agreed to, and the bill as amended was read a third time and passed.
Mr. Wright of Georgia, from the Committee on the Medical Department, to which had been referred a bill of the House to be entitled
The House having refused to postpone, the amendments were taken up for consideration as follows, viz:
The amendments were agreed to.
Mr. Wright of Georgia, from the same committee, reported back a Senate bill to be entitled
The House having refused to postpone the bill and place it upon the Calendar,
Mr. Wright moved that it be postponed until to-morrow.
The motion prevailed.
The House resumed the consideration of the unfinished business of yesterday, which was a House bill to be entitled "An act authorizing the detail of men for service in the Engineer Department;" which had been reported back by Mr. Chambers, from the Committee on Military Affairs.
The House refused to postpone.
The bill was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
A message was received from the President, by Mr. Harrison, his Private Secretary; which is as follows, viz:a
[Note a: a The message is not recorded in the Journal of this date; but see p. 465.]
Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported back a Senate bill to be entitled
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The House refusing to postpone, the bill was read a third time and passed.
Mr. Miles, from the same committee, reported back a Senate bill to be entitled
The question being on postponing the bill and placing it upon the Calendar,
It was decided in the negative.
Mr. Miles, by unanimous consent, introduced
A joint resolution of thanks to Gen. G. T. Beauregard and the officers and men of his command for the repulse of the ironclad fleet of the enemy from the harbor of Charleston on the 7th of April, 1863.
The resolution was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. H. W. Bruce, from the Committee on Enrolled Bills, reported as correctly enrolled a joint resolution and bills of the following titles, viz:
An act to punish forgery and counterfeiting;
Joint resolution to establish a seal for the Confederate States;
An act to allow commutation for clothing to the militia in actual service of the Confederate States;
An act relative to certain bonds and Treasury notes issued under the provisions of the act approved May 16, 1861; and
An act concerning fees of district attorneys;
which were severally signed by the Speaker.
Mr. Marshall moved to reconsider the joint resolutions, amended by Mr. Conrad, expressing the opinion of Congress in relation to the conduct of certain citizens of Louisiana within the lines and in the presence of the enemy.
On motion of Mr. Sexton,
The House adjourned until to-morrow at 11 o'clock a. m.
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