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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 --FIRST DAY--MONDAY, December 7, 1863.
OPEN SESSION.
The House met at 12 o'clock, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Moore.
Upon a call of the roll the following members answered to their names, viz:
From the State of--
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A quorum being present,
Mr. Boteler announced the presence of Mr. Funsten, a member-elect from the State of Virginia, who came forward, was duly qualified, and took his seat.
Mr. H. W. Bruce asked for leave of absence for his colleague, Mr. Moore; which was granted.
Mr. Swan asked for leave of absence for his colleague, Mr. Heiskell; which was granted.
Mr. Wilcox asked leave of absence for Mr. Barksdale, who was detained from his seat by indisposition.
The leave was granted.
A message was received from the Senate, by Mr. Nash, their Secretary; which is as follows, viz:
Mr. Speaker: I am instructed by the Senate to inform the House of Representatives that a quorum of the Senate has assembled, and that the Senate is ready to proceed to business.
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On motion of Mr. H. W. Bruce,
A message was sent to the Senate, informing that body that a quorum of the House was present and ready to proceed to business.
Mr. Bell asked for leave of absence for his colleague, Mr. Harris; which was granted.
Mr. Garnett moved that a committee be appointed to join such committee as may be appointed by the Senate to wait upon the President and inform him that the Congress of the Confederate States was in session and ready to receive any communication he might think proper to make.
The motion was agreed to, and
The speaker appointed as the committee on the part of the House Messrs. Garnett of Virginia, Chilton of Alabama, and Swan of Tennessee.
Mr. Conrad offered the following joint resolution:
The Senate and House of Representatives of the Confederate States do resolve, That a joint committee ofmembers of the Senate andmembers of the House of Representatives be appointed, whose duty it shall be to consider the state of the currency, and as speedily as possible to report such measures as in their judgment may be best calculated to relieve it.
On motion of Mr. Conrad, the joint resolution was laid upon the table.
Mr. Conrad offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That the answers of the Commissary-General to the inquiries contained in the resolutions adopted by this House on the third day of February, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, calling for information in relation to the powers conferred on W. A. Broadwell, and all papers appended to said answers be referred to the Committee on Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments, with instructions to examine the same and prosecute said inquiries, and if said answers be found insufficient or unsatisfactory, to send for persons and papers, and that said committee be authorized to report by bill or otherwise.
The resolution was adopted.
Mr. Farrow presented the petition of Mrs. Margaret A. Rice, praying duplicate Confederate 8 per cent bonds to be issued to her in place of those which she lost by fire; which was referred to the Committee on Claims.
Mr. Foote offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That this House do resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole immediately on the condition of the currency, with a view to considering at once this momentous subject and settling the principles upon which suitable and adequate legislation may be provided, without delay, for raising the same from its present deplorable state of depression, and securing it against future depreciation.
The question being on the adoption of the resolution,
Mr. Foote demanded the yeas and nays; which were not ordered.
The resolution was lost.
A message was received from the Senate, by Mr. Nash, their Secretary; which is as follows, viz:
Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a resolution to appoint a committee of three to join the committee appointed by the House of Representatives to wait on the President of the Confederate States and inform him that a quorum of each House is assembled, and that Congress is ready to receive any communications he may be pleased to make; and have appointed Mr. Brown, Mr. Henry, and Mr. Simms the committee on their part.
Mr. Foote introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act to prohibit dealing in the paper currency of the enemy;"
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which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. Garnett, from the joint committee appointed to wait upon the President, reported that the committee had waited upon the President, who informed them that he would send in a communication at 12 o'clock to-morrow.
Mr. Foote introduced
A bill to be entitled "An act providing for the assemblage of the two Houses of Congress on the first Monday in March of each year;" which was read first and second times and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. Welsh moved that the House adjourn.
The motion was lost.
Mr. Foote offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That the House will, on Tuesday next, after the President's message shall have been received and read by the House, resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole on the currency, with a view to devising means as early as practicable for the reformation thereof, and for the prevention of future depreciation, when the portion of the President's message relating to this subject and the report of the Secretary of the Treasury will be taken up for consideration, and all the various propositions which may be submitted for the attainment of the ends specified will have due attention accorded them.
Resolved, That on every day after Tuesday, the House will again resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole on this important subject, at the hour of one o'clock post-meridian precisely, and continue each day in session for at least three hours, until some suitable and adequate plan of finance shall have been agreed upon.
Mr. Foote demanded the yeas and nays; which were not ordered, and the resolution was lost.
Mr. Garnett offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That this House proceed to draw for seats in the same manner adopted at the last session,
And demanded the yeas and nays;
Which were ordered,
Yeas: Ayer, Baldwin, Bell, Boteler, Boyce, Breckinridge, Bridgers, Eli M. Bruce, Horatio W. Bruce, Clark, Clopton, Collier, Conrow, Crockett, Currin, Dargan, Farrow, Freeman, Garnett, Gartrell, Goode, Graham, Gray, Hanly, Hartridge, Hilton, Holcombe, Johnston, Kenan of Georgia, Menees, Miles, Preston, Pugh, Read, Russell, Sexton, Simpson, and Vest.
Nays: Atkins, Burnett, Chambliss, Chilton, Conrad, Curry, De Jarnette, Gaither, Jones, Lyons, Machen, McDowell, McLean, Miller, Swan, Welsh, Wilcox, and Wright of Texas.
So the resolution was agreed to.
The House then proceeded to draw seats in the usual manner, with the following result, viz:
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On motion of Mr. Hilton,
The House adjourned until 12 o'clock to-morrow.
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