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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 --SEVENTY-FIRST DAY--WEDNESDAY, February 1, 1865.

Journal of the Congress of the Confederate States of America, 1861-1865 [Volume 7]
SEVENTY-FIRST DAY--WEDNESDAY, February 1, 1865.

OPEN SESSION.

The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by Rev. Dr. Hoge.

Mr. Gholson offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That the people of these Confederate States have ever been and are now ready to make peace on terms honorable to both parties; yet it is the judgment of this House. that while we should manifest a willingness to treat for peace, we should not omit vigorously to prepare for war.

Resolved further, That in the judgment of this House this preparation can best be made by using every effort to place at once in the Army every man liable under our laws to render military service, by causing the Commissary, Quartermaster's, and other departments to be administered with renewed energy and increased activity: and since General Lee has been made "General in Chief," by assigning under him our best and most acceptable generals to the command of our respective armies, and by ceasing to agitate the policy of employing negro troopS, a measure which has already divided public sentiment and produced much despondency.

Pending which,

A message was received from the Senate, by Mr. Nash, their Secretary; which was read as follows, viz:

Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a bill and joint resolution of the House of the following titles, viz:

• H. R. 242. An act to provide for sequestrating the property of persons liable

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  to military service who have departed, or shall depart, from the Confederate States without permission: and

• H. R. 20. Joint resolution construing the act of January 30, 1864, increasing the compensation of certain officers and employees of the Government.

Mr. Villeré moved that the rules be suspended to allow Mr. Gholson to proceed with his remarks on the resolution after the morning hour; which motion prevailed.

Under a suspension of the rules, Mr. Lyon, from the Committee on Ways and Means, to whom had been referred a House bill (H. R. 229) "to provide more effectually for the reduction and redemption of the currency," with Senate amendments, reported back the same with the recommendation that the House do not concur in said amendments.

The amendments of the Senate are as follows, viz:

• 1. Add at the end of section 1 the following: "which may attach to said notes so as to affect their circulation at par or diminish the promise contained on their face, but the holder of said notes may be subjected to taxation on account thereof to the same extent and in the same manner as he may be taxed for or on account of other money."
• 2. Strike out section 2, which reads as follows, viz:
  • "Sec. 2. Pending the war, one-fifth of the Treasury notes annually received into the Treasury in payment of taxes shall be thereupon canceled until the amount outstanding shall have been reduced to one hundred and fifty millions of dollars,"
    and insert in lieu thereof the following, viz:
  • "Sec. 2. That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, directed and required, whenever in his judgment the exigencies of the Government will permit, to cancel from time to time such an amount of Treasury notes as may be received into the Treasury until the amount outstanding shall have been reduced to two hundred millions of dollars."
• 3. Strike out the words "Treasury notes issued, or authorized to be issued, by 'An act to reduce the currency and to authorize a new issue of notes and bonds,' approved February seventeenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-four," section 4, lines 4, 5, 6, and 7, and insert in lieu thereof the words "the certificates herein authorized to be issued."
• 4. Strike out all of section 5 after the word "Treasury," in line 12; which is as follows, viz: "Provided, That Treasury notes redeemed in lieu of the certificates authorized by this act shall not be reissued: Provided further, That said certificates shall be divided into two classes, to be designated, respectively, as number one and two. Certificates issued during the first six months of the year eighteen hundred and sixty-five shall be of the first class, and shall be redeemable in cotton at forty cents a pound, corn at one dollar and fifty cents per bushel, and wheat at three dollars per bushel: Provided, however, That holders of Treasury notes living in the Trans-Mississippi Department shall be allowed two months additional to convert their Treasury notes into certificates of the first class. Certificates issued subsequent to the six and eight months of said year shall be of the second class, and shall he redeemable in cotton at fifty cents per pound, corn it two dollars per bushel, and wheat at four dollars per bushel."
• 5. After the word "shall," section 6, line 2, insert the words "after the war."
• 6. Strike out the words "currency, is above provided, shall have been completed," section 8, line 5, and insert in lieu thereof the words "certificates hereby authorized to be issued."
• 7. At the end of section 8 add as follows: "Provided, That Congress may, at its discretion, front time to time make such modifications as to the mode of assessment and agency for the collection of said tax as experience may suggest."
• 8. Strike out the preamble; which reads as follows, viz:

  "Whereas the recovery of the currency front its depreciation and the reassurance of the public of its ultimate payment in full would be an inestimable benefit to both Government and citizens; and as a means for accomplishing this end, it is expedient to exempt the same front taxation and to pledge the public faith not only against any addition to the amount of the currency now authorized by law, but also to the reduction of it, by canceling annually a material part

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  thereof, and to the dedication of an ample fund for redeeming the residue to be applied to that purpose from and after the close of the existing war: Therefore."

The question being on concurring in the amendments of the Senate,

It was decided in the negative on each amendment, respectively.

Mr. Lyon moved that a committee of conference be tendered to the Senate on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on said bill; which motion prevailed.

On motion of Mr. Lyon, the House resolved itself into secret session.; and having spent some time therein, resolved itself into open session.

On motion of Mr. Colyar,

The House adjourned until 11 o'clock to-morrow.

SECRET SESSION.

The House being in secret session,

A message was received from the Senate, by Mr. Nash, their Secretary; which is as follows, viz:

Mr. Speaker: The Senate have concurred in the amendment of the House of Representatives to the joint resolution (S. 25) to amend a joint resolution entitled "Joint resolution on the subject of retaliation," approved May 1, 1863.

The President of the Confederate States has notified the Senate that on the 27th instant he approved and signed a joint resolution (S. 24) directing the transfer of certain funds from the Navy Department to the Treasury.

The House resolved itself into Committee of the Whole to consider the special order, viz:

The bill "to levy additional taxes for the year eighteen hundred and sixty-five for the support of the Government,"

Mr. Sexton in the chair; and having spent some time therein, the committee rose and reported, through their Chairman, that the committee had had the subject referred to them under consideration and had come to no resolution thereon.

On motion of Mr. Colyar,

The House resolved itself into open session.

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