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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 --NINTH DAY--WEDNESDAY, May 11, 1864.
OPEN SESSION.
The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by Rev. Dr. Moore.
The Chair laid before the House a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury in response to a resolution of the House relative to the payment of demands against the Government, ascertained or accruing previous to the first day of April last, in Treasury notes of the old issue, etc.
Mr. Smith of North Carolina submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That the communication be referred to a select committee, with instructions to inquire into the facts sought to be elicited by the resolution submitted to the Secretary of the Treasury, and report by bill or otherwise.
Mr. Swan moved to lay the resolution on the table; which motion was lost, and the resolution was adopted.
The Chair laid before the House a resolution of the Senate; which was read as follows, viz:
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit to the Clerk of the House of Representatives, for distribution in the House, one hundred and twenty copies of every bill, resolution, and report printed for the use of the Senate, except resolutions adopted or reports made in executive session,
and laid upon the table.
Also, a Senate bill (S. 12) "to authorize the withdrawal from the Treasury of money contributed to build an ironclad, gunboat by ladies of the State of South Carolina, and deposited therein;" which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Also, a Senate bill (S. 5) "to provide passports for Senators and Representatives in Congress when traveling in the Confederate States;" which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Also, a Senate bill (S. 11) "to extend the franking privilege;" which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads.
Also, a Senate joint resolution (S. 4) "for the relief of John D; Southerland;" which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Claims.
Also, a Senate joint resolution (S. 3) "officers
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and soldiers in the Confederate service east of the Mississippi River;" which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Chilton submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee on Ways and Means inquire into the expediency of adopting some amendment of the law confiscating the effects of alien enemies which will enable the Confederate States to confiscate the debts due from the banks, respectively, in the Confederacy to alien enemies by reason of the holding of the notes of such banks by such alien enemies; also to inquire whether any and what legislation on the part of the States in which such banks may be located is necessary as auxiliary to such confiscation, and that said committee report by bill or otherwise;
which was adopted.
Also, the following resolution:
Resolved, That the papers in the claim of the Central Warehouse Company of Selma, Alabama, for damages sustained by the launching of the gunboat Tennessee, which were presented to the last Congress, be withdrawn from the files of the House and referred to the Committee on Claims;
which was adopted.
Mr. Foster submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That the papers in the claim of J. E. Johnson for the loss of the steamboat W. B. Terry, which were presented to the House at the last session of Congress, be withdrawn from the files and referred to the Committee on Claims;
which was adopted.
A message was received from the Senate, by Mr. Nash, their Secretary; which is as follows, viz:
Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a bill (S. 4) to provide means of transit across the Mississippi River for members of Congress residing west of said river in going to and returning from the Confederate States Congress; in which I am directed to ask the concurrence of this House.
Mr. Hilton introduced
A bill "to amend an act entitled 'An act to allow commissioned officers of the Army rations and the privilege of purchasing clothing from the Quartermaster's Department.'"
The bill having been read a first and second time,
Mr. Hilton moved to suspend the rule requiring it to be referred to a committee; which motion prevailed.
Mr. Atkins submitted the following amendment:
Add at the end the following proviso: "Provided, That each commissioned officer be allowed to draw one ration for his servant."
Mr. Miller moved to refer the bill and amendment to the Committee on Military Affairs; which motion was lost.
Mr. Baldwin submitted the following amendment:
Strike out after the enacting clause the words
"That the third and last proviso to the second section of an act entitled 'An act to allow commissioned officers of the Army rations and the privilege of purchasing clothing from the Quartermaster's Department,' approved February seventeenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, be, and the same is hereby, repealed,"
and insert in lieu thereof the following, viz:
"That the third and last proviso to the second section of an act entitled 'An act to allow commissioned officers of the Army rations and the privilege of purchasing clothing from the Quartermaster's Department,' be amended and reenacted so as to read as follows: 'Provided, That no law or army regulation shall hereafter be construed to allow an officer to purchase from subsistence
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stores more than two rations a day or for less price than the cost thereof, including transportation.'"
Pending which,
The House, on motion of Mr. Heiskell, resolved itself into secret session; and having spent some time therein, resolved itself into open session, and
On motion of Mr. Chilton,
Adjourned until 12 o'clock to-morrow.
SECRET SESSION.
The House being in secret session,
Mr. Heiskell introduced
A bill "to declare the Department of Richmond in a state of siege, and to provide for a levy en masse of all persons found within said department;"
which was read a first and second time.
Mr. Heiskell moved that the rule be suspended requiring the bill to be referred to a committee; which motion prevailed.
Mr. Conrad submitted the following amendment:
Strike out the whole of the bill. which reads as follows, viz:
"The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That the city and Department of Richmond are declared to be in a state of siege; that all exemptions from military service are hereby suspended during the continuance of such siege, and every male person capable of bearing arms, who now is, or shall come within said department, excepting the members of the Government. is placed under the control of the military authorities for the defense of the city until the present dangers are removed,"
and insert in lieu thereof the following, viz:
"Whereas the safety of this city is seriously threatened:
"The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That the President is authorized to suspend, for such length of time as the safety may require, all laws or parts of laws creating exemptions from military service. except such persons as may be connected with the Government of the Confederate States and of the State of Virginia."
Mr. Barksdale submitted the following amendment to the amendment of Mr. Conrad:
Strike out the whole of said amendment and insert in lieu thereof the following:
"The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That, with a view to the protection of the capital of the Confederate States from threatened invasion, pillage, and rapine, the President be authorized to declare martial law in the city and Department of Richmond. it being hereby declared that such declaration shall not apply to the members of the legislative department of the Government and to the officers of the government of Virginia.
By unanimous consent, the consideration of the bill and amendments was informally postponed.
A message was received from the Senate, by Mr. Nash, their Secretary; which is as follows, viz:
Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a bill (S. 16) to fix the time for the assembling of the Congress at its next regular, session, and to authorize the President to convene the Congress at any place other than the seat of government; in which I am directed to ask the concurrence of this House.
Mr. Rives submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That a joint committee Of the two Houses be appointed, whose special duty it shall be to collect intelligence from every reliable source, official
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or other, touching any movement of the enemy threatening a forcible interruption of the deliberations of Congress, and to concert and report seasonable measures for avoiding a surprise that would involve an interregnum in that department of the Government, a contingency greatly to be deprecated for considerations intimately connected with the public safety and interest;
which was adopted.
Mr. Perkins moved to reconsider the vote by which the resolution was adopted.
The motion to reconsider was lost.
The Chair laid before the House a Senate bill (S. 16) "to fix the time for the assembling of the Congress at its next regular session, and to authorize the President to convene the Congress at any place other than the seat of government;" which was read a first and second time.
Mr. Foote moved that the rule be suspended requiring the bill to be referred to a committee.
The motion prevailed.
Mr. Perkins moved that, the bill be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Pending which,
The House, on motion of Mr. Chilton,
Resolved itself into open session.
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