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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--MONDAY, May 16, 1864.
OPEN SESSION.
The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by Rev. Dr. Minnigerode.
The Chair laid before the House a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting certain tables of commerce and navigation; which, together with the accompanying documents, was laid upon the table.
The Chair laid before the House a Senate bill (S. 25) "for the relief of the widow and heirs of the late Brigadier-General Leroy A. Stafford, of the Confederate States Army;" which was read a first and second time.
Mr. Dupré moved that the rule be suspended requiring the bill to be referred to a committee.
The motion prevailed, and the bill was read a third time and passed.
The title was read and agreed to.
The Chair also laid before the House a Senate bill (S. 22) "to secure the prompt printing of the laws of the Confederate States;"
which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Printing.
The House then resumed the consideration of unfinished business; which was the resolution of Mr. Chambers, that it is inexpedient at the present to repeal the act suspending the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus.
Mr. Baldwin moved to lay the resolution and pending motions on the table.
Mr. Chambers demanded the yeas and nays thereon;
Which were ordered,
Yeas: Atkins, Bell, Boyce, Branch, Colyar, Cruikshank, Farrow, Foote, Foster, Fuller, Gaither, A. H. Garland, Gilmer, Hanly, Heiskell, Lamkin, J. M. Leach, J. T. Leach, Lester, Logan, McCallum, McMullin, Murray, Orr, Perkins, Ramsay, Rogers, Shewmake, Simpson, Smith of North Carolina, Triplett, Turner, Whitfield, and Witherspoon.
Nays: Akin, Anderson, Ayer, Baldwin, Barksdale, Blandford, Bradley, Horatio W. Bruce, Chambers, Chilton, Clopton, De Jarnette, Dickinson, Dupré, Echols, Funsten, Gholson, Goode, Hartridge, Hilton, Holder, Holliday, Johnston, Keeble, Lyon, Machen, Miles, Miller, Montague, Moore, Pugh, Rives, Russell, Sexton, Singleton, J. M. Smith, W. E. Smith, and Welsh.
So the motion to lay on the table was lost.
Mr. Hartridge called the question; which was ordered.
The question being on the motion of Mr. Garland to postpone the consideration of the resolution until Thursday morning next,
It was decided in the affirmative.
Mr. Singleton submitted the following resolution:
Whereas by the first clause of the third section of an act entitled "An act to levy additional taxes for the common defense and support of the Government,"
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passed by the Confederate States Congress, and approved February seventeenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, a tax of five per cent was ordered to be assessed and collected upon the amounts of all gold and silver coin, gold dust, gold and silver bullion, whether held by banks or other corporations, or individuals; and
Whereas the Secretary of the Treasury of the Confederate States has so construed said act of Congress as to require the said tax of five per cent to be paid in gold and silver: Therefore,
Be it resolved, That the Committee on Ways and Means be instructed to prepare and report a bill to this House providing for the assessment and collection of said five per cent taxes in the same kind of funds and subject to the same terms and conditions as taxes are assessed and collected upon the property mentioned in said act.
Mr. Lyon moved to amend the resolution by striking out the words "to prepare and report a bill to this House" and inserting in lieu thereof the words "to inquire into the expediency of."
Mr. Rogers moved that the resolution and amendment be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means; which latter motion prevailed.
Mr. Gilmer presented the petition of the Society of Friends in North Carolina for the right of conscience and to be exempted from military service; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. J. M. Leach presented a communication on the same subject; which was also referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Ayer introduced
A bill "to indemnify persons who, in accordance with the provisions of the act of Congress approved May first, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, have paid five hundred dollars for the exemption of overseers that have since been conscripted or placed in the military service;"
which was read a first, and second time and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Also, a bill "to exempt from taxation the slave property of patriotic refugees which they are unable to employ in any profitable business:" which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Mr. Witherspoon submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That from the tax on the value of property employed in agriculture under the first section of the act "to levy additional taxes for the common defense and support of the Government," approved February seventeenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, shall be deducted the value of the tax in kind for the year eighteen hundred and sixty-three delivered to the Government;
which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Mr. Miles introduced
A bill "for the organization of the bureau of conscription and the appointment of officers in said bureau;"
which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
The morning hour having expired,
Mr. Sexton moved to postpone the consideration of the Calendar; which motion prevailed.
Mr. Rives presented the petition of R. W. N. Noland, of Albemarle County, Va., praying relief from the unequal operation of the tax law; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
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Mr. Baldwin submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That the President be respectfully requested, in addition to the correspondence heretofore communicated to Congress between the President and Secretary of War and General Joseph E. Johnston in relation to the conduct of the war in the valley of the Mississippi, to communicate to Congress so much of said correspondence as has not as yet been called for by this House, commencing with a letter of November twenty-fourth, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, addressed by General Johnston to Honorable George W. Randolph, Secretary of War, and including General Johnston's reply to the letter of the President ofJuly last, which closes the published correspondence;
which was adopted.
Mr. Gholson submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Special Committee on Impressments consider and report the true principle upon which "just compensation" shall be made for private property taken or impressed for public use; and what legislation is necessary to make all commissioners and impressing officers conform to that principle, so that such compensation may be made in all the States of the Confederacy according to the same rule;
which was adopted.
Mr. Chilton presented a communication on the subject of the tax law; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Mr. Clopton introduced
A bill "to amend so much of the tax law as requires one-tenth of the cotton, sweet potatoes, and ground pease to be paid to the Government, and to authorize commutation in certain cases;"
which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Mr. Hanly introduced
A joint resolution "requiring the Department of Justice to furnish the standing committees of the two Houses with printed copies of the acts of Congress;"
which was read a first and second time and, the rule having been suspended requiring it to be referred to a committee, was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
The title was read and agreed to.
Mr. Hilton submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That, until otherwise ordered, the daily meetings of this House shall be at eleven o'clock antemeridian.
Mr. Miles moved to lay the resolution on the table; which motion prevailed.
Mr. Anderson introduced
A bill "to amend and extend an act in relation to the receipt of counterfeit Treasury notes by public officers, approved May first, eighteen hundred and sixty-three;"
which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads.
Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom had been referred a Senate bill (S. 5) "to provide passports for Senators and Representatives in Congress when traveling in the Confederate States," reported back the same with the recommendation that it do pass.
The question being on postponing the bill and placing it on the Calendar,
It was decided in the negative.
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Mr. A. H. Garland submitted the following amendment:
In line 4, after the word "Congress," and in line 6, after the word "Representative," insert the words "Delegates and officers of each House;"
which was agreed to.
Mr. Heiskell submitted the following amendment (in the nature of a substitute):
That the certificate of the clerks of the respective Houses of Congress, countersigned by the presiding officer, of the membership of each member of Congress, shall entitle such member to all the privileges of membership and shall protect him from all stoppage or molestation in passing through or remaining at any point in the Confederate States, except within the lines of the Army or on board a Government vessel.
Mr. Sexton moved the previous question; which was ordered.
The question being on the amendment of Mr. Heiskell;
It was decided in the negative.
The question, recurring, on ordering the bill to a third reading,
It was decided in the affirmative.
The bill having been read a third time, and the question being put,
Shall the bill pass?
It was decided in the affirmative.
Mr. Smith of North Carolina moved to reconsider the vote by which the bill was passed.
Mr. Foster called the question; which was ordered, and the motion to reconsider was lost.
Mr. Garland moved to amend the title by inserting after the word "Representatives" the words "Delegates and officers of each House."
The amendment was agreed to, and the title as amended was read and agreed to.
Mr. Miles, from the same committee, to whom had been referred a Senate joint resolution (S. 3) "of thanks to Missouri officers and soldiers in the Confederate service east of the Mississippi River," reported back the same with the recommendation that it do pass.
The question being on postponing the joint resolution and placing it on the Calendar,
It was decided in the negative.
The joint resolution was then read a third time and passed, and the title was read and agreed to.
Mr. Miles, from the same committee, to whom had been referred A bill (H. R. 39) "to protect citizens of the Confederate States from unjust and illegal impressments,"
reported back the same with the recommendation that the committee be discharged from its further consideration, and that it be referred to the Special Committee on Impressments; which was agreed to.
Mr. Miles, from the same committee, to whom had been referred
A bill (H. R. 54) "to amend an act entitled 'An act to organize military courts to attend the Army of the Confederate States in the field, and to define the powers of said courts,'"
reported back the same with the recommendation that it do not pass.
The bill was postponed and placed on the Calendar.
Mr. Miles, from the same committee, to whom had been referred
A bill (H. R. 30) "to authorize the appointment of commissaries for regiments of cavalry,"
reported back the same with the recommendation that it do pass.
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The question being on postponing the bill and placing it on the Calendar,
It was decided in the negative, and the bill was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Miles, from the same committee, to whom had also been referred A bill "more clearly to define the duties of persons between the ages of seventeen and eighteen years and between forty-five and fifty years, enrolled under the act entitled 'An act to organize forces to serve during the war,' approved February seventeenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-four,"
reported back the same with the recommendation that it do not pass.
The bill was postponed and placed on the Calendar.
Mr. Sexton, from the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads, to whom had been referred a Senate bill (S. 11) "to extend the franking privilege," reported back the same with the recommendation that it do pass.
The question being on postponing the bill and placing it on the Calendar,
It was decided in the negative, and the bill was read a third time and passed.
The title was read and agreed to.
Mr. Smith of North Carolina, from the Committee on Claims, to whom had been referred a Senate joint resolution (S. 4) "for the relief of John D. Southerland," reported back the same with the recommendation that it do pass.
The question being on postponing the joint resolution and placing it on the Calendar,
It was decided in the negative.
On motion of Mr. Hanly,
The House adjourned until to-morrow, 12 o'clock.
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