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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--WEDNESDAY, November 23, 1864.
OPEN SESSION.
The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by Rev. Dr. Brown.
On motion of Mr. Branch, the absence of his colleague, Mr. Herbert, at the last session of Congress, was excused, he having been detained from his seat by injuries received whilst in the military service.
On motion of Mr. Branch, the absence of his colleague, Mr. Darden, at the last session was excused, he not having received the certificate of his election in time to attend.
On motion of Mr. Menees, the absence of his colleague, Mr. Wright, was excused until he might be able to reach the capital.
On motion of Mr. Vest, the absence of the Missouri delegation at the last session was excused.
Mr. Wickham presented the memorial of A. M. Bailey, president of the Virginia Mechanics' Institute, for increase of rent of the building now occupied by the War Department; which was referred to the Committee on Claims.
Mr. Miller presented a communication from William H. Cushman relative to the appointment of dentists in the Army; which was referred to the Committee on Medical Affairs.
Mr. Russell introduced
A bill "to punish certain frauds on the Confederate Government, including larceny and embezzlement of property of the Government;"
which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Clopton offered the following resolution; which was adopted:
Resolved, That the Committee on Ways and Means be instructed to inquire whether the instructions issued to the assessors and collectors of taxes, and which were communicated to the House by the President and referred to the committee, are in accordance with the tax laws, and if not, what legislation is necessary to make them conform thereto.
Mr. Dickinson presented the memorial of R. D. Post, for claim against steamer Arrow, and papers in support of said claim; which were referred to the Committee on Claims.
Mr. Garland offered the following resolution; which was adopted:
Resolved, That so much of the message of the Secretary of War as suggests plans for increasing the efficiency of the cavalry service be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, and the committee be hereby instructed to report to the House as early as practicable by bill or otherwise.
Also, the following resolution; which was adopted:
Resolved, That the President be requested to inform this House how many persons have accepted appointments under the act approved June fourteenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, "providing for the establishment and payment of claims for a certain description of property taken or informally impressed for the use of the Army," the names of such persons, and for what districts of country they were appointed.
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Mr. Lester introduced
A bill "to suppress improper and injurious combinations, associations, and conspiracies against the Confederate States;"
which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. W. E. Smith presented the memorial of Joseph M. Cooper, of Georgia, asking relief against certain taxation; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Mr. W. E. Smith introduced
A bill "to abolish the passport system;"
which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. W. E. Smith offered the following resolution; which was adopted, viz:
Resolved, That the President be requested to inform this House whether the officers of our armies in the field have been permitted to purchase cloth and clothing under the act of, February seventeenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, and to what extent; and if such officers have not been supplied as permitted by said act the cause thereof, and what legislation, if any, is necessary to supply their necessities.
Also, the following resolution; which was adopted:
Resolved, That the President of the Confederate States be requested to inform this House under and by what authority the Secretary of the Navy has contracted with Nelson Tift and others for the erection of a flouting mill in the city of Albany, Georgia; the terms of the contract under which said mill has been erected and put in operation; also what estate, if any, the Government has acquired in the land on which said mill has been located, the extent of the same, and the amount contracted to be paid therefor.
Mr. Moore offered the following resolution; which was adopted:
Resolved, That the President of the Confederate States, if not incompatible with the public interest, cause to be communicated to this House the nature and extent of any arrangement which may have been made by the Quartermaster-General, or any other agent or officer of the Government, for the relief of our soldiers who are prisoners of war in the hands of the enemy.
Also, the following resolution; which was adopted:
Resolved, That the Committee on Ways and Means inquire into the expediency and propriety of extending by law to persons who have been prisoners of war in the hands of the enemy the privilege of funding or exchanging for the new issue such Treasury notes of the old issue as the may have had and could not fund or exchange by reason of such imprisonment.
Mr. Perkins offered the following resolution; which was adopted:
Resolved, That the Committee on Ways and Means be instructed to report as soon as they conveniently can on the suggestions of the Secretary of the Treasury as to the propriety of the Government's buying all the cotton now in the Confederacy.
Mr. Holder presented the memorial of sundry citizens of Tishomingo County, Miss., asking relief from the collection of taxes; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Mr. Clark offered the following resolution; which was adopted:
Resolved, That the President be requested to cause to be communicated to this House as soon as practicable the number of employees in the Treasury Department on duty in the city of Richmond, in what offices employed, and the States from whence appointed. Also the number of civil and military officers on duty in the War Department in the city of Richmond and at the hospitals and camps in its immediate vicinity, their rank, ages, and from what State they entered the service or were appointed; the number of bureaus there now
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are in the War Department in Richmond, the particular acts of Congress under which they were created, and the rank and number of officers composing them, their general powers and duties as authorized by law, distinguishing disabled and detailed officers and privates from citizens, and the numbers employed in each bureau; also the number of employees in the Post-Office Department, from what State appointed or employed, their ages and when assigned to duty; also the number of employees engaged in the Department of Justice, their ages and from what State taken.
Mr. Witherspoon offered the following resolution; which was adopted:
Resolved, That it be referred to the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads to inquire into the propriety of establishing a semiweekly mall route from Pleasant Hill to Dudley and Butler post-offices in Lancaster district, South Carolina.
Mr. Simpson introduced
A bill "to provide for the transfer of dismounted cavalrymen to other branches of the service, and to supply the places of those thus transferred;"
which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Farrow offered the following resolution; which was adopted:
Resolved, That the Committee on Ways and Means be instructed to inquire into the expediency of requiring the tax on manufactures to be paid in kind.
Mr. Miles introduced
A bill "to organize the field artillery of the Confederate States;" which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Atkins offered the following resolution; which was adopted:
Resolved, That the President be respectfully requested to inform this House whether the cotton belonging to the Confederate States is securely protected from the weather, and if it is not, then further to inform this House who the officers or agents are to whose care the cotton has been confided.
On motion of Mr. H. W. Bruce, the House resolved itself into secret session; and having spent some time therein, resolved itself into open session.
Mr. Smith of North Carolina, under a suspension of the rules, offered the following resolution; which was adopted, viz:
Resolved, That the Speaker be empowered to appoint an additional member to the Committee on Claims.
On motion of Mr. Moore,
The House adjourned until 12 o'clock m. to-morrow.
SECRET SESSION.
The House being in secret session,
Resumed the consideration of the bill "to suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in certain cases for a limited period."
Mr. Foote submitted the following amendment:
Strike out all after the word "suspended," in the third line of the first section; which reads as follows, viz: "but such suspension shall apply only to the cases of persons arrested or detained by order of the President, Secretary of War, or the general officer commanding the Trans-Mississippi Military Department, by the authority and under the control of the President. It is hereby declared that the purpose of Congress in the passage of this act is to provide
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more effectually for the public safety by suspending the writ of habeas corpus in the following cases, and no others:
On motion of Mr. Blandford,
The House resolved itself into open session.
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