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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 --FOURTH DAY--THURSDAY, May 5, 1864.
OPEN SESSION.
The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by Rev. Dr. Duncan.
Mr. James H. Witherspoon, member from South Carolina, appeared, was sworn to support the Constitution of the Confederate States, and took his seat in the House.
A message was received from the Senate, by Mr. Nash, their Secretary, as follows, viz:
Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed joint resolutions of the following titles, viz:
In which I am directed to ask the concurrence of this House.
Mr. Chilton submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That this House proceed to draw for seats, and that in drawing the Clerk will put in the box the numbers of the Congressional districts, respectively, in Missouri, and such numbers when drawn shall represent the seats of the members from such districts, respectively;
which was adopted.
In pursuance of said resolution, the House proceeded to draw for seats, with the following result:
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Missouri: First district, 51; Second district, 89; Third district, 82; Fourth district, 122; Fifth district, 25; Sixth district, 52; Seventh district, 106.
Mr. Chilton introduced
A bill "to continue in force an act to increase the compensation of certain civil officers and employees in the President's office and in the executive and legislative departments at Richmond for a limited period, approved January fifth, eighteen hundred and sixty-four."
Mr. Chilton moved to suspend the rule requiring the bill to be referred to a committee; which motion prevailed.
Mr. Hilton submitted the following amendment:
Add the following as an independent section:
Mr. Chilton moved to amend the bill by inserting after the word "Richmond" the words "and Columbia, South Carolina;" which was agreed to.
Mr. Read moved to amend the bill by striking out the words "Richmond and Columbia, South Carolina;" which was not agreed to.
Mr. Chilton moved to reconsider the vote by which his amendment was agreed to.
The motion prevailed, and Mr. Chilton withdrew his amendment by unanimous consent.
On motion of Mr. Marshall, the bill and amendment were referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Mr. Clopton submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee on the Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments be instructed to inquire whether any legislation is necessary--
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Mr. Dickinson presented the petition of sundry citizens of Mobile, praying certain modifications and amendments of the tax laws; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Mr. Cruikshank presented the memorial of John McGuire, asserting a claim for horses impressed; which was referred to the Committee on Claims.
Mr. A. H. Garland introduced
A bill "to provide for the investigation and settlement of the transactions and accounts of quartermasters, commissaries, contractors, and other financial and disbursing officers, agents, and employees of the Confederate States;" which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Also, a bill "to organize the Supreme Court of the Confederate States;" which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. Hilton moved that the papers of Walker Anderson be withdrawn from the files and referred to the Committee on Claims.The motion prevailed.
Mr. Moore submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means to inquire into the necessity and propriety of increasing the compensation of the district collectors of the Confederate taxes;
which was adopted.
Mr. Dupré introduced
A bill "to amend an act entitled 'An act for the relief of taxpayers in certain cases,' approved thirteenth February, eighteen hundred and sixty-four;"
which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Mr. Perkins introduced
A bill "to provide for placing in the military service of the Confederate States citizens of the United States residing or sojourning within the limits of the Confederate States;"
which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
On motion of Mr. Perkins, the bill "to provide a fund to be employed for the relief of disabled soldiers and seamen after the termination of the existing war," introduced by him yesterday, was ordered to be printed.
Mr. Orr presented the claim of Samuel Miller, of Yalobusha County, Miss., for property destroyed by General Rusts command, General Waul's (Texas) Legion, and General Jackson's cavalry: which was referred to the Committee on Claims.
Also, the claim of Weldon E. Persons, of Yalobusha County. Miss., for property destroyed by soldiers of the Confederate States Army; which was referred to the Committee on Claims.
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Mr. Orr also introduced
A bill "to strengthen the Army, discourage speculation, and protect the currency;"
which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Fuller submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire and report whether by requiring the opinion of the Attorney-General to be given, by the establishment of a board of construction, or by any other means, greater accuracy and uniformity may not be obtained in the construction and administration of the tithe and tax laws of Congress;
which was adopted.
Also, the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee on Ways and Means be instructed to inquire and report by bill or otherwise--
Also, the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire and report by bill or otherwise whether other and further legislation is not required to secure the more speedy payment of the amounts due deceased soldiers to their representatives;
which was adopted.
Mr. J. T. Leach submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That the tithing law be so amended as to exempt soldiers' families from the payment of the tithes when there is not more than is necessary for the comfortable support of the family;
which, on motion of Mr. Conrad, was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Also, the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of permitting persons belonging to the cavalry arm of the service of the Confederate Government the right of purchasing rations for their servants from the Government at such prices as may be fixed by the proper authorities;
which was adopted.
Mr. Logan introduced
A bill "to protect citizens of the Confederate States from unjust and illegal impressments;"
which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Farrow presented the memorial of the officers and men of Company K, Twenty-seventh Regiment South Carolina Volunteers, praying relief from certain orders from the War Department disbanding their company; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
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Mr. Farrow introduced
A bill "to legalize the organizing of Company K, of the Twenty-seventh Regiment South Carolina Volunteers;"
which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Farrow submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That the President be, and he is hereby, requested, if not incompatible with the public interest, to communicate to this House by what authority and under whose orders Company K of the Twenty-seventh Regiment South Carolina Volunteers was organized; also copies of all orders and papers which may be on file in the Adjutant-General's Office relating to the organizing or disbanding of said company;
which was adopted.
Mr. Farrow introduced
A bill "to legalize certain companies of the Palmetto Battalion of Light Artillery, of the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida;"
which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Farrow submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That the President be, and he is hereby, respectfully requested to communicate to this House, if not incompatible with the public interest, a statement of the date of organization of the Palmetto Battalion of Light Artillery in the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, with the date of the organization of each company composing said battalion; also by what authority and under whose orders said companies were organized; also copies of all orders commanding the disbanding of said companies or any of them;
which was adopted.
Mr. Farrow presented the memorial of officers of the infantry portion of the Holcombe Legion, South Carolina Volunteers, praying a severance from the cavalry portion of said command; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Farrow introduced
A bill "to authorize the Secretary of War to separate the infantry from the cavalry portion of the Holcombe Legion, South Carolina Volunteers;"
which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Farrow submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That the President be, and he is hereby, requested to communicate to this House, if not incompatible with the public interest, whether the cavalry and artillery portions of the Holcombe Legion of South Carolina Volunteers are now serving together or separate; if separate, how long have they been so separated, and for what reason they were separated; and whether there exist any commands in the Confederate Army now doing duty under legionary organization;
which was adopted.
Mr. Sexton submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That the papers in the case of the claim of C. J. Field be withdrawn from the files, upon leaving copies thereof, and referred to the Committee on Claims;
which was adopted.
Mr. Rives presented the memorial of a convention of banks of Virginia and North Carolina, at Richmond, May 2, 1864; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Mr. Montague presented the memorial of F. W. Bass, asking for
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the reissue of certain coupon bonds destroyed by fire; which was referred to the Committee on Claims.
Mr. Montague submitted the following resolution:
Whereas it is represented that the soldiers of the Confederate States recently received as paroled prisoners from the enemy have in their possession considerable amounts of Confederate States Treasury notes, which they, in consequence of their imprisonment, could not fund on or before the first of April last: Therefore,
Be it resolved, That the Committee on Ways and Means inquire what legislation, if any, is necessary to secure these soldiers against the loss of one-third of the value of the said notes, and report by bill or otherwise;
which was adopted.
Also, the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary inquire what further legislation is necessary to secure payment to the owners of slaves impressed by the Confederate authorities, or under State laws for the use of the Confederate Government, and who, while in the employ of the Government, have eloped to the enemy, or died, or contracted diseases which have, after their discharge, resulted fatally;
which was adopted.
Mr. Russell submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary inquire into the expediency of increasing the compensation of marshals and of jurors and witnesses in the Confederate courts;
which was adopted.
Mr. Miller submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire into the expediency of repealing an act passed by the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States, approved February twenty-fifth, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, entitled "An act to declare and establish the free navigation of the Mississippi River," or so much thereof as declares the navigation of the Mississippi River free to the citizens of any of the States upon its borders, or upon the borders of any of its tributaries, and report to this House its action;
which was adopted.
Mr. Funsten presented the petition of Charles E. Stuart and other patentees for compensation for an invention now in use in the Ordnance Department of the Confederate States; which, on motion, was referred to a special committee of three, to be appointed by the Chair.
Mr. Boudinot submitted the following resolution:
Resolved, That one hundred and five copies of the acts and resolutions of the Provisional Congress, and treaties, with the table of contents, be bound by the Public Printer in pamphlet form, and furnished to the House of Representatives for the use of its Members and Delegates, out of the three thousand copies required to be printed and published by the act of August fifth, eighteen hundred and sixty-one;
which was adopted.
Mr. Foote called up the resolution submitted by him on Tuesday last to change a rule of the House; which, by unanimous consent, he modified so as to make it read as follows, viz:
Resolved, That hereafter all the proceedings of this House shall be in open session unless it be otherwise ordered by a vote of two-thirds of the body, or the subject under consideration be connected in some way with the movements of our armies in the field or the diplomatic concerns of the Confederate States.
Mr. Perkins moved that it be referred to the Committee on Rules and Officers of the House.
Pending which,
The House, on motion of Mr. Garland, adjourned.
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