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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 --FORTY-SIXTH DAYTUESDAY, January 3, 1865.
OPEN SESSION.
The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by Rev. Dr. Read.
The Clerk called the House to order and announced that the term for which a Speaker pro tempore had been appointed having expired, in the absence of the Speaker the first business in order was the election of a Speaker pro tempore.
On motion of Mr. Akin, Hon. William P. Chilton was unanimously elected Speaker pro tempore by acclamation.
The House resumed the consideration of the unfinished business. viz:
The bill "supplementary to an act entitled 'An act to authorize the formation of new commands, to be composed of supernumerary officers who may resign to join such commands, and to limit and restrict the appointment of officers in certain cases,' approved June fourteenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-four."
Mr. Holliday moved that the bill be postponed until the call of committees be completed.
No quorum voting,
Mr. Bell moved a call of the House; which was ordered.
Pending the call of the roll,
On motion of Mr. Blandford, further proceedings under the call were dispensed with.
Mr. Holliday, by consent, withdrew his motion to postpone the consideration of the bill.
The question recurring on the amendment of Mr. Holliday,
It was decided in the affirmative.
Mr. Miles submitted the following amendment:
In line 1, after the word "the," strike out the words "Confederate or regular" and insert in lieu thereof the word "Provisional;"
which was agreed to.
Mr. W. E. Smith submitted the following amendment:
After the word "battalion" insert the words "and companies;"
which was agreed to.
Mr. Johnston submitted the following amendment:
Add the following as an independent section:
The bill was engrossed, read a third time, and passed, and the title was read and agreed to.
Mr. Marshall moved to reconsider the vote by which the bill was passed.
The motion was lost.
Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported
A bill "to change the mode of filling vacancies among commissioned officers of companies, battalions, and regiments;"
which was read a first and second time.
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The question being on postponing the bill and placing it on the Calendar,
It was decided in the negative.
On motion of Mr. Miles, the bill was postponed, made the continuing special order after the pending special orders are disposed of, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Miles, from the same committee, reported
A bill "more effectually to prevent and punish absenteeism and desertion in the Army;"
which was read a first and second time.
The question being on postponing the bill and placing it on the Calendar,
It was decided in the negative.
On motion of Mr. Miles, the bill was postponed, made the continuing special order after the preceding special orders are disposed of.
Mr. Atkins moved that the rules be suspended; that all special orders and all business of every description be suspended, both in the morning hour and afterwards, until the House take up, consider, and dispose of the bill "to authorize the consolidation of companies, battalions, and regiments;" which motion prevailed, and the House took up and proceeded to the consideration of the bill.
Mr. Snead submitted the following amendment:
Strike out the first section, which reads as follows, viz:
"That whenever any companies, battalions, or regiments in service shall have been so far reduced in numbers as to make it necessary, in the opinion of the general commanding the department or the separate army in the field in which such companies, battalions, or regiments are serving, to consolidate them, the said general, with the approval of the Secretary of War, is hereby authorized to consolidate and designate them, under such rules and regulations as the Secretary of War may prescribe: Provided, That only troops from the same State shall be consolidated,"
and insert in lieu thereof the following, viz:
Pending which,
A message was received from the Senate, by Mr. Nash, their Secretary, as follows, viz:
Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed, without amendment, a bill of this House (H. R. 300) to provide for the canceling of 4 per cent bonds and certificates received in payment of taxes and other public dues.
They have passed a bill (S. 154) to authorize the appointment of certain tax officers for the Trans-Mississippi Department; in which I am directed to ask the concurrence of this House.
Mr. Akin submitted the following amendment to the amendment of Mr. Snead:
Strike out the word "average," in the first line;
which was not agreed to;
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Also, the following amendment:
Insert, in line 5, after the word "leave," the words "for a longer time than twenty days;"
which was agreed to.
Mr. Clark moved to amend the amendment by striking out "twenty" and inserting "thirty."
Mr. Machen demanded the yeas and nays thereon;
Which were ordered,
Yeas: Barksdale, Batson, Baylor, Bell, Horatio W. Bruce, Clark, Clopton, Colyar, Conrad, Cruikshank, Darden, De Jarnette, Dickinson, Echols, Farrow, Funsten, Hanly, Hatcher, Herbert, Hilton, Holder, Holliday, Johnston, Kenner, Lamkin, Machen, McCallum, Menees, Moore, Norton, Perkins, Read, Sexton, Shewmake, W. E. Smith, Smith of Alabama, Staples, Villeré, Wickham, and Wilkes.
Nays: Akin, Anderson, Ayer, Blandford, Boyce, Branch, Eli M. Bruce, Chilton, Chrisman, Conrow, Ewing, Foster, Garland, Gholson, Lester, Lyon, Marshall, Miles, Miller, Orr, Pugh, Russell, J. M. Smith, Snead, and Witherspoon.
So the amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Snead moved to amend the amendment by striking out, in line 8, the words "present for duty;" which was agreed to.
Mr. Menees submitted the following amendment to the amendment:
In line 3, strike out the words "prisoners of war."
Mr. Blandford demanded the yeas and nays thereon;
Which were ordered,
Yeas: Atkins, Batson, Blandford, Branch, Chambers, Chrisman, Clark, Clopton, Cluskey, Colyar, Conrad, Cruikshank, Darden, Dickinson, Farrow, Foster, Hanly, Herbert, Holder, McCallum, Menees, Murray, Perkins, Smith of Alabama, Villeré, Wickham, and Witherspoon.
Nays: Akin, Ayer, Baldwin, Barksdale, Baylor, Bell, Horatio W. Bruce, Chilton, Conrow, De Jarnette, Echols, Ewing, Funsten, Garland, Gholson, Gray, Hilton, Holliday, Johnston, Lamkin, Lester, Lyon, Machen, Marshall, Miles, Miller, Moore, Norton, Orr, Pugh, Read, Shewmake, Simpson, J. M. Smith. W. E. Smith, Snead, Vest, and Wilkes.
So the amendment was not agreed to.
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. 139) to provide for the compensation of persons whose slaves ha,re been lost while in the service of the Confederate States; in which they request the concurrence of this House.
Mr. Marshall submitted the following amendment to the amendment of Mr. Snead:
Strike out the same and insert in lieu thereof the following, viz:
"The minimum number of the noncommissioned officers and men in a regiment shall be four hundred, and of a separate battalion shall be two hundred. Whenever
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the number present shall, for thirty days, fall below these numbers, the general of the army to which such organization is attached shall consolidate the regiment into a battalion, and may combine such battalion with another, so as to form a new regiment; and if a battalion, shall combine the companies with other companies of his command, so as to form a new battalion having a number equal to the legal minimum for such organization. Rut the troops of one State shall not be combined with those of another State."
Mr. Snead submitted the following amendment to the amendment:
Add the following proviso: "Provided, That this act shall not be so construed as to authorize consolidation of any company, battalion, or regiment reorganized under it;"
which was agreed to.
A message was received from the Senate, by Mr. Nash, their Secretary; which is as follows, viz:
Mr. Speaker: The President of the Confederate States has notified the Senate that on the 29th ultimo he approved and signed an act (S. 96) to extend the time within which holders of Treasury notes of the old issue may exchange the same for notes of the new issue.
The amendment of Mr. Marshall to the amendment of Mr. Snead was lost.
The question recurring on the amendment of Mr. Snead,
Mr. Snead demanded the yeas and nays thereon;
Which were ordered,
Yeas: Akin, Anderson, Batson, Baylor, Bell, Boyce, Clopton, Colyar, Conrow, De Jarnette, Ewing, Foster, Garland, Goode, Gray, Hatcher, Holder, Johnston, Lamkin, Lester, Marshall, Menees, Norton, Orr, Perkins, Pugh, Read, Russell, Shewmake, W. E. Smith, Snead, Vest, and Wilkes.
Nays: Atkins, Baldwin, Barksdale, Blandford, Branch, Horatio W. Bruce, Chambers, Chilton, Chrisman, Clark, Cluskey, Conrad, Cruikshank, Darden, Dickinson, Echols, Farrow, Funsten, Gholson, Hanly, Herbert, Hilton, Holliday, Lyon, Machen, McCallum, Miles, Miller, Moore, Sexton, Simpson, J. M. Smith, Smith of Alabama, Villeré, Wickham, and Witherspoon.
So the amendment was not agreed to.
Mr. Garland submitted the following amendment:
In line S, after the word "war," strike out the words "is hereby authorized to" and insert the word "shall."
Mr. Akin submitted the following amendment to the amendment of Mr. Garland:
Strike out the whole thereof and insert the following:
"In lines 7 and 8, strike out the words 'with the approval of the Secretary of War, is hereby authorized to' and insert the word 'shall.'"
Pending which,
Mr. Snead moved that the House adjourn.
The motion was lost.
Mr. Hilton called the question; which was ordered.
The amendment of Mr. Akin to the amendment of Mr. Garland was agreed to.
The amendment as amended was agreed to.
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Mr. Akin submitted the following amendment to section 1:
In line 9, strike Out the words "Secretary of War" and insert in lieu thereof the word "President;"
which was agreed to.
Mr. McCallum submitted the following amendment to section 1:
Add the following proviso: "Provided, That regiments which shall have at the time of consolidation three hundred men may retain their present organization;"
which was not agreed to.
Mr. Moore submitted the following amendment to section 1:
Add the following proviso: "Provided, That in making the consolidation provided for in this act, each private soldier shall have first extended to him the privilege of selecting the company to which he will belong, until such company shall be filled to its maximum number, but not to exchange the arm of the service to which he belonged before such consolidation; nor to select a company except in a regiment to be consolidated, and with which he belongs."
Pending which,
The Chair laid before the House a Senate bill "to provide for the compensation of persons whose slaves have been lost while in the service of the Confederate States;" which was read a first and second: time and referred to the Committee on the Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments.
Also, a Senate bill (S. 154) "to authorize the appointment, of certain tax officers for the Trans-Mississippi Department;" which was read a first and second time and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
And on motion of Mr. Clark,
The House adjourned until 11 o'clock to-morrow.
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