Confederate Congress.
Senate.
Evening session.
Thursday, March 9, 1865.
The Senate refused to concur in House amendment to Senate bill fixing the first Monday in November as the day of the next regular meeting of Congress.
The House amendment substituted "October" for "November."
The Senate took up and concurred in House amendment to Senate joint resolution providing for donations to the Treasury.
A message was received from the President vetoing Senate bill giving the commanding general or Secretary of War power to order the promotion of officers when the superior officers in the same companies, battalions or regiments were in captivity, disabled, or absent from other causes.
On motion, by Mr. Semmes, the consideration of the subject was postponed till Saturday.
A message was received from the President notifying Congress that he expected, at an early day, to send a communication, which might, require their deliberation and action, and asking them to prolong their session for a few days.
The message was laid on the table.
House bill to prevent the communication of intelligence to the enemy was considered and passed.
On motion, by Mr. Barnwell, it was ordered that when the Senate adjourn it be to 8 o'clock P. M. Friday evening.
On motion, by Mr. Barnwell, the Senate adjourned.
Friday, March 10, 1865.
The Senate met at 8 o'clock P. M. A number of House bills were read and referred. Mr. Johnson, of Missouri, introduced a bill to limit the issue of forage, which was referred to the Military Committee. On motion, by Mr. Burnett, the Senate adjourned.Saturday, March 11, 1865.
Prayer by the Rev. Dr. Read, of the Presbyterian Church. Senate concurrent resolution postponing the time of adjournment till Tuesday (to-morrow) at 2 o'clock P. M. was considered and concurred in. The following House bills, reported back from the Finance Committee, were considered and passed: ‘ Bill for furnishing bagging and rope for the packing of tithe cotton. ’ Bill to authorize the appointment of certain tax officers for the Trans-Mississippi Department. Bill to authorize the settlement of a claim of the State of North Carolina for expenses incurred in executing the acts of Congress "to further provide for the public defence" and "to organize forces to serve during the war." Senate joint resolution in relation to paying exchanged and paroled officers and soldiers was laid on the table. Senate bill to limit the issue of forage, providing that post officers shall not draw forage for a horse unless the commanding general of the district shall certify that a horse is necessary for the proper discharge of the duties of the said post officer, was considered and passed. Senate bill to provide for the promotion of officers in certain cases, returned by the President with his veto, was taken up and considered, the question being, should the bill pass notwithstanding the objection of the President. After debate, the bill was passed over the veto of the President by the following vote: Yeas.--Messrs. Brown, Caperton, Graham, Henry, Hunter, Johnson of Georgia, Johnson of Missouri, Orr, Semmes, Vest, Wigfall--11. Nays.--Messrs. Barnwell, Maxwell, Oldham, Simms and Watson--5. House bill to provide for the payment of arrears now due to the army and navy was reported back from the Finance Committee with the recommendation that it pass. The bill authorizes the issue of $80,000,000 in addition to the amount now authorized by law, if so much shall be found necessary for the payment of said arrears. The bill was passed by the following vote: Yeas.--Messrs Caperton, Graham, Henry, Hunter, Maxwell, Simms, Walker, Watson and Wigfall--9. Nays.--Messrs. Barnwell, Johnson of Missouri, Orr, Semmes and Vest--5. Mr. Barnwell, of South Carolina, entered a motion to reconsider the bill.House of Representatives.
Evening session.
Thursday, March 9, 1865.
The House met at half past 7 o'clock.
The Chair laid before the House a communication from the President, covering a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury of estimates of appropriations required for the support of the Government during the year 1865.
Referred to the Committee of Ways and Means.
The special order, namely: the bill to authorize the appointment of certain tax officers for the Trans-Mississippi Department, was considered and passed.
Mr. Dupre, from the Committee on Printing, reported favorably a Senate bill "in relation to printing and binding, in pamphlet form, the acts, resolutions and treaties adopted at each session of Congress." The bill was considered and passed.
Mr. Machen, from the Committee on Quartermaster and Commissary Departments, reported favorably a bill for furnishing bagging and rope for the packing of tithe cotton.
Passed.
Mr. Machen, from the same committee, to whom had been referred a resolution of inquiry into complaints from the army arising from the issuing of tobacco rations, submitted a report and the evidence taken upon said inquiry.
Ordered to be printed.
On motion of Mr. Herbert, a bill "requiring suit to be brought against persons connected with the Cotton Bureau and Cotton Office of Texas" was taken from the table.
The bill was amended and passed — ayes, 30; nays, 27.
A message was received, notifying the House that on the 6th instant the President had approved and engrossed acts of the following titles, viz:
An act to authorize the First Auditor to receive and keep the accounts of the Navy Department.
An act to amend an act "to authorize the appointment of assistants to the Register in signing bonds and certificates," approved February 14, 1863.
An act "to authorize the Secretary of War to purchase a percussion cap pressing machine. "
Mr. Smith, of North Carolina, from the Special Committee on the Claims of the States, reported a bill to authorize the settlement of the claim of the State of North Carolina for expenses in executing the acts of Congress "to further provide for the public defence and to organize forces to serve during the war." The bill was amended and passed.
The Chair laid before the House a message from the President, which was read as follows, viz:
"To the Senate and House of Representatives of the Confederate States of America:
"Having been this day informed that the two Houses of Congress have concurred in fixing Saturday next as the day for their adjournment, I deem it proper and advisable to notify you that I expect, at an early day, to send a communication, which may require your deliberation and action, and therefore to request that you will prolong your session for a few days.
The message was laid on the table.
Mr. Russell offered a resolution postponing the day of adjournment from Saturday to Tuesday, the 14th instant, which was adopted.
The Chair laid before the House, House bill "to establish certain post-route therein named," with a Senate amendment to insert after "Georgia" the words "from Winnsboro' to Alston," and at the end of the bill the words, "in the State of Texas, from Hackney to San Filipe, in Austin county." The amendments were concurred in.
Also, House bill "to amend the sequestration laws," with Senate amendments, which were concurred in.
Also Senate bill "to change the time for the assembling of Congress at its next regular session," with the Senate's disagreement to the amendment of the House.
On motion of Mr. Chambers, the House receded from its amendment.
Also, Senate bill "for the relief of the Exchange Bank of Virginia." --Passed.
The Chair laid before the House a communication from the President, transmitting a copy of the report of General S. D. Lee, of the operations of his corps of the Army of Tennessee during the recent campaign under the command of General John B. Hood.--Referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
On motion of Mr. Reid, the House adjourned till 11 o'clock on Saturday.
[Errata.--In the report of Thursday morning's proceedings, the proviso limiting the number of slaves called for from each State to twenty-five per cent. should have been stated as inserted in, and not stricken from, the bill "to increase the military force of the Confederate States. "
Saturday, March 11, 1865. The House met at 11 o'clock, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr. August. Mr. Witherspoon, of South Carolina, from the Committee on Pos-Offices and Post-Roads, reported a bill to authorize the Postmaster-General to purchase United States postage stamps for certain purposes. Passed. Mr. McMullin, of Virginia, offered a preamble and resolutions adopted by the Twenty-third battalion of Virginia infantry. Laid on the table and ordered to be printed. Mr. Triplett, of Kentucky, from the Committee on Claims, reported a joint resolution for the relief of William C. Hagan, commissary of the Fifty-fourth Virginia regiment, who was captured by the enemy in East Tennessee. [The resolution provides that he be credited in the settlement of his accounts by the sum of four thousand one hundred dollars, taken from him by the enemy.] The resolution was passed. Mr. Machen, from the Committee on Quartermaster and Commissary Departments, reported back memorial of Captain William Johnson. Referred to the Committee on Claims. Mr. Anderson, from the Committee on Ways and Means, reported a joint resolution for the relief of Stephen B. Marshall, tax collector of Putnam county, Georgia. Passed. Mr. Lyon, from the Committee on Ways and Means, reported a bill making appropriations for the support of the Government from July 1st to December 31, 1865, and to supply deficiencies. --The bill was considered and passed. A message was received from the President notifying the House that he had approved-- An act "to amend post-route 1,649, in the State of Georgia." An act "to regulate the compensation of the State Collector of Virginia." An act "to provide for the payment of amounts due certain officers and privates who are prisoners of war." An act "to make an appropriation for the purchase of a percussion cap pressing cap pressing machine." Mr. Lyon, of Alabama, from the Committee on Ways and Means, reported a bill "to amend an act to reduce the currency and to authorize a new issue of notes and bonds," approved February 16, 1864. Passed. Mr. Baldwin, from the same committee, reported a bill for the relief of the Treasury-Note Bureau. Passed. Mr. Smith, of North Carolina, from the Committee on Claims, reported a bill for the relief of David Moore, Daniel Moore and Mrs. Mary R. Alexander, with an amendment by the committee, which was concurred in and the bill passed. Mr. Miles asked that the House reconsider its vote by which the report of General John B. Hood was ordered to be printed, and requested the reading of a portion of the report. The House refused to reconsider. The Chair laid before the House a message from the President, returning, with his objections, a bill "providing for the promotion of officers in certain cases." [The message stated that the Constitution already provided for the promotion of officers by the general commanding an army or the President.] The House sustained the veto of the President by refusing to pass the bill, as follows: Yeas.--Messrs. Atkins, Clopton, Cruikshank, Farrow, Fuller, Gilmer, Gray Herbert, Holliday, J. M. Leach, Logan Ramsay, Simpson, Smith of North Carolina, Wickham--15. Nays.--Anderson, Baldwin, Barksdale, Batson, Baylor, Blandford, Bradicy, Branch, Burnett, Carroll, Chambers, Chrisman, Clark, Colyar, Conrad, Conrow, Darden, De Jarnette, Dickinson, Ewing, Funsten, Gaither, Gholson, Goode, Hanly, Hartridge, Hatcher, Johnston, Lyon, Machen, Marshall, McMullin, Menees, Miller, Pugh, Read, Rogers, Russell, Sexton, J. M. Smith, Staples, Swan, Triplett, Wilkes--44. The Chair laid before the House Senate bill "to limit the issue of forage in certain cases." Passed. Mr. Ramsay, of North Carolina, under a suspension of the rules, offered a bill "to allow transportation to certain officers and privates in the army and to discharged and retired officers and soldiers." Referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. On motion of Mr. Swan, the House resolved into secret session.
