The Daily Dispatch: September 22, 1862., [Electronic resource]

Confederate Congress.

Senate--The Senate met pursuant to adjournment. Prayer by the Rev. Dr. Burrows.

Mr. Haynes, from the Committee on the Judiciary, reported a bill to punish insurrection or rebellion against the Confederate States. Laid on the table and ordered to be printed.

Mr. Hill, from the Committee on the Judiciary, reported a bill for the relief of the Bible Society of the Confederate States. Laid upon the table and ordered to be printed.

Also, a bill for the relief of Jonas P. Levi. Read twice.

Mr. Semmes introduced a bill for the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. Laid on the table and ordered to be printed.

Mr. Brown introduced a bill for the benefit of the officers and crews of the Confederate States steamer Virginia, Jamestown, Patrick Henry, Beaufort, Raleigh, and Teaser, (authorises the President to distribute two hundred and fifty thousand dollars prize money to the officers and crews of said vessels for the destruction of enemy's vessels in Hampton Roads in March, 1862.) Referred to Committee on Naval Affairs.

Mr Semmes introduced a resolution requesting the President to communicate to the Senate the names of all disbursing officers reported by the Second Auditor to the Comptroller, as defaulters and who have given no satisfactory excuses for their default, together with the amount now standing charged to such officer so reported and the date of the last rendition of accounts by each of said officers, and the amount of bond given by them respectively for their faithful performance.--Adopted

Mr. Sparrow offered a resolution which was adopted instructing the Committee on Military Affairs to inquire if any resolution is necessary to guard against the frauds committed on the Government in allowing substitutes; and particularly if any person who has or may furnish a substitute should be required to guarantee the fidelity of the substitute and be held in his place should such substitute desert.

The unfinished business, being the consideration of the Exemption Bill, was taken up, the pending amendment being that submitted by Mr. Orr, exempting from military duty all persons exempted by ordnance of any State Convention.

The amendment was agreed to.

Mr. Hill moved to amend by inserting after the proviso, "And one person, either as owner or overseer on plantations on which one white man is required to remain by the laws of any State, and on which there is no male adult not liable to do military service. Disagreed to.

Mr. Burnett moved to amend by adding ‘"And all other persons who may be exempted by the laws of the several States."’

After a lengthy debate, in which Messrs. Burnett, Orr, Hill Yancey, Semmes, Maxwell, and Wigfall participated, the vote was taken, resulting — ayes 10, noes 10; and the Chair voting in the affirmative, the amendment was agreed to.

Mr. Semmes moved the text of the amendment, just agreed to, be amended so as to read, ‘"laws hereafter enacted by the States."’

Disagreed to — ayes 6, noes 10.

The vote on adopting the entire amendment was then taken, and resulted in its rejection.

On motion of Mr. Davis, the clause in respect to manufacturers of salt was amended so as to read, ‘"to the extent of 20 bushels per day."’

Mr. Henry offered an amendment, which was agreed to, exempting ‘"all persons engaged in burning coke for remelting and manufacturing iron, regular miners in coal mines, and all colliers engaged in making charcoal for making pig and bar iron."’

Mr. Davis moved to add to the 51st line (relating to the non-exemption of laborers at salt works) the words, "unless employed at works conducted under the authority and by the officers of a State. Agreed to.

Mr. Hill moved to add to the list of exemptions, ‘"And one person, either as owner or overseer, on each plantation on which one white man is required to be kept by the laws and ordinance of any State, and on which there is no white male adult not employed to do military service."’ Agreed to — ayes 11, noes 8.

Mr. Hill moved to add to the exemption list, ‘"And such other persons as the Secretary of War shall be satisfied, on account of justice, equity, or necessity, ought to be exempted. "’ Agreed to.

Mr Yancey.--I ask the unanimous consent of the Senate to reconsider the clause exempting printers. We have exempted foremen, journeymen, and printers, and I think we ought to exempt an editor.

Mr. Orr.--I think that some of the newspapers, and especially in this city, have indulged in a very indecent abuse of this body, inconsequence of that vote, and I object to a reconsideration.

Mr. Yancey--But, sir, that ought not to effect the whole class.

Mr. Orr.--I object, sir.

Mr. Haynes offered the following.

Provided. That such members of the militia of any State as have been called out and mustered in the service of such State by the Executive thereof, employed and necessary to repel any actual invasion of said State, shall also be exempted: Provided. That whenever such invasion shall have been repelled or otherwise shall have ceased to exist, the exemption hereby declared shall expire. Agreed to — ayes 15 noes 2.

Mr. Sparrow offered a proviso, which was adopted. That the exemptions granted hereby shall only continue whilst the persons exempted are actually engaged in their respective occupations, herein enumerated.

On motion of Mr. Yancey, the word "engineers was added to the clause exempting millers.

Mr. Lewis offered as an additional clause, which was rejected, that in the execution of this law any conflict should arise between the provisions of this act and any State law or ordinance of any State Convention, it shall be determined in favor of such State law or ordinance.

On motion of Mr. Derich, a clause was appended repealing the exemption act approved in April.

The bill as amended was then read a third time and passed by the following vote.

Yeas.--Messrs Baker, Clay, Davis, Haynes, Henry, Hill, Lewis, Maxwell, Oldham, Orr, Peyton. Preston, Semmes, Sparrow, Wigfall, Yancey--16.

Nays.--Messrs Burnett, Clark, Dortch--3.

On motion, the Senate adjourned.

House of Representatives--House met at 11 o'clock.

The Chair laid before the House several communications from the President in response to resolutions, which were appropriately referred.

Mr. Chambliss, of Virginia, obtained leave to introduce the following resolution, which was agreed to

Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means consider the justice, propriety, and expediency of levying a tax on slaves for the purpose of making a fair and equitable compensation for slaves lost to their owners by reason of the public enemy and the present war; and report the result of their deliberations to this House.

Mr. Hilton, of Florida, by consent, presented a communication from the Governor of that State in relation to the exportation of cotton and the operations of speculators, and embodying certain recommendations concerning the prohibition of this trade. Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Gartrell, of Ga, from the Committee on the Judiciary, reported back a Senate bill changing the time of meeting of the next regular session of Congress from the first Monday in December to the second Monday in January, with a recommendation that it pass. A motion to postpone was voted down, and the bill passed — ayes 59, noes 22.

He also reported back, from the same committee, a bill to make Treasury notes a legal tender, with a recommendation that it do not pass. The bill was postponed and placed upon the calendar. A motion to make it the special order for the second Monday in January, 1863, was voted down — ayes 28, noes 51.

On motion of Mr. Chilton, of Ala, the special order of the day (the Tax bill,) was postponed, with a view to continue the call of the regular standing committees for reports.

Mr. Gartrell, from the Judiciary Committee, reported back a bill to protect persons who resist the efforts of the enemy to subjugate these States and to exterminate the people thereof, asking to be discharged from its further consideration, and that it be referred to the Military Committee. The bill was so referred.

He also reported back from the same committee three bills and sundry resolutions relating to the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus; a resolution relating to the granting of amnesties by military commanders; a resolution in reference to so amending the sequestration act as to relieve persons owing debts to alien enemies from paying annual interest on such debts; and sundry memorials praying the passage of an act to make Treasury not as a legal tender all of which were laid on the panle and the committee discharged from their further consideration.

Mr. Russell, of Va, from the same committee, back two resolution on the subject of re- taliation; and Mr. Heiskell, of Tenn, from the same committee, reported back two resolutions relating to the protection of Government issues of Treasury notes; all of which were laid upon the table, and the committee discharged from their further consideration.

Mr. Heiskell, on the part of the some committee, moved that the House now take up the bill to punish forgery and counterfeiting. Not agreed to.

Mr. Gray, of Texas, from the same committee, to whom was referred the letter of the Secretary of the Treasury on the subject of the delays attending the adjustment of claims of deceased soldiers, reported a bill to be entitled ‘"an act supplementary to an act concerning the pay and allowances due to deceased soldiers, approved Feb. 15, 1862, and to provide for the prompt settlement of claims for arrearages of pay, allowances, and bounty due to deceased officers and soldiers."’ with a recommendation that it pass. After some amendments, and considerable discussion, the bill was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.

The House then took up the Arkansas contested election case, between Hons A. H. Garland and J. F. Johnson--Mr. Johnson contesting the seat of Mr. Garland upon the ground of informal returns from the county of Arkansas. This case occupied the remainder of the day's session, and the House adjourned without final action upon it.