The
Senate met on Saturday at 12 o'clock M,
Mr. Hunter, of Va, in the chair.
Mr. Mitchell, of Ark, introduced a bill to establish a corps of scouts and guards, to facilitate communication with the Trans-Mississippi Department.
Referred.
Mr. Johnson, of Mo, introduced a bill to provide for paying officers and soldiers, twelve months after the ratification of peace, the loss sustained by them on account of the depreciation of Confederate Treasury Notes.
Referred to the Military Committee.
Mr. Barnwell, from the Finance Committee, reported back adversely
House bill to amend the act to reduce the currency, which, on motion of
Mr. Walker, of
Miss, was taken up and considered.
It provides for allowing loyal persons, and Confederate prisoners of war, who at the times fixed for the funding of the old issue notes, were within the lines of the enemy, to fund the same hereafter within limited periods.
After a long discussion the bill was passed.
A bill was reported from the Military Committee to provide for retiring and dropping field and commissary officers in certain cases, which was considered and passed.
On motion of
Mr. Jemison, it was ordered that, during the remainder of the session, the Senate take a recess daily from half-past 3 o'clock till eight o'clock P. M.
House bill authorizing the appointment of additional officers in the
Nitre and Mining Bureau was passed, with the amendment that it shall continue in force only during the war.
Mr. Johnson, of Ark, introduced a resolution that the
President protem of the Senate be authorized to appoint a committee of three to inquire into the practicability of employing stenographic reporters to make verbatim reports of the debates and proceedings of the Senate, open and secret, said committee to report to the Senate at the next session.
Agreed to.
When the Senate met at 8 o'clock P. M.
Mr. Semmes, of La, introduced a resolution of concurrence, postponing the day of adjournment till Saturday next.
The resolution was passed.
House bill to increase fifty per cent the pay of the
assistant clerks of the Senate and House of Representatives was taken up and considered, and, after a number of amendments,
On motion of
Mr. Jemison, was committed to the
Committee on Finance.
Mr. Johnson, of
Ark., submitted the following; which was adopted:
Resolved, That the
Secretary of War be authorized, in conjunction with the
Postmaster General, to make any and all such regulations as shall be secured appropriate and necessary to promote and secure the regular exchange of full files of the daily public journals of the
Confederate States with those of
England and
France in all instance where the publishers shall agree to furnish such files regularly for that purpose free of cost to the
Confederate States.
The bill to authorize the impressment of the
railroad iron, equipments, and rolling stock of railroad companies, was taken up, and pending its consideration,
On motion, the Senate adjourned.
House of Representatives--Prayer by
the Rev. Dr. Doggett, of the
M. E. Church.
On motion of
Mr. Miles, of
S. C., the
House insisted on its amendments to the Senate bill to provide for the compensation of non-commissioned officers, soldiers, sailors, and marines on detailed service, and asked a committee of conference.
Mr. Farrow, of
S. C., from the
Committee on Accounts, reported a resolution to credit
R. H. Wyane, Doorkeeper of the
House, with eighteen hundred dollars, the amount abstracted from him without his fault.
The resolution was adopted.
Mr. Swan, of
Tenn., offered a resolution for the appointment of a committee of three, to confer with the proper authorities and take such steps as may secure a distribution of the accumulated mails in the Richmond Post-Office, and also the forwarding of the mail matter of several days past, not yet forwarded, and that they report their action to the
House.
Agreed to.
Mr. Boyce, of
S. C., from the Naval Committee, reported back a Senate bill to amend the act to provide an invalid corps.
Passed.
Also, a Senate joint resolution directing the settlement of the claim of
Zedskiah McDaniel and
Francis M. Ewing for destroying the
Federal gunboat
Cairo, by means of a torpedo.
It makes an allowance of $76,726.36. The resolution passed — ayes 68, noes 8.
Also, a bill to amend the act to regulate the supplies of clothing to enlisted men of the navy during the war, which was taken up and passed.
It authorizes the issue of small stores to the enlisted men upon the same terms as provided for clothing.
Also, a Senate bill to extend to the navy and marine corps the provisions of the 3d section of an act to organize forces to serve during the war. Passed.
Mr Lyon, of Ala, from the Committee on Ways and Means, reported a bill to increase the compensation of the heads of the several Executive Departments.
It increases their pay 100 per cent, and includes the
Assistant Secretary of War and of the Treasury.
Passed.
Also, a joint resolution to provide for the
President during the war fuel, lights, and forage for four horses.
Passed.
Mr. Singleton, of
Miss, from the committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the bill to promote the efficiency of the cavalry service, and to punish lawlessness in any portion thereof, made a report, which recommends the adoption of the
House bill with certain verbal amendments.
The report was concurred in.
Mr. Lyons, from the Committee on Ways and Means, reported back Senate bill to amend an act to reduce the currency, and to authorize a new issue of Treasury notes and bonds, with an amendment proposing to strike out the fifth section, which reads as follows:
"Section 5 The bonds and certificates mentioned in the second section of the act to which this is an amendment, shall be receivable in payment of all Government dues which shall have accrued prior to the 1st day of January, 1865, except export and import duties; and for purposes of payment herein authorized shall be transferable by delivery."
Various amendments were proposed, and pending the consideration of the subject, the
House took a recess until 8 o'clock P. M.
[On Friday night the
House passed the bill making an appropriation for the postal service.
The bill to amend the act to allow commissioned officers rations and the privilege of purchasing clothing from the Quartermaster's Department was taken up, and the Senate amendments were concurred in.]
