Confederate States Congress.
[adjourned session.]
Senate. Wednesday, Sept. 3. 1862.
The Senate met at 12 o'clock, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Peterkin, of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
Mr Clay, of Ala., offered a resolution, which was adopted, that the joint committee to inquire into the present administration of the Navy Department be authorized to employ a short-hand writer or clerk.
Mr. Yancey gave notice that he would present, as a substitute to the bill reported on yesterday from the Military Committee amendatory of the Conscription law, a bill modifying the law so as to authorize the President to make requisition on the Executive authorities of the several States for their respective proportions or quota of troops, between the ages of 35 and 45 years, and in case of failure on the part of State authorities, to take the necessary steps, for the execution of the law. The substitute was read and ordered to be printed.
On motion of Mr. Orr, the documents in relation to the supervisory Board of Medical Examiners were referred to the select committee to investigate complaints against the Medical Department.
Mr. Henry, of Tenn., presented a bill amendatory of the sequestration law, so as to reach the cases of all persons unfaithful to the Confederacy living within our borders, and authorizing the sequestration of their property.
Ordered to be printed and placed on the calendar.
The President presented a communication of the Board of Visitors to the Virginia Military Institute, asking some modification of the Conscript law, so that its operation should not effect those cadets who have attained the conscript age, but have not yet graduated.
Mr. Sparrow, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported back the bill in relation to the appropriation of salaries, with a substitute; the petition of sundry physicians, asking pay as surgeons when detailed from the ranks to do surgeons' duty, from which the committee was discharge; ditto, the resolution as to the expediency of authorizing the enrollment of persons not liable to military duty, for 90 days; also, the House bill authorizing the discharge of soldiers under 18 years of age from the army.
On motion of Mr. Sparrow, the last subject was indefinitely postponed.
The bill entitled ‘"An act to make provision for the cold of the Confederate States, "’ was taken up and passed.
The bill to amend the Exemption Law was taken up.
Mr. Clark, of Mo., said that a few days ago we had passed a bill giving mechanics the privilege of buying substitutes, and now we have a bill brought from the same committee (Military Affairs) exempting them altogether.
Had the bill closed with the words ‘"and all the rest of mankind,"’ it would have been virtually the same thing.
Everybody but the agriculturist and professional gentleman was exempted.
He was opposed to giving mechanics any other privilege than that provided for by the recently adopted substitute bill.
The exemption of printers would create a six by ten sheet in every village, and each paper would have its corps of printers, and in every other mechanical pursuit the effect would be the same.
Mr. Preston, of Va., said that if the bill were the bill as presented by the Senator from Mississippi, (Mr. Brown,) there would be many grave objections.
But war was not a measure to be conducted by soldiers alone.
It would not do to send every man away to the battle-field; but all who were able to contribute to the war by staying at home more than they could by going to war, should stay at home, and all who could do more in the war should be made to go to war.
Mr. Sparrow, chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs, explained the character of the bill, demonstrating that it was a restriction upon the existing law, and it was with the view of rendering it a restriction that the committee agreed upon it.
Mr. Clark, of Mo., moved to postpone the further consideration of the bill until Friday, which was lost.
On motion of Mr. Sparrow, the bill was considered by clauses.
An amendment proposing the exemption of the Private Secretary of the Vice-President, offered by Mr. Sparrow, was defeated by a vote of nine against six. 