Confederate Congress.
Senate.
Thursday, March 16, 1865.
House bill to suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, reported back adversely by the Judiciary Committee, was, after debate, rejected by the following vote:
Yeas--Messrs. Burnett, of Ky., Henry of Tenn., Johnston of Mo., Maxwell of Fla., Simms of Ky., and Vest of Mo.--6.
Nays--Messrs. Barnwell, Brown, Graham, Hunter, Oldham, Orr, Semmes, Watson, and Wigfall. --9.
The Senate concurred in House amendment to the bill to regulate the business of conscription.
Impressment law so as not to give property impressed for the use of the army, to be paid for at the time of the impressment, was passed.
House resolution to adjourn on Saturday next was rejected — yeas 8, nays 8.
The Senate then resolved into secret session.
The doors being opened, Mr. Orr submitted a resolution to adjourn at two o'clock on Saturday, which was agreed to — yeas 8, nays 7.
The Senate took a recess till 8 o'clock.
House of Representatives.
Thursday, March 16, 1865.
Mr. Ewing, of Tenn., the unfinished business being postponed, offered a joint resolution in favor of the adjournment of Congress, sine die, on Saturday, the 18th inst., at 1 o'clock. The resolution was agreed to.
Mr. Cluskey, of Tenn., presented the following:
Resolved, That the Speaker of the House will hereafter issue his warrant for the arrest of any member about to absent himself without leave.
The resolution was laid over under the rules.
Mr. Pugh, of Ala., (under a suspension of the rules,) read a report from the Committee on Military Affairs, in answer to that portion of the President's late message relating to military affairs, which had been referred to that committee.
Mr. Swan, as a member of the Committee on Military Affairs, did not agree with the report of the committee.
He had always been since taking his seat here, and was now, in favor of putting all the men and all the means in the country at the disposal of the Executive.
Mr. Clark approved of the report in the main, but could not agree that a general military law was unnecessary and inexpedient.
He thought there were laws needed on the subject to complete the military organization of the Confederate Government, to enable the President to call the militia from one State to another, in cases of necessity and emergency.
Mr. Hartridge, of Geo., presented the following:
Resolved, That the report presented by the Committee on Military Affairs expresses the sense of this House in reference to the subject contained in the report.
On motion of Mr. Clark, of Mo., action on the resolution was postponed until after the disposition of the militia bill now before the House.
Mr. Marshall, (under a suspension of the rules,) moved that the report of the committee be printed, which was ordered.
The special order, viz: The bill for organizing, arming and disciplining, &c., the militia of the Confederate States, was taken up. The pending question being the motion to lie on the table,
The House refused to lay the bill on the table.
Yeas, 31; nays, 33.
Pending its further consideration, on motion of Mr. Lyon, the House resolved itself into secret session. 