Confederate Congress.
Friday, Oct. 10, 1862.
Senate.--The Senate met at 11 o'clock, Hon,
Mr. Hunter in the chair.
Prayer by
Rev. Dr. Jeter.
Mr. Sparrow, from the
Committee on Military Affairs, reported back several resolutions of inquiry, and was discharged from the further consideration of the same.
A House bill supplemental to an act, authorizing the
Secretary of the Treasury to pay district collectors in certain cases.
Passed.
A House bill to fix the pay and mileage of the
Delegates from the several
indian nations authorized to have Delegates under their respective treaties.
Passed.
Mr. Sommes offered a resolution, which was adopted, requesting the
Secretary of the Treasury to inform the Senate what quantity of tobacco and cotton has been exchanged for bonds and stock under the provisions of the act of 21st of April, 1862, and where said cotton and tobacco were purchased, and what prices were paid for, and what disposition has been made of, the same.
Mr. Yancey introduced a bill to increase the pay of clerks in the several Departments.
The bill provides for as immediate increase of the salary of all the clerks in the several Departments of the
Executive Government in the following ratio: All salaries under $1,000, 50 per cent.; of $1,000 and under $1,200, 33 per cent; of $1,200 and upwards, 25 per cent.
Mr. Yancey spoke of the measure as one of necessity, growing out of the increased expense of living in the city.
He paid a high compliment to the skill and efficiency exhibited by the clerks in the several Departments coming under his observation; they were an industrious and highly honorable class of men, and their services were at least worth as much as the clerks under the old Government received, which was from 33 to 50 per cent, above the salaries paid our clerks.
Mr. Lewis moved a reference of the bill to the
Committee on Finance.
Negatived.
On motion of
Mr. Semmes, a provizo was added, limiting the operations of the bill to the close of the next session, and the bill then passed.
The Senate resolved itself into secret session.
House of Representatives.--
House met at 11 o'clock. Prayer by
Rev. Dr. Read.
Mr. Miles, of
S. C., from the
Committee on Military Affairs, reported back
House bill, with Senate amendment, for the establishment of places of rendezvous for the examination of persons subject to military duty, and recommended that the
House concur in the amendment.
The recommendation was agreed to.
Also, reported the following bill from the same committee:
The Congress of the Confederate States do enact, That hereafter the
Quartermaster-General and the
Chief of Ordnance shall be
Brigadier-Generals in the Provisional Army.
Some discussion ensued upon the bill, but before final action upon it, the special order was called.
Messrs Boteler and
Holcombe, by permission, presented memorials, which were appropriately referred.
Mr. Dejarnette, of
Va., from the Committee of Foreign Affairs, reported a bill to provide for retaliation in certain cases.
The bill was discussed by
Messrs. Dejarnette,
McQueen and
Barksdale.
The bill was finally recommitted to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The rules were suspended to allow the Military Committee to complete their reports.
Mr. Harria, of
Mo., from the Military Committee, reported back
House bill, with Senate amendment, entitled ‘"An act amendatory of an act providing for the granting of bounties and furloughs to privates and non commissioned officers of the Provisional Army,"’ approved December 11th, 1861.--The amendment was concurred in.
Mr. Harris also reported back
House bill, with Senate amendments and amendments offered by the committee, entitled ‘"An act to provide for raising and organizing, in the States of
Kentucky and
Missouri, additional forces for the Provisional Army of the
Confederate States, "’ with a recommendation that the
House concur in the amendments which authorize the
President to appoint general and field officers for the organization of such troops.
The bill was taken up, and the amendments concurred in.
Mr. Swann, of
Tenn., from the same committee, reported back
House bill, with Senate amendments, entitled an act to authorize the
President to accept and place in the service certain regiments and battalions heretofore raised.
On agreeing to the amendment, the vote was taken by ayes and noes, as follows — ayes 39, noes 22.
The special order was then taken up being the bill to purge the army of ignorant and incompetent officers.
The Chair announced the question to be upon the amendment to the additional section, offered by
Mr. Smith, of
N. C., which is as follows:
‘"
And provided, further, That vacancies arising under the operations of this act, in regiments or battalions, which were organized, under the laws of a State, for the war, or a period not yet expired, shall be filled as in case of death or resignation."’
The amendment was adopted, and the section as amended was concurred in, and the bill was engrossed, read a third time and passed — ayes 47, noes 10.
The title of the bill was amended by inserting the word ‘"relieve,"’ in lieu of the word ‘"purge."’
Mr. Herbert, of
Texas, introduced a bill to increase the salaries of route agents for the mails, the sum to be paid to such agents not to exceed, in any case, $1,200 per annum.
The bill was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Dupre, of
La., by consent of the
House, introduced a bill to consolidate reduced battalions and regiments; which was referred to the Military Committee.
The special order of the day — the bill reported by
Mr. Russell, of
Va., entitled ‘ "An act to repress atrocities of the enemy"’--coming up.
Mr. Baldwin. of
Va., moved its postponement, with a view to take up certain Senate bills now on the
Speaker's table.
The motion was agreed to.
The Speaker decided that the next special order came up, viz; the bill entitled ‘"An act to provide a tag to support the credit of the
Government."’
Mr. Clapp, of
Miss., moved that this order be postponed and made the special order for the 3d Monday in January, 1862. The motion to postpone was debated by
Messrs. Ferhins,
Chambers,
Clapp,
Kepper, and others, when the question was called; and the ayes and none being occurred, the motion was lost — ayes none 43.
So the motion to postpone until next session was not agreed to.
Mr. Garnest, of
Va., moved to postpone the bill, with a view to take up the bill entitled ‘ "An act making appropriations for the support of the
Government for the month of January, 1863, and for certain deficiencies, and other purposes there in named."’ The motion was agreed to.
By consent of the
House, the Senate bill to increase the salaries of employees of the several Departments of the
Government residing in
Richmond, was taken up, and
Mr. Baldwin, of
Va., offered a substitute, as follows:
The Congress of the Confederate States do enact, That on the salaries or compensation of all officers and employees of the several Executive and Legislative Departments, appointed under any law of Congress, and residing in the city of
Richmond, whose salaries shall not now exceed one thousand dollars, there shall be added, for the period of one year, fifty per cent, and for the period of one year the salaries or compensation of all such officers and employees now receiving not less than one thousand dollars, and under fifteen hundred dollars, shall be fixed at fifteen hundred dollars."
Mr. Lyons, of
Va., moved to amend by adding the following: ‘"And the salary of the
Private Secretary of the
President shall be $2,000 per annum."’ The motion was not agreed to.
Mr. Dupre, of
La., offered a substitute to the substitute of
Mr. Baldwin, which was rejected.
The question then recurred upon the substitute of
Mr. Baldwin, and it was adopted.
Mr,
Foote moved that when the
House adjourns it adjourn to meet again at 8 o'clock this evening.--The motion prevailed.
Mr. Russell, of
Va., moved to suspend the rules to enable him to offer a resolution to postpone the time of adjournment of Congress until Monday, the 20th day of the present month.
The motion did not prevail.
On motion of
Mr. Foote, of
Tenn., the
House went into secret session.
Evening Session.--The
House met at 8 o'clock.
Mr. Dejarnette, of
Va., from the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, rose to a privileged question, and asked permission of the
House to again report the bill which he had reported during the morning session, viz: the bill in relation to retaliation.
On motion of
Mr. Foote, the bill was postponed till 2 o'clock to morrow.
Mr. Barksdale, of
Miss., submitted a minority report, which took the same direction.
The
House then, in Committee of the Whole, (
Mr. Russell in the chair,) took up for consideration the bill reported from the Committee of Ways and Means, entitled ‘"An act making appropriations for the support of the
Government for the month of January, 1863, and for certain deficiencies and other purposes therein mentioned."’
[This bill appropriates for the ordnance service, in all its branches, $2,500,000; for the engineer service, $500,000; for the pay of the army, $18,660,189; for the transportation of troops and their baggage, of quartermaster's stores, subsistence, ordnance and ordnance stores, from the place of purchase to troops in the field; the purchase of horses, mules, wagons, and harness; the purchase of lumber, nails, iron, and steel; for erecting storehouses, quarters for troops, and other repairs, hire of teamsters, laborers, etc., $7,464,075; for pay for horses of privates and non-commissioned officers killed in battle, $25,000; for pay for property pressed into service of the
Confederate States, under appraisement, $37,500; for subsistence of prisoners of war, &c., $200,000; for the bounty of fifty dollars to each non-commissioned officer, musician and private, on the basis that sixty thousand will have to be paid $3,000,000; for the pay of officers on duty in the
Adjutant and
Inspector General's, the
Quartermaster General's, Medical, Engineer, Ordnance and Subsistence Departments, $64,670, for pay of private physicians, employed by contract, from the 1st to the 31st of January, 1863. $30,000; for medical and hospital supplies, $400,000; to pay deficit in the Post-Office Department, $800,000, for deficiencies in the Quartermaster's Department, $39,000,000; for interest on the public debt, for the month of January, 1863, $2,500,000; for the purchase of subsistence for the army for the month of January, 1863, $6,571,672.91. The aggregate appropriated by the bill is nearly $85,000,000.]
After the reading of the bill had been completed,
Mr. Swann, of
Tenn., moved that the committee rise and recommend that the
House pass the bid.
Mr. Kenner called the question, which was sustained, and the bill was engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
On motion of
Mr. Jones, of
Tenn., the
House adjourned at 10 o'clock.
