The Daily Dispatch: October 7, 1862., [Electronic resource]

Confederate Congress.
Monday, Oct. 6, 1862.

Senate.

On motion of Mr. Clark, leave of absence was granted Mr. Simms, of Ky., during the remainder of the session.

Mr. Davis, from the Committee on Finance, reported a hill to repay to the State of North Carolina the excess over her quota paid by her into the Treasury of the Confederate States on account of her war tax.

Mr. Hunter, from the Committee on Finance, reported a House bill making appropriations for the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial expenses of the Government for the month of December, 1862, with amendments, which were agreed to and the hill passed.

Mr. Sparrow, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported a Senate bill to amend an act to further provide for the public defence, with a House amendment, which was concurred in.

From the same, a House bill to grant commutation in Hen of quarters for the Superintendent of the intelligence Office and his clerks; and to increase the compensation of his clerks. Passed.

Mr. Henry introduced a bill to define the rank of Quartermaster-General and Chief of Ordnance. --[Gives them the rank of Brigadier-General.]

Mr. Orr moved to add the name of the Commissary-General. Agreed to.

Mr. Henry moved to add the Chief of the Engineer's Department. Agreed to.

The motion to have the bill read a third time was disagreed to.

A House bill to increase the pay of privates and non-commissioned officers, with a substitute appropriating five millions of dollars for the relief of indigent families of soldiers, was taken up.

Mr. Orr moved to recommit the bill to the committee, with instructions to report what additional expense the passage of the bill would incur.

The motion to recommit the bill to the committee was negatived.

The amendment reported by the committee was rejected, and the bill passed.

The bill increases the pay of privates and non-commissioned officers $4 per month.

A House bill to provide for the raising and organization of additional forces in the States of Missouri and Kentucky for the army of the Confederate States, with a Senate substitute.

The bill authorizes the President to appoint such Major and Brigadier-Generals, field, staff, and company officers, as in his opinion the defences of the country may require, to raise troops in the States of Kentucky and Missouri, and if they do not within a reasonable time report their commands ready for duty the President may vacate their offices.--They receive pay from the date of their respective appointments.

Mr. Clark supported the original bill but opposed the substitute. He regarded it as the only hope for the protection of his State, (Missouri.) The peculiarities of the case demanded the measure. The fighting men of Missouri wanted leading men, acting under the authority of the Government, to whom they could rally and accomplish effective organizations. It was necessary that these leaders have the right to select officers to make enlistments, because it was impossible to go through the formalities of election required in other and ordinary cases.

Mr. Phelan urged objection to the original bill on the ground that it did not provide for the terms of enlistment of the troops. The bill authorized the appointment not only of field and staff, but of all other officers. To this he likewise objected.

The substitute of the committee, authorizing the appointment only of field officers of regiments, battalions and squadrons not already organized in Missouri and Kentucky, was amended, on motion of Mr. Clark, so as to include Brigadier-Generals in the appointment, and then adopted.

The President laid before the Senate a message from the Executive, vetoing the bill giving the Quartermaster-General the rank, pay and allowance of a Brigadier General. Ordered to be printed.

The Senate then, on motion of Mr. Clay, went into secret session.

House of Representatives.

The House resumed the consideration of the bill pending at the time of adjournment on Saturday, viz:--A Senate bill reported back by Mr. Swann, of Tennessee, from the Military Committee, to authorize the President to accept and place in the service certain regiments and battalions heretofore raised, with amendments. The object of the bill is to authorize the reception of certain regiments, battalions, &c., which have been raised in good faith, but not legally. The amendments to the bill were agreed to.

Mr. Swann, of Tenn., moved to reconsider the vote by which the House agreed to the last amendment, which proposes to strike out the words ‘"military organizations raised after this time,"’ and to insert ‘"regiments or battalions organized after the said first day of October, 1862."’

Mr. Gardenhier, of Tenn., opposed the amendment. It was an act of injustice to military organizations in portions of his State, made up of men who had volunteered in good faith.

Mr. Foote concurred in the remarks of his colleague, and was confident that public sentiment would sustain the views expressed. He hoped the House would not act hastily, but would extend the time for receiving these volunteer organizations without a resort to conscription. As a measure bearing upon the peace and quiet of his State be left deeply interested in it.

Mr. Atkins, of Tenn, had been in favor of the passage of the Conscript law, but believed it would be wise to modify it by the passage of laws so as to authorize the reception of troops from States held in part by the enemy. He felt satisfied that by the use of proper means from 25,000 to 40,000 men could be raised in Middle and West Tennessee, now in possession of the enemy.

Mr. Miles, of S. C., expressed surprise to hear the gentlemen discussing the merits of the Conscription bill, which was now the law of the land; but the President was authorized, at his discretion, to suspend the operation of the law in sections where it was deemed necessary for the public good.

Without final action upon the bill, the special order of the day — the Tax bill — was called, and the subject was laid over.

The Speaker laid before the House certain messages from the Executive--one transmitting from the Secretary of the Treasury a consolidated estimate of appropriations necessary for expenses for the month of January, 1863. Referred to the Committee of Ways and Means, and ordered to be printed.

The House then, in Committee of the Whole, (Mr. Curry in the chair,) resumed the consideration of the special order — the bill to raise revenue.

Mr. Bridgers of N. C. occupied the floor in opposition to the bill. Whilst it professed to impose taxes for the support of the Government, it could not be concealed that it was a measure to enforce a loan. There might be authority in the Constitution for the enactment of such a bill, but he had been unable to discover it. It was contended by the supporters of this measure that the present high prices of the necessaries of life were attributable to the immense issue of Treasury notes; but, in his opinion, these enormous prices were owing to the increased demand and an inadequate supply. If this bill was passed, the necessities of persons upon whom the bonds would be forced would compel them to throw them in the market, thus creating a competing element in the market, well calculated to depreciate the bonds of the Government. How could the operations of such a bill inspire confidence in the Government? The bill was unjust in its provisions, in that it discriminated between the speculator and the producing classes of the Government. The effect of the adoption of such a measure would have an injurious effect abroad. It would be at once declared that the people had no confidence in the financial condition of the country.

Mr. McRae, of Miss., followed Mr. Bridgers, in support of the bill, maintaining its constitutionality.

Mr. Clapp, of Miss., addressed the House at length in opposition to the bill.

The question was then called upon the motion of Mr. Carnett, of Va, to strike out the enacting clause of the bill, the adoption of which, the Chair stated, defeated the bill. The vote being taken, the motion was agreed to. The committee then rose, and the chairman reported its action.

Mr. Perkins, of La., offered the following resolution:

‘ Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be instructed to report immediately a bill for the purpose of raising a sufficient sum to meet the accruing interest upon the whole interest-bearing debt of this Government, heretofore created, and such as may be contracted hereafter, previous to the first day of January, 1863.

’ Mr. Johnson, of Va., submitted the following as a substitute:

‘ Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be instructed to report to this House, at the earliest moment practicable, for its consideration, a tax bill, embracing property, business, and incomes, which will yield at least fifty millions of dollars of revenue.

’ Mr. Boyce, of South Carolina, offered the following as a substitute for the resolution of Mr. Johnson:

‘ Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be instructed to report a bill for a comprehensive system of internal taxation, and authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to dispose of bonds at current rates.

’ The question was upon the resolution of Mr. Boyce, and the vote being taken, it was rejected.

The question then recurred upon the resolution of Mr. Johnson and it was also rejected.

The vote was then taken upon the resolution of Mr. Perkins, when it was agreed to by a vote of ayes 49, noes 15.

Mr. Garnett, of Virginia, moved a reconsideration, and the vote being taken, it was ascertained that the House was without a qu-

On motion, the House adjourned.