Senate.--The Senate met at 12 o'clock M. yesterday. Prayer by
the Rev. Mr. Doggett, of the
M. E. Church.
The Military Committee were discharged from the further consideration of the resolution relative to the appointment of ensigns in battalions of infantry, a bill on the subject having been already reported from the committee.
The same committee were discharged from the further consideration of several subjects, which were thereupon referred to other committees.
House joint resolution providing for the appointment of a special committee of the Senate and House of Representatives, on the subject of impressments, was reported from the Judiciary Committee and was passed.
The Military Committee were discharged from the further consideration of the resolution in relation to desertions from the infantry to the cavalry, &c.
Several House bills were appropriately referred.
The bill to amend the act entitled, "an act to reduce the currency and to authorize a new issue of notes and bonds," was taken up and considered.
The bill provides that the amount of notes to be issued shall not exceed one dollar of new issue for three dollars of the old which may have been paid into the Treasury — this limitation not to restrict the
Secretary's authority to exchange new notes for old at the rate of two for three; and provided, the
Secretary is directed on the 1st January, 1865, or as soon thereafter as practicable, to reduce the amount of notes in circulation to $200,000,000, and when it shall be so reduced the faith of the
Government to be pledged that it shall not be increased; instead of six per cent. bonds the
Secretary of the Treasury be authorized to issue to States which may desire it one-half of the amount due those States in Treasury notes of the new issue, and the other half in six per cent. bonds; or, at the option of the
State, in four per cent.
coupon bonds, payable in twenty years, the principal or interest of said bonds not to be taxable, and this provision not to extend to any portion of the amount which States may be entitled to claim; the
Secretary of the Treasury be authorized to issue to any person holding old issues of Treasury notes entitled to be exchanged for new issues, untaxable four per cent. bonds, the exchange to be made at the same rate at which the old notes may be exchanged for those of the new issue; any holder of four per cent. bonds or certificates, may exchange his bond or certificate for a four per cent. untaxable bond, such as is described in the preceding section, at the same rate provided therein as to old issues — that is to say, at the rate of two dollars untaxable bonds for three dollars of bonds or certificates issued under the first section; the bonds authorized by this act to be in such form and to have such authentication as may be directed by regulations of the
Secretary of the Treasury.
After a number of amendments had been made, on motion of
Mr. Hill, of
Ga., the further consideration of the bill was postponed till to-day, and the bill was ordered to be printed.
On motion of
Mr. Sparrow, of
La., the Senate resolved into Executive session.
House of Representatives.--Prayer by Rev Dr Minnegrode.
The resolution of
Mr Chambliss declaring it inexpedient to repeal the act suspending the writ of
habeas corpus was taken up.
Mr Gaither, of
N. C., supported it in some remarks, in which he reflected on the loyalty of a large portion of the citizens of
Richmond.
He explained by saying that he referred to the foreign population particularly, and it was well known that all the villainy had concentrated itself here,
Richmond being the seat of Government.
The people of
Richmond proper, he was well aware, were as patriotic and loyal as any others in the
Confederacy.
Mr Baldwin said that he would mention one fact which was probably not known to the country or the
House.
At the beginning of the war he (
Mr. B.) was engaged in the organization of the army of Virginia, as
Inspector General of the
Virginia forces, and he was receiving the different regiments into the service of the
State.
Company after company came from
Richmond, until he was compelled to report to
Gen. Lee that the people of
Richmond were sending troops to the field without regard to the industrial pursuits of the country, and
Gen. Lee gave orders that no more volunteers should be received from the city of
Richmond.
There was no city in the
Confederacy more loyal or patriotic, and none had contributed more to the army, in proportion to its population, than the city of
Richmond.
A motion to lay the resolution on the table was defeated — ayes 33, nays 39--and the consideration of the resolution was deferred until Thursday.
Mr Miles, of
South Carolina, from the Military Committee, reported a bill to provide passports for members of Congress of the Confederate States.
Mr A H
Garland moved to amend by adding "delegates and officers of each
House." Adopted.
The bill was passed as amended.
Mr Miles also reported a bill to authorize the appointment of commissaries to cavalry regiments.
Passed.
Mr Sexton, of,
Texas, from the Postal Committee, reported a bill to extend the franking privilege to the Trans-
Mississippi agent of the Post-Office Department.--Passed.
