The
Senate met at 12 o'clock M., and was called to order by
Mr. R. M. T. Hunter, of
Virginia,
President pro tem. The proceedings were opened with prayer by
the Rev. Dr. Read, of the Presbyterian Church.
Messrs. Maxwell, of
Fla.,
Phelan, of
Miss.,
Johnson, of
Ga.,
Caperton, of
Va., and
Mr. Clay, of
Ala., appeared and took their seats.
The annual report of the
Attorney-General was laid before the Senate by the chair, and referred to the Judiciary Committee.
Mr. Orr introduced a bill to provide for the payment of Government creditors in Confederate eight per cent. bonds.
Referred to the Committee of Finance.
Mr. Orr also offered a resolution instructing the Military Committee to inquire whether additional legislation were necessary to protect the people against the arbitrary impressments of the Commissary Department. Referred to the Military Committee.
Mr. Orr also offered a resolution referring to the Finance Committee, whether the construction given by the
Secretary of the Treasury to the act authorizing the issue of
cotton coupon bonds is authorized by such act. Referred to the Finance Committee.
Mr. Johnson, of
Ark., introduced a bill providing for the return to the Trans-Mississippi Department of all skeleton regiments from that country now serving in the
East.
Also, a bill providing for the return to the Trans-
Mississippi of all troops from that country who have been captured and exchanged or paroled by the enemy, or who may be hereafter captured and exchanged or paroled.
Both bills were referred to the Military Committee.
Mr. Johnson, of
Ark., offered a resolution that the Committee of Finance inquire into the expediency of appointing an
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, who shall be Treasurer for and reside and have his office in the Trans-
Mississippi country.
Agreed to.
Mr. Johnson, of
Ark., also offered a resolution that the
Committee on Military Affairs inquire into the expediency of appointing an
Assistant Secretary of War, with proper quartermasters, &c., as a means of strengthening the defence of the Trans-
Mississippi.
Agreed to.
Mr. Johnson, of
Ark., introduced a bill that during the war Congress shall not adjourn for a longer period than three months, and that Congress shall meet on the first Monday after ninety days from its last adjournment, unless sooner called together.
On motion of
Mr. Brown, of
Mississippi, it was resolved that the memorials, resolutions, bills, &c., referred to the
Committee of Naval Affairs last session and not acted on be taken from the files and recommitted to the
Committee of Naval Affairs.
On motion of
Mr. Phelan, of
Miss., a joint resolution was passed increasing the compensation of the
Public Printer.
On motion of
Mr. Brown, the Senate adjourned.
The
House was opened at 12 o'clock with prayer by
Rev. Mr. Jeter.
The
House at once resolved itself into Committee of the Whole, (
Mr. Curry in the chair,) and took up for consideration the resolution of
Mr. Miles, of
South Carolina that so much of the
President's message as refers to the subjects of currency and taxation, and the report of the
Secretary of the Treasury, be referred to a joint committee of the two Houses, said committee to consist on the part of the
House of nine members.
On this resolution the ayes and noes were had with the following result — ayes 24, noes 30.
Mr. Russell, of
Virginia, moved that the subject be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means.
Mr. Conrad, of
La., offered as a substitute a resolution that so much of the
President's message as relates to the currency, together with the report of the
Secretary of the Treasury, be referred to a joint committee, to consist of — members of the Senate and — members of the
House, with instructions to report as promptly as possible the best measures, in their judgment, for the improvement of the currency.
This proposition was discussed at some length by
Mr. Conrad in its favor, and
Messrs. Foote and
Lyons in opposition to it.
Mr. Machen, of
Ky., offered an amendment to the resolution, that the subjects under discussion be referred to the Committee of the whole House, and that they be made the special order of the day as soon as a printed copy of the
Secretary's report can be obtained, and that they be continued as a special order from day to day until disposed of. This amendment was lost, and the question then recurred upon the substitute offered by
Mr. Conrad.
Mr. Boyce, of
S. C., moved to amend by inserting "a special committee to consist of one from each State," and the amendment was agreed to, and the substitute as amended was adopted.
Mr. Jones, of
Tenn., offered the following as an amendment to the original proposition: "With instructions to report a bill levying a tax upon real and personal property according to the value of such property." On this amendment the ayes and noes were called and resulted — ayes 42, noes 14.
The original resolution as thus amended was agreed to.
Mr. Miles, of
S. C., offered a resolution to refer the different subjects embraced in the message of the
President to the appropriate committees.
Mr. Foote, of
Tenn., offered an amendment, to instruct the Military Committee to report a bill, as early as practicable, providing for an increase of pay of our valiant soldiery, both officers and men. After some discussion, this amendment was rejected.
Mr. Foote then offered the following resolution:
‘
Resolved, That said committee shall diligently inquire into the causes which led to the late disastrous defeat of our army at
Chattanooga; whether such defeat was, as is deliberately and formally stated by the
President in his message, owing to a want of valor on the part of our troops, or any particular portion thereof; or whether it was owing, chiefly or altogether to other causes, in order that justice may be done to all concerned, and censure be bestowed upon all deserving it, whoever they may be.
’
After speaking to this amendment at some length,
Mr. Foote withdrew the resolution.
Mr. Foote then offered a resolution to instruct the Military Committee to inquire whether there be any just ground for the allegations made in official letters and otherwise, that the enemy's prisoners, now in our hands, have not received at any time an adequate supply of wholesome and nutritious food.
In advocacy of this resolution,
Mr. Foote arraigned the
Commissary General, and spoke of him as a monster in human form.
He submitted a statement from
Capt. Warner, showing that for eight days, at one time, the prisoners were without meat, notwithstanding a sufficient amount had been purchased for their use.
Mr. F. said that these provisions were prevented from being issued by the
Commissary General.
A vote was taken and the resolution defeated.
On motion of
Mr. Wilcox, the
Committee rose, and through their chairman reported that the
Committee had under consideration the
President's message and accompanying documents, and had come to no conclusion thereon.
A message was received from the
President, communicating the report of the
Secretary of State, which was received and laid on the table.
On motion of
Mr. Chilton, of
Ala., the
House adjourned.
