Confederate Congress.
Tuesday, Sept. 9th, 1862.
--The Senate was opened with prayer, at 12 o'clock, by the Rev. J. D. Coulling, of the M. E. Church.
Mr. Hill, of Ga., presented a memorial from the Board of Managers of the Confederate States Bible Society, asking that certain funds bequeathed to the American Bible Society at New York, and falling under the Sequestration law, be turned over to them, to be used as early (as originally designed by the testators,) as the present circumstances will admit — namely, for the benefit of the soldiers of the Confederate States. Referred to the Judiciary Committee.
On motion of Mr. Hill, his colleague, Mr. Lewis, was appointed on the Committee on Hospitals and Medical Department, in his place.
Mr. Lewis, of Ga., offered a resolution, which was adopted, that the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of authorizing the sale of a part on the whole of the railroad engines captured from the enemy.
Mr. Davis, of N. C., offered a resolution, which was adopted, that the Committee on Foreign Affairs inquire into the expediency and propriety of calling our Commissioners from Europe, and report thereon to the Senate.
Mr. Sparrow reported from the Committee on Military Affairs a bill providing that in all cases where the Board of Inquiry shall find an officer in the army, elected or promoted, unfit for his position, the President, by and with the consent of the Senate, shall be authorized to fill the vacancies thus created.
The bill was placed on the calendar.
On motion of Mr. Hunter, of Va., the House bill making an appropriation of $13,500, to pay the Choctaw tribe of Indians the amount due by the State of Virginia on $450,000 placed in trust by them, was taken up and passed.
The Exemption bill again came up for continued consideration.
Mr. Semmes, of Louisiana, in discussing the pending amendment — the exception of justices of the peace from exemption — maintained that the argument of the supremacy of the Confederate Government, in its war making power, was a fallacy; that the very existence of a State Government, and of the Confederate Government itself, rendered a limitation of the war making power a necessity. The term ‘"State"’ represented an ideality, a metaphysical entity, and the officers of the State Government were the physical emblems of that ideality, without whom the Government could not exist.
Mr. Orr, of S. C., was unwilling to take any step which would infringe upon the rights of a State, and thought that the best policy would be for Congress to make the appropriate exemptions of its own officers, in general terms, include all persons exempted by the several State Governments.
Mr. Simms, of Ky., favored the amendment, and would favor any other similar purpose that might be offered. The action of the Federal Government rendered it necessary to meet the enemy, if possible, man to man, and if we were over whelmed, he would rather not one Southern son should be left to tell the tale.
Mr. Dortch, of N. C., arose to explain the purpose he had in view in offering the amendment. It was to conform the action of Congress with that of the Legislature of his State. There were in North Carolina five hundred justices of the peace, and these, together with other minor State officers exempted by Congress, would sum up fully ten thousand men whose services were not at all needed by the State, or if needed in any instances, might be as well performed by other and older men. The State exempted no other judicial officers but the Judges of the Supreme and Superior Courts.
Mr. Yancey, of Ala., proceeded to enter upon an argument to show that the tendency of such action as the passage of this amendment would induce would be towards the most absolute form of a military dictatorship, when,
On motion of Mr. Preston, the further consideration of the subject was postponed until to- morrow.
House of Representatives.
--House met at 12 o'clock. Journal of yesterday read.Mr. Dargan, of Ala., offered a resolution, that the Committee on Military Affairs inquire and report, by bill or otherwise, what rules should be adopted by Congress to prevent the abuse of the powers exercised by Provost Marshals, and those acting under their authority. Agreed to.
Mr. Curry, of Ala., introduced a bill to procure copy-rights to authors and composers, citizens of the Confederate States, whose works were copy-righted in the United States. Referred to Judiciary Committee.
Mr. Lyon, of Ala., presented a memorial of citizens of his District, asking a change in the exemption laws. Referred to the Military Committee.
Mr. Hanley, of Ala., offered a bill to authorize certain regiments and battalions to elect their own officers. Referred to the Military Committee.
Mr. Royston, of Ark., offered a resolution that the President be respectfully requested to communicate to the House of Representatives, whether or not persons physically disabled to discharge the duties of a soldier, have, by the order of the Secretary of War, been ordered to be enrolled as conscripts for the purpose of performing other duties than those contemplated by the act of Congress, entitled an act further to provide for the public defence — approved on the 16th day of April, 1862, and if so, by or under what authority, has said order been made. Agreed to.
Mr. Hartridge offered a resolution that the Committee of Ways and Means be requested to inquire into the expediency of authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to offer a reward of --thousand dollars for the apprehension and conviction of any person engaged in forging or uttering counterfeit Confederate Treasury notes, and to report by bill or otherwise. Resolution agreed to.
Mr. Wright, of Ga., introduced a resolution on the subject of a Commissioner to the United States on the rules of conducting the war, and asked its reference to the Committee of Foreign Affairs.--This resolution was advocated by Messrs. Wright, Foote, and Hodge, and opposed by Messrs Holt and Wilcox. The ayes and noes were called on the motion to refer, and resulted as follows: Ayes 33, noes 57. So the motion was lost.
Mr. Boteler, of Va., presented a petition on the subject of exempting millers from military duty, and asked its reference to the Military Committee. It was so referred.
The House then went into the consideration of the special order of the day, and was addressed by Mr. Smith, of Ala., in opposition to, and Mr. Moore, of Ky., in support of the bill. The latter gave notice of his intention to offer an amendment, proposing to exempt from the operations of this bill those counties in Western Virginia embraced in the proclamation of Governor Letcher calling them out as militia.
At 3¼ o'clock the House adjourned.
