Confederate States Congress.
Mr. Barnwell reported a bill to establish the form of fifty cent treasury notes. Referred to Finance Committee.
Mr. Barnwell also reported, with amendment, the bill to declare the mode of paying salaries to officers in foreign ports, which was passed.
Mr. Barnwell from the Finance Committee, reported with an amendment, the bill to continue in force an act entitled "an act to authorize a loan and the reuse of Treasury notes, and to prescribe the punishment for forging the same, and for forging certificates of stock and bonds, approved May 16th, 1831. The amendment being concurred in, the bill was read the requisite number of times and passed, the title being amended so as to read "an act relative to certain bonds and Treasury notes issued under the provisions of the act approved May 16th, 1861.
The bill to regulate the action of the Secretary of the Navy upon the decisions of Naval General Court-martial, was called up, and postponed until Thursday.
The bill entitled an act to amend the several acts prescribing the mode of publishing the laws and resolutions of the Confederate States was taken up and passed, as was also a bill for the relief of the Brunswick and Albany Railroad Company.
Mr. Barnwell, from the Committee on Finance, submitted a scheme for taxation, which was ordered to be printed.
Mr. Barnwell, from the Committee on Finance, submitted the following resolution, which was considered and agreed to:
Resolved, That the President be requested to cause estimates to be made by the several heads of Departments of the amount necessary to be appropriated for the service of the Government, until the first day of January next, and communicate the same to the Senate.
Mr. Phelan submitted a motion to reconsider the vote by which the Senate passed the bill allowing soldiers rations of tobacco.
On motion of Mr. Barnwell, the Senate went into secret session.
[Note.--The Senate, on Tuesday passed the bill "to establish the Court for the investigation of claims against the Government of the Confederate States."]
House of Representatives.--The House met at 11 o'clock, and was called to order by the Speaker.
Mr. Martin, the newly elected member from Florida, appeared and qualified as a member of the House.
The House renewed the consideration of the bill to provide for the assessment and collection of direct taxes.
The question recurred upon the following amendment yesterday, offered by Mr. Clapp, of Miss. Strike out after the word "made" in the 50th line of the 22d section, down to the word service in the 121 line, and insert the words, "and shall be an infant under twenty-one years of age, married woman, or person of unsound mind, the said owner shall have the privilege of redeeming the said property at any time within two years after the close of his term of service, or after the disability of such infant, married woman, or person of unsound mind is removed."
The ayes and noes were had upon this amendment, and resulted ayes 45, noes 17.
Mr. Hanley, of ark., offered the following amendment, which was agreed to: Insert after the word 'conveyed.' in the 721 hue, same section, the words " Provided That all lands sold to one person at the same time shall be included in one deed."
On motion of Mr. Smith of N. C., the words "of the Confederate States or by the law, " in the 65th line, was stricken out.
On motion of Mr. Trippe, of Georgia, the same section was amended by striking out after the word "thereof," in the 21 line down to the word and." in the 21d line, and the following inserted."This record shall be deposited in the Clerk's office of the District Court of the Confederate States in which the lands sold are situated, and a certified copy there of shall be prima facto evidence in any court of the facts stated therein; and where any lands sold as aforesaid shall be resumed as herein before provided, the collector shall certify the fact to such redemption to the clerk of said court to be filed with the record aforesaid as evidence of such redemption."
The 23d and 21th sections of the bill were read, and as reported in the bill were read and passed without amendment.
Mr. Moore, of Ky., moved to strike out the word "conclusive," in the 24th line of the 25th section, and insert therefore the words "prima facies. " and to strike out the words "prima facts evidence, " in the 25th line. [Agreed to.]
There was no amendment promoted to the 16th section.
The 27th section coming up in its order, Mr. Holcomb, of Va., submitted the following to come in immediately after the 16th section, and to be numbered the 27th section:
"When the holder of any credit, whose duty it shall be to give in the same for valuation, shall have refused to accept Confederate Treasury notes in discharge thereof, then all such credits shall be valued as payable in gold and assessed at the market value of gold in Confederate to notes at the time of the assessment."
On this amendment the vote was taken by ayes and noes, and the vote stood — ayes 44, noes 31.
Mr. Ralls, of Ala., moved to reconsider the vote, but the motion did not prevail.
Mr. Clark, of Ga., submitted an amendment, to come in after the above amendment, as follows: "That all assessments of property, money, or credits, shall be made according to their value in Treasury notes of the Confederate States."
As a substitute for the amendment of Mr. Clarke, Mr. Gray, of Texas, offered the following: "And that the property of all other persons who refuse to exchange their gold or silver for Treasury notes at par, or who demand larger prices in Treasury notes for produce, manufactured goods, or other property, than their market value in specie, shall also be assessed at the market value of such gold or silver, or other property, in Treasury notes, and tax paid on that valuation."
This substitute was laid on the table.
A motion was then made by Mr. McLean, of N. C., to lay the amendment of Mr. Clark on the table, but was lost.
On motion of Mr. Chambliss, the words "or credits," in Mr. Clark's amendment, were stricken out.
On motion of Mr. Read, of Ky., the House adjourned.
