Bruce, Burnett, Chambers, Chambliss, Chrisman, Clapp, Clopton, Leave of absence was granted to Mr. McLean, on account of sickness in his family. Mr. Dargan moved to insert the words "twenty-four hundred dollars" and to strike out the word "fifty," wherever occurring. Mr. Foote moved to insert the words "five hundred dollars." Mr. Davidson moved to insert the words "twenty-five hundred dollars." Mr. Foster moved to insert the words "four dollars per day." Mr. Lyons moved to insert the words "eight dollars per day." Mr. Burnett moved to insert the words "twenty-nine hundred and twenty dollars." Mr. Chilton moved to lay the bill and amendments upon the table. The motion was lost. Mr. Dargan called the question. The call was not sustained. Mr. Swan moved to reconsider the vote by which the words "three thousand dollars" were stricken out. Mr. Trippe called for the yeas and nays; Which being ordered, Are recorded as follows, viz: (Yeas.. 40 40 [41] Yeas: Atkins, Barksdale, Bell, Horatio W. Bruce, Burnett, Chambers, Chilton, Chrisman, Conrad, Conrow, Cooke, Crockett, Currin, Davis, Dawkins, Dupré, Elliott, Ewing, Farrow, Foote, Garland, Graham, Hanly, Harris, Lewis, Lyons, Machen, McRae, Miles, Moore, Pugh, Read, Sexton, Smith of Alabama, Swan, Tibbs, Villeré, Wilcox, Wright of Georgia, and Wright of Texas. Nays: Ashe, Ayer, Batson, Bocock, Boteler, Chambliss, Clapp, Clopton, Curry, Dargan, Davidson, De Jarnette, Foster, Gaither, Garnett, Gartrell, Goode, Hartridge, Heiskell, Holcombe, Holt, Johnston, Jones, Kenan of North Carolina, Kenner, Lander, Lyon, Marshall, Menees, Perkins, Preston, Ralls, Royston, Russell, Singleton, Smith of North Carolina, Smith of Virginia, Staples, Strickland, Trippe, and Welsh. Mr. Elliott moved to insert the words "two thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents." Upon motion, The House then resolved itself into secret session. SECRET SESSION. The House being in secret session, The Chair presented a message from the President; which was read as follows, to wit: To the House of Representatives: EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, March 14, 1862. I transmit herewith a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, with estimates of appropriations required for the support of the Government from April 1 to November 30, 1862. The estimates of the various Executive Departments are inclosed, and it will be seen by the letter of the Secretary of the Treasury that no estimates for the expenses of Congress have been received. JEFFERSON DAVIS. On motion, the estimates were referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, with instructions to have such as in said committee deemed proper printed immediately. The Chair presented the report of the Secretary of the Treasury; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, with instructions to have the same printed for the use of the House. On motion of Mr. Kenner, The Committee on Ways and Means were authorized to employ a clerk. The House, on motion of Mr. Elliott, Then adjourned until 12 o'clock m. to-morrow. TWENTY-THIRD DAY-SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1862. OPEN SESSION. The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr. Hoge. A message was received from the President, by his Private Secretary, Mr. Josselyn, informing the House that the President had approved and signed an act to amend an act entitled "An act in relation to public printing," approved February 27, 1861. Mr. Curry introduced A bill to authorize the appointment of drillmasters; which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. Mr. Davis moved to suspend the rules, in order to take up for consideration a bill to provide for the defense of the Confederacy. The motion was lost. Mr. Lyon presented the proceedings of a public meeting of citizens of Greene County, Ala., in relation to the production of cotton, tobacco, etc.; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, without being read. Mr. Hanley presented the memorial of John H. Ward, of Arkansas, in relation to an improvement in railroads; which was referred to the Committee on Patents, without being read. Mr. Munnerlyn presented a design for a flag from Lieutenant-Colonel Matthews, of the Fourth Georgia Regiment; which was referred to the Committee on the Flag and Seal. Mr. Conrad offered A resolution that a committee of five members be appointed whose duty it shall be to inquire and report to this House whether or not there has been, on the part of any of our military commanders, a wan' of proper economy in the expenditure of money or an unnecessary waste or destruction of public property; which was agreed to. Mr. Barksdale presented the claim of S. Leighman for damages done him by Confederate troops; which was referred to the Committee on Claims, without being read. Mr. Davidson offered A resolution that the Committee on Indian Affairs be instructed to report a bill to provide for taking the census of the Cherokee Indians east of the Mississippi, according to the census of John C. Malay, taken by virtue of an act of the Congress of the United States of July, 1848, so as to provide for the payment of the removal and subsistence fund set apart by the treaty of New Echola, of 1835 and 1836, with said tribe; which was read and agreed to. Upon motion, leave of absence was granted to Mr. Arrington. Mr. Swan presented two designs for a flag from H. T. Dick, of Newmarket, Tenn.; which were referred to the Committee on Flag and Seal. Mr. Foote offered A resolution that the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire and report to this House, as soon as practicable, whether or not the true spirit, intent, and meaning of the Constitution of the Confederate States be not such as to demand an early organization, under the Permanent Constitution, of the Executive Departments of said Government, under the joint action of the President and Senate, with a view to giving full assurance to foreign powers, as well as to our own citizens, that a permanent Government, both de facto and de jure, is now in existence, acting under the authority of said Permanent Constitution, and prepared to carry into successful and effective operation said Constitution; which was read and agreed to. Mr. Herbert presented the memorial of A. H. Canedo in relation to the transportation of the remains of Mr. Hemphill; which was referred to the Committee on Accounts, without being read. Mr. Chambliss presented a letter from Dr. Williamson, of Portsmouth, Va., in relation to naval pensions; which was referred to the Committee on Claims, without being read. Mr. Baldwin presented the memorial of Nancy Griffin, of Rockbridge County, Va., asking that the interest of an alien enemy be given her; which was referred to the Committee on Claims, without being read. Mr. Wright of Georgia moved that the House reconsider the vote by which the resolution offered by Mr. Foote was agreed to. Mr. Barksdale, from the Committee on Printing, by the unanimous consent of the House, reported A bill to provide for the election of a printer to both Houses of Congress, with the recommendation that it pass. The bill was read the first and second times. The rules were suspended; The bill was taken up, engrossed, read a third time, and passed. Upon motion of Mr. Foote, which was seconded, The House resolved itself into secret session. SECRET SESSION. The House being in secret session, resumed the consideration of the unfinished business of yesterday, which was the consideration of the amendment of Mr. Conrad to a joint resolution authorizing the President to send additional commissioners to foreign powers, and for other purposes. The amendment was not agreed to. Mr. Foote called the question, which was upon ordering the bill to be engrossed for a third reading; and The call being sustained. The resolution was engrossed and read a third time. Mr. Swan moved to reconsider the vote just taken. Mr. Foote called the question; which was seconded; Mr. Conrad demanded the yeas and nays. The demand was not sustained; and the motion to reconsider did not prevail. Mr. Foote called the question, which was upon the passage of the resolution; When, Mr. Smith of Virginia demanded the yeas and nays; and They are recorded as follows, to wit:{ Yeas 46 35 [36] Yeas: Atkins, Bell, Bocock, Boteler, Boyce, Horatio W. Bruce, Chambers, Chambliss, Chilton, Chrisman, Conrow, Cooke, Curry, Davis, Dawkins, De Jarnette, Dupré, Foote, Foster, Garnett, Gartrell, Goode, Graham, Hartridge, Heiskell, Hilton, Holcombe, Johnston, Kenan of North Carolina, Lander, Lewis, Lyon, Menees, Miles, Perkins, Preston, Pugh, Read, Russell, Sexton, Strickland, Tibbs, Trippe, Vest, Wilcox, and Wright of Texas. Nays: Ashe, Ayer, Baldwin, Batson, Bonham, Burnett, Clapp, Clopton, Conrad, Crockett, Currin, Davidson, Elliott, Ewing, Farrow, Gaither, Garland, Hanly, Harris, Herbert, Holt, Jenkins, Jones, Lyons, Machen, Marshall, McRae, Ralls, Royston, Singleton, Smith of Alabama, Smith of North Carolina, Smith of Virginia, Villeré, Welsh, and Wright of Georgia. So the resolution was passed. A message was received from the Senate, by the hands of Mr. Nash, the Secretary of that body; which is as follows, to wit: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a bill of this House of the following title, viz: A bill to be entitled An act to provide for the further defense of the Bay of Mobile and the Alabama River." Mr. Garnett offered the following resolution; which was read and agreed to, to wit: Resolved, That the President be requested to communicate to this House the instructions given to the officers who, according to the report of the Secretary of War, of March fourth, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, were dispatched, on April fifteenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, abroad, on a general mission for the procurement of arms, and the proceedings and letters of such officers; also the instructions given to the agents sent on naval service; and to communicate the same in secret session. Mr. Conrad, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, offered the following resolutions; which were read and agreed to, to wit: Resolved, That in the opinion of this House, it is of the utmost importance that the Government should construct, with the least possible delay, as many small ironclad steam rams as practicable, and particularly one or more at each of our seaports. Second. That if the building of said plated vessels is seriously retarded by the building or preparing to build the gunboats authorized by the act entitled "An act to authorize the President to cause to be constructed a certain number of gunboats," approved December twenty-fourth, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, the President is authorized to suspend, wholly or in part, the execution of said act. Also the following resolution; which was read and agreed to, to wit: That the President be requested to report to this House, as soon as practicable, what arrangements have been or are being made, by contract or otherwise, to obtain a supply of iron plates for the construction of iron-plated vessels. The House then proceeded to the consideration of the special order of the day, which was A bill to provide for the increase of the Army, and to provide for the pay of officers and privates; which was reported from the Committee on Military Affairs, with the recommendation that the same pass with an amendment. By unanimous consent, the bill and amendment was laid on the table; and Mr. Davis, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported and recommended the passage of A bill to provide further for the public defense; which was read first and second times; and The first section of the same being under consideration, which refers to the number of troops to be raised, Mr. Chilton moved to amend the same by striking out therefrom the words "twenty regiments of." The amendment was agreed to. A message was received from the Senate, by the hands of Mr. Nash, the Secretary of that body; which is as follows, to wit: Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a bill of the following title, viz: S. 22. A bill to be entitled "An act to provide a staff and clerical force for any general who may be assigned by the President to duty at the seat of government;" in which I am directed to ask the concurrence of the House. The Senate have also passed a resolution of this House of the following title, viz: Joint resolution recommending the planters of the Confederate States to refrain from the cultivation of cotton and tobacco, and devote their energies to raising provisions. And the second section of the same being under consideration, which relates to the pay of noncommissioned officers and privates, Mr. Harris of Missouri moved to amend by adding at the end thereof the following words, to wit: to be paid to the families of the soldiers during the war, under such regulations as may be established by the Secretary of War, or at the termination of the war to such as have no families. Mr. Elliott called the question; which was seconded, and the amendment was lost. Mr. Curry moved to amend by striking out the word "hereafter" and inserting in lieu thereof the words "after the expiration of one year from the time the bounty of fifty dollars is payable." Mr. Atkins called the question; which was seconded; When, Mr. Jones demanded the yeas and nays. The demand was not sustained; and the amendment was lost. Mr. Garnett moved to amend by inserting after the word "privates" the words who may have enlisted, or shall enlist, for two or three years, or for the war." Mr. Elliott called the question; which was seconded; When, Mr. Jones demanded the yeas and nays. |