SECRET SESSION.

The House being in secret session,

The Chair presented a communication from the President, viz: EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, Richmond, March 7, 1862.

To the Speaker of the House of Representatives:

I transmit herewith a report from the Secretary of State ad interim in answer to a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 6th instant.

The report is as follows, viz:

JEFFERSON DAVIS.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Richmond, March 7, 1862. The Secretary of State ad interim, to whom was referred a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 6th instant requesting the President to communicate to that body, "if he shall deem it compatible with the public interest, any information which he may possess touching the presence of certain foreign vessels in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay at this time, and especially whether these vessels are probably here for the purpose of exporting cotton or tobacco from the Confederate States," has the honor to inform the President that three war steamers of the navy of the Emperor of the French-the Pomone, Catenat, and Gasendi-have been within a few weeks at Hampton Roads; that the Secretary of State ad interim has authentic information that one of these vessels is to be stationed at or near Charleston to protect the French consul in case of an attack on that city by the United States; that another has sailed, or is about to sail, to the West Indies, temporarily to convey dispatches between the ministers of France and England at Washington and their consuls at ports of the Confederate States; and that it was never intended that these vessels or any of them should be employed in exporting cotton or tobacco from the Confederate States. Respectfully submitted.

WM. M. BROWNE.

The communications were laid on the table. On motion of Mr. Dargan, the unfinished business of yesterday was postponed for the present, and from the Committee on the Judiciary, to which had been referred the joint resolution offered by Mr. Trippe to provide for the adjournment of Congress, together with the amendment thereto offered by Mr. Clapp,

Mr. Dargan reported the same back, with an amendment, recommending the same be agreed to, and that the resolution be adopted as then amended.

The resolution, amendment, and report of the committee were taken up.

By consent, Mr. Clapp withdrew his amendment.

The question being then upon the report of the committee to amend the resolutions by striking out all of the same after the enacting clause and insert in lieu thereof the following words, viz:

That during the continuance of the present war the President, whenever in his judgment the public security demands it, shall have full power and authority to remove the archives and Government of the Confederate States from the city of Richmond, or from any other place to which the Government may have been removed, to any place of security within the Confederate States.

SEC. Be it further resolved, That if the Congress of the Confederate States should be unable to convene in Richmond or at the seat of government on the day appointed at their adjournment or on the day designated by law, either because of the removal of the seat of government after their adjournment or from any other cause, the President may by his proclamation convene the Congress to meet at any time and place he may designate in his proclamation within the Confederate States,

Mr. Gartrell moved to amend the amendment by striking out in the second resolution the words "and place he may designate in his proclamation within the Confederate States" and insert in lieu thereof the words "at Atlanta."

Mr. Foote demanded the question; which was seconded, and the motion was lost.

Mr. Chilton demanded the question on agreeing to the amendment offered by the Committee on the Judiciary; which was seconded, and the amendment was agreed to.

The question being upon engrossing the resolution as amended, Mr. Chilton demanded the question; which was seconded, and the resolutions were engrossed, read a third time, and passed.

Mr. Conrad moved to reconsider the vote by which the resolution was passed.

Mr. Foote demanded the question; which was seconded, and the motion was agreed to.

Mr. Conrad moved to lay the resolutions on the table.

The motion prevailed.

The following message was received from the Senate, by Mr. Nash, Secretary, viz:

Mr. Speaker: The Senate have agreed to the following report of the joint committee to draft joint rules and orders for conducting business between the two Houses, viz:

Joint rules and orders of the two Houses of the Confederate Congress.

I. In every case of an amendment of a bill agreed to in one House and dissented to in the other, if either House shall request a conference and appoint a committee for that purpose, and the other House shall also appoint a committee to confer, such committees shall, at a convenient hour to be agreed upon by their chairmen, meet in the conference chamber and state to each other, verbally or in writing, as either shall choose, the reasons of their respective Houses for and against the amendment and confer freely thereon.

II. When a message shall be sent from the Senate to the House of Representatives it shall be announced at the door of the House by the Doorkeeper, and shall be respectfully communicated to the Chair by the person by whom it may be sent.

III. The same ceremony shall be observed when a message shall be sent from the House of Representatives to the Senate.

IV. Messages shall be sent by the Secretary or Clerk of either House, or their assistants, or by a member.

V. While bills are on their passage between the two Houses they shall be on paper and under the signature of the Secretary or Clerk of each House, respectively. VI. After a bill shall have passed both Houses it shall be duly enrolled on parchment or paper by the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate, as the bill may have originated in the one or other House, before it shall be presented to the President of the Confederate States.

VII. When bills are enrolled they shall be examined by a joint committee of three from the Senate and three from the House of Representatives, appointed as a standing committee for that purpose, who shall carefully compare the enrollment with the engrossed bills as passed in the two Houses, and correcting any errors that may be discovered in the enrolled bills, and make their report forthwith to their respective Houses.

VIII. After examination and report each bill shall be signed in the respective Houses, first by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, then by the President of the Senate.

IX. After a bill shall have been thus signed in each House it shall be presented by the Secretary of the Senate to the President of the Confederate States for his approbation (it being first indorsed on the back of the roll, certifying in which House the same originated, which indorsement shall be signed by the Secretary or Clerk, as the case may be, of the House in which the same originated), and shall be entered on the Journal of each House. The said Secretary shall enter upon the Journal the day of presentation to the President.

X. All orders, resolutions, and votes which are to be presented to the President of the Confederate States for his approbation shall also, in the same manner, be previously enrolled, examined, and signed, and shall be presented in the same manner as provided in the case of bills.

XI. When a bill or resolution which shall have passed in one House is rejected in the other notice thereof shall be given to the House in which the same shall have passed.

XII. When a bill or resolution which has been passed in one House shall be rejected in the other it shall not be brought in during the same session without a notice of two days and leave of two-thirds of that House in which it shall be renewed. XIII. Each House shall transmit to the other all papers on which any bill or resolution shall be founded.

XIV. After each House shall have adhered to their disagreement a bill or resolution shall be lost.

XV. No spirituous liquors shall be offered for sale or exhibited within any of the rooms appropriated for the use of the Confederate Congress.

XVI. After the commencement of the second or subsequent session of Congress bills, resolutions, or reports which originated in either House and at the close of the next preceding session remained undetermined in either House, may be resumed on motion and acted on in the same manner as if an adjournment had not taken place. XVII. The enacting words of all bills shall be "The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact," and of all joint resolutions, "Resolved by the Congress of the Confederate States of America;"

In which I am directed to ask the concurrence of the House of Representatives.

The House proceeded to consider the unfinished business of yesterday, which was the bill to authorize the President to send additional commissioners to foreign nations, together with the amendments thereto.

Pending discussion thereon,

Mr. Elliott, from the Committee on Enrollment, reported as duly enrolled and ready for the signature of the Speaker of the House of Representatives

A resolution declaring the sense of Congress in regard to reuniting with the Confederate [United] States;

A bill to amend an act entitled "An act in relation to public printing," approved February 27, 1861; and

A bill to create the office of commanding general of the armies of the Confederate States.

The Speaker signed the same.

The following message was received from the Senate, by Mr. Nash, Secretary, viz:

Mr. Speaker: The Senate have passed a joint resolution of the following title, viz: S. 5. Joint resolution authorizing the members of the two Houses of Congress to confer with each other confidentially; in which I am directed to ask the concurrence of this House.

On motion of Mr. Miles, the rule was suspended and the resolution. taken up, read the first and second times, engrossed, read a third time, and passed.

Mr. Davis, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported, viz:

I am instructed to report a bill to provide further for the public defense, in lieu of the several bills referred to the Military Committee and in compliance with the several resolutions of this House.

On motion of Mr. Davis, the same was ordered to be placed on the Calendar and made the special order of the day for Tuesday next.

On motion of Mr. Jones, the House took up and adopted the "Joint rules and orders of the two Houses of Congress," reported from the Senate.

Mr. Conrad, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, reported

A bill which was read the first and second times, ordered to be placed on the Calendar, and printed.

On motion of Mr. Pryor,

The House adjourned until 12 m. Monday.

EIGHTEENTH DAY-MONDAY, MARCH 10, 1862.

OPEN SESSION.

The House met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Hoge.

Mr. Miles, from the Committee on Military Affairs, by the unanimous consent of the House, reported

A bill to increase the clerical force of the War Department; which was read the first and second times.

The rules were suspended;

The bill was taken up, engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Dargan offered

A resolution that the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire if any legislation is necessary to enable sergeant-majors and quartermaster-sergeants to receive their pay;

which was read and agreed to.

Mr. Clopton presented the memorial of Wilson Williams, relating to the invention of a new gun; which was referred to the Committee on Patents, without being read.

Mr. Smith of Alabama offered

A resolution that the Committee on Ways and Means be instructed to inquire into the expediency of appropriating dollars for the relief of the Confederate prisoners taken at Forts Henry and Donelson, and to report to this House, by bill or otherwise;

which was read and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. Mr. Chilton, from the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads, reported

A bill to establish certain post routes therein named;

which was read the first and second times.

The rules were suspended;

The bill was taken up, engrossed, read a third time, and passed.
Mr. Garland introduced

A bill to amend an act to establish the judicial courts of the Confederate States;

which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. Royston offered

A resolution that the Committee on Public Buildings be requested to ascertain and report to this House what sum is now being paid for the use of the business houses now occupied or used by the different departments of the Confederate Government in the city of Richmond; which was read and agreed to.

Mr. Hilton offered

A resolution that it be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary to inquire into the constitutionality and expediency of limiting, by taxation, penal enactment, or other legislation, the production of cotton the present year, and that they be instructed to report by bill or otherwise;

which was read and laid on the table.

Mr. Strickland presented the petition of sundry citizens of Georgia, asking the extension of mail route No. 6241; which was referred to the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads, without being read.

Mr. Kenner offered

A resolution that the resolution of this body, passed on the 4th of March, calling on the President for the estimates of the public service to the end of the next fiscal year be, and the same is hereby, repealed, and that the President be requested to direct that the said estimates be made up to the 1st day of December, 1862, and that they be submitted to Congress at as early a day as practicable; which was read and agreed to.

Mr. Conrad, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, reported

A bill to establish a volunteer navy;

which was read the first and second times, placed upon the Calendar, and ordered to be printed.

Mr. H. W. Bruce offered

A resolution that the Doorkeeper of this House be directed to purchase two hundred dollars' worth of stationery for the use of the committees of this House, to be paid for out of the contingent fund of the House:

which was read and agreed to.

Upon motion of Mr. Gaither, leave of absence was granted to Mr. McDowell until Monday next.

Mr. Gaither moved that the special committee appointed to investigate the disasters at Roanoke Island, etc., be allowed a clerk; which was agreed to.

Mr. Boyce offered

A 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;

which was read the first and second times.

The rules were suspended;

The resolution was taken up, engrossed, read a third time, and passed. Mr. Currin offered

A resolution touching the management of the quartermaster and commissary departments in the State of Tennessee;

which was read and referred to the special committee raised to inquire into the disasters at Forts Henry and Donelson, etc.

Mr. Foote offered the following resolution, to wit:

Resolved, That the Secretary of War be requested to give information to this House on the following points, to wit:

At what period was it that the Confederate forces under General Johnston first established themselves in the city of Bowling Green; and what was our force at that time and within the period of a week?

What was the force of the enemy at that time, between Bowling Green and the Ohio River, and where located?

What prevented General Johnston, at that time, from making a forward movement toward the Ohio? Was he restrained by instructions from the War Department, or was he left to his own discretion in the matter?

What forces, if any, were sent from Bowling Green to Fort Donelson previously to the first battle at that place, and under whose command?

What number of forces did General Johnston retain at Bowling Green up to the time of its evacuation?

Did General Johnston reenforce, or attempt to reenforce, the Confederate Army at Fort Donelson during the progress of the conflict at that place?

Is it within the knowledge of the War Department that any applications were made by the commander of our forces at Fort Donelson for reenforcements previous to or during the conflict at that place?

Was General Johnston restrained, by orders from the War Department, from sending reenforcements, or was he left to his own discretion in that regard?