A message from the President of the Confederate States, by Mr. B. N. Harrison, his Secretary: Mr. President: The President of the Confederate States, yesterday, approved and signed the following acts: S. 12. An act to authorize the withdrawal from the Treasury of money contributed to build an ironclad gunboat by ladies of the State of South Carolina, and deposited therein; and S. 25. An act for the relief of the widow and heirs of the late Brig. Gen. Leroy A. Stafford, of the Confederate States Army. Ordered, That the Secretary inform the House of Representatives thereof. Mr. Johnson of Missouri submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to: Resolved, That the Committee on Finance be instructed to inquire into the expediency of so amending an act approved February seventeenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, entitled "An act to levy additional taxes for the common defense and support of the Government," as to require the assessment and collection of the tax upon the entire stock of incorporated companies to be made at the office or place of business of each of said companies. On motion by Mr. Sparrow, The Senate resolved into executive session. The doors having been opened, On motion by Mr. Barnwell, The Senate adjourned. EXECUTIVE SESSION. The following messages were received from the President of the Confederate States, by Mr. B. N. Harrison, his Secretary: To the Senate of the Confederate States: RICHMOND, VA., May 19, 1864. Agreeably to the recommendation of the Secretary of the Navy, I hereby nominate the persons named upon the annexed list to the offices designated. The PRESIDENT. JEFFERSON DAVIS. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Richmond, May 18, 1864. SIR: I have the honor to recommend the following nominations for appointment in the Regular Navy: Paymaster. Assistant Paymaster James E. Armour, of Alabama, to be promoted, vice Paymaster George H. Ritchie, resigned. Assistant paymasters. Marsden Bellamy, of North Carolina; Basil M. Heriot, of South Carolina, and Norton Kent Adams, of Alabama. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, The message was read. S. R. MALLORY, Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, Richmond, May 20, 1864. To the Senate of the Confederate States: Agreeably to the recommendation of the Secretary of War, I nominate Robert Strange, of North Carolina, to be aid-de-camp, with rank of major, under act approved March 25, 1862, for duty with General Bragg. CJ-VOL 4-04-5 JEFFERSON DAVIS. WAR DEPARTMENT, Richmond, May 20, 1864. SIR: I have the honor to recommend the nomination of Robert Strange, of North Carolina, to be aid-de-camp, with the rank of major in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States, under act approved March 25, 1862, for duty with General Bragg, to take rank from May 4, 1864. I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, To His Excellency JEFFERSON DAVIS, The message was read. President, etc. JAMES A. SEDDON, Secretary of War. Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, Richmond, May 19, 1864. To the Senate of the Confederate States: Agreeably to the recommendation of the Secretary of the Treasury, I hereby nominate James R. Sneed, to be the collector for the port of Savannah, Ga. JEFFERSON DAVIS. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, His Excellency the PRESIDENT. SIR: I recommend the nomination of James R. Sneed, to be the collector of the port of Savannah, Ga. Very respectfully, The message was read. C. G. MEMMINGER, Ordered, That it be referred to the Committee on Commerce. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, Richmond, May 19, 1864. To the Senate of the Confederate States: Agreeably to the recommendation of the Secretary of War, I nominate the officers on the accompanying list to the rank of brigadier-general in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States of America. JEFFERSON DAVIS. WAR DEPARTMENT, Richmond, May 19, 1864. SIR: I have the honor to recommend the following nominations for appointment in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States of America: Brigadier-generals. Col. C. A. Evans, of Georgia, to be brigadier-general, vice Brig. Gen. J. B. Gordon, promoted major-general, to take rank from May 19, 1864. Col. William Terry, of Virginia, to be brigadier-general, to command consolidated brigades of Jones, Steuart, and J. A. Walker (Brig. Gen. John M. Jones having been killed, Brig. Gen. George H. Steuart, a prisoner of war, and Brig. Gen. J. A. Walker disabled by wounds from field service), appointed under act October 13, 1862, to take rank from May 19, 1864. I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, To His Excellency JEFFERSON DAVIS, President, etc. JAMES A. SEDDON, The Senate proceeded to consider the nominations of Col. C. A. Evans and Col. William Terry, to be brigadier-generals; and in concurrence therewith, it was Resolved, That the Senate advise and consent to their appointment, agreeably to the nomination of the President. Mr. Brown, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, to whom were referred (on the 5th instant) the nominations of Henry H. McCune, of Missouri, and Edward Crenshaw, of Alabama, to be second lieutenants in the Marine Corps, reported, with the recommendation that all of said nominations be confirmed. The Senate proceeded to consider said report; and in concurrence therewith, it was Resolved, That the Senate advise and consent to their appointment, agreeably to the nomination of the President. Mr. Brown, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, to whom was referred (on the 10th instant) the nomination of Levi M. Tucker, to be assistant paymaster in the Navy, reported, with the recommendation that said nomination be confirmed. The Senate proceeded to consider said report; and in concurrence therewith, it was Resolved, That the Senate advise and consent to his appointment, agreeably to the nomination of the President. Mr. Barnwell, from the Committee on Finance, to whom were referred (on the 18th instant) the nominations of D. N. Kennedy as State collector for Tennessee, and R. M. Lusher as State collector for Louisiana, reported, with the recommendation that all of said nominations be confirmed. The Senate proceeded to consider said report; and in concurrence therewith, it was Resolved, That the Senate advise and consent to their appointment, agreeably to the nomination of the President. The Senate resumed the consideration of the resolution submitted by Mr. Hill (on the 17th instant), from the Committee on the Judiciary, on the conflicting claims of F. M. Green and W. B. Lowry for promotion in the Eleventh Regiment of Mississippi Volunteers; and On motion by Mr. Graham, that the resolutions lie upon the table, The question then recurring on agreeing to the resolutions, On the question to agree to the first branch of the resolution, declaring that F. M. Green at the time of the nominations for field officers of the Eleventh Mississippi Regiment to the Senate at its last session was by law the senior and ranking officer of said regiment, It was determined in the affirmative, On motion by Mr. Orr, Yeas 13 3 The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present, Those who voted in the affirmative are, Messrs. Baker, Barnwell, Henry, Hill, Hunter, Johnson of Missouri, Maxwell, Mitchel, Oldham, Semmes, Sparrow, Walker, and Watson. Those who voted in the negative are, Messrs. Brown, Graham, and Orr. On the question to agree to the second branch of the resolution providing That a copy of the report of the Judiciary Committee on the executive message of the fourth May, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, accompanying the nomination of F. M. Green as colonel of the Eleventh Mississippi Regiment, and also a copy of these resolutions, be transmitted to the President and to F. M. Green and W. B. Lowry, On motion by Mr. Sparrow, to amend the same by striking out the words "and to F. M. Green and W. B. Lowry," It was determined in the affirmative. On the question to agree to the second branch of the resolution as amended, 8 It was determined in the negative, Yeas. On motion by Mr. Orr, Nays The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present, Those who voted in the affirmative are, Messrs. Barnwell, Hill, Hunter, Maxwell, Semmes, Sparrow, Walker, and Watson. Those who voted in the negative are, Messrs. Baker, Brown, Graham, Henry, Johnson of Missouri, Mitchel, Oldham, and Orr. So the resolution as amended was agreed to, as follows: Resolved, That F. M. Green at the time of the nominations for field officers of the Eleventh Mississippi Regiment to the Senate at its last session was by law the senior and ranking officer of said regiment. On motion by Mr. Sparrow, Ordered, That the injunction of secrecy be removed from the proceedings of the Senate in the conflicting claims of F. M. Green and W. B. Lowry for promotion in the Eleventh Regiment of Mississippi Volunteers. Mr. Brown submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to: Resolved, That the Committee on Public Buildings be instructed to inquire whether this Chamber is so situated in reference to the surrounding rooms, halls, and passages that persons outside can not hear what is said when the doors are closed and the Senate in secret session. On motion by Mr. Barnwell, The Senate resolved into open legislative session. SATURDAY, MAY 21, 1864. OPEN SESSION. A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Dalton: Mr. President: The House of Representatives have passed a bill (H. R. 98) to amend an act entitled "An act to reduce the currency and to authorize a new issue of notes and bonds," approved February 17, 1864; in which they request the concurrence of the Senate. The bill (H. R. 98) last mentioned was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Finance. On motion by Mr. Sparrow, Ordered, That the joint committee on the part of the Senate on the subject of impressments be appointed by the President pro tempore; and Mr. Graham, Mr. Barnwell, and Mr. Watson were appointed. Ordered, That the Secretary inform the House of Representatives thereof. Mr. Brown submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to: Resolved, That the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into the propriety of providing by law for retiring from the line such field and company officers as have or may hereafter become unfit for active service by reason of disease or wounds, so as to open the way for promotion to those below them who remain in the field in the actual discharge of their duties; and that they further inquire whether an officer who is absent from his command in time of battle, unless from absolute disability, or under orders from his superior, or is a prisoner, ought not to be dropped; and, further, if it is not expedient and proper to assume that an officer who is absent for three months or more, unless he is a prisoner, is prima facie unfit for duty, or is delinquent in the discharge of his duty, and ought therefore to be either retired or dropped; and generally what ought to be done to get officers of superior rank, who do not perform duty in the field, out of the way of officers of inferior grade who do perform such duty. Mr. Graham (by leave) introduced A bill (S. 37) to amend an act entitled "An act to impose regulations upon the foreign commerce of the Confederate States to provide for the public defense," approved February 6, 1864, and for other pur poses; which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on Commerce. The President pro tempore laid before the Senate a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury in relation to the claim of Zedekiah McDaniel and Francis M. Ewing for sinking the enemy's gunboat Cairo in the Yazoo River; which was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs. Mr. Sparrow, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported A bill (S. 38) for the payment of commissioners appointed under the act entitled "An act to suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in certain cases," and to confer certain powers upon said commissioners; which was read the first and second times and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Mr. Sparrow, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported the following bills:" S. 39. A bill to amend the several acts in regard to chaplains; S. 40. A bill to amend the act to allow commissioned officers of the Army rations and the privilege of purchasing clothing from the Quartermaster's Department, approved 17th February, 1864; and S. 41. A bill to provide for the appointment of a disbursing clerk in the War Department; which were severally read the first and second times and considered as in Committee of the Whole; and no amendment being proposed, they were severally reported to the Senate. Ordered, That they be engrossed and read a third time. The said bills were severally read the third time. Resolved, That they pass, and that their titles, respectively, be as aforesaid. Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives therein. On motion by Mr. Burnett, Ordered, That the memorial of Wellington Goddin be referred to the Committee on Claims. The Senate proceeded, as in Committee of the Whole, to the consideration of the bill (S. 14) to amend an act entitled "An act to provide an invalid corps," approved 17th February, 1864; and no amendment being proposed, it was reported to the Senate. Ordered, That it be engrossed and read a third time. The said bill was read the third time. Resolved, That it pass, and that the title thereof be as aforesaid. Ordered, That the Secretary request the concurrence of the House of Representatives therein. |