Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-07-31
CONFEDERATE OONGBESs.

church. Hon. Howell Cobb in the chair.
The President laid before Congress a CON.
munica ion from the Cnowan Baptist Associa
ton, of South Caroline, accompanied BY a sc
ries Of re oiu'ions expressive OF conhdehc'
in the Government Of the Southern CORfede,
racy, and the business Of the southern cause
On motion Of Mr.. Wright, Of Georgia
the resolutions were ordered to be spread upoI
the Journal.
Mr.. Curry, Of Alabama, presented a memo
rial Of n. G Rhodes and other Patentees @.
Alabama. asking a change Of the patent laws
Referred 70 committee on patents.
Mr.. Wright, Of Georgia, asked leave to in
troduce a bill to amend The Sth section Of az
act entitled an act to provide for the public
defense.
Mr.. Ochiltree, Of Texas. I arise to CUES
tion q order. ! think there is a TeSolutioa
now in force requiring all such bills to be act
ed On in secret session.
The President. 1t depends upon the char
acter of the bill. ~
Mr.. Wright. There Is nothing in the bin re
curing cOUcealmeRt. Again, the original bill
has already been published.
After examining the bill, the President said
1t might be introduced. The bill provides that
the Sth section of the original bill be amended
by the addition of the following paragraph,
viz "And that in cases where a State bat
talon shall consist Of more companies than
five or less than ten, the President may appoint
such additional officer or officers as he may
deem necessary and proper to its OTganiza-
tion.o
Mr.. Wright said TIE amendment provided
for a difficulty The original bill failed to meet.
It often happened there were companies left
over after tie organization OF a regiment, So =
fcient to make a battalion. These supeTnu-
merarY companies having no officers % COM
/ maud than, ava LnnF fnaaffuo in tho helA u~Nff
enough additions can be OBJ aimed to form a
regiment. The amendment provided for rem
dering such battalioDs Immediately seTviceab's
by the appointment Of proper officers to take
charge of them.
Mr.. Smith moved a reference Of the bill to
the committee on military affairs.
Mr. Chestnut said be had some amendments
to offer at the proper time, and moved that the
bill be printed. Both motions prevailed.
NJ. Perkins presented the claim Of Or. B.
NJ. Enders, late surgeon in the United States
army. Referred to the committee on claims.
Me-. Boccsk presented the memorial Of DR..
A. Y. Garrett, asking the amendment Of an
act passed last session in relation to the COM
nissioning of naval officers. In presenting
the memorial, Mr.. BocOck said, al wish to say
that the doctor some years ago was an assis-
tant surgeon in the United States navy. On
the commencement Of our difficulties the
! QOCLGTg utiiS dH OHLapDktl EEt6Uu OF tue IN
dependence Of the South, took every occasion
20 express his opposition to the unwarraata-
bic acts Of ihe northern admins ration. In
consequence Of this the law!ess creatures Of
that administration surrounded his house,
threatened the safety Of himself ard family,
and made it necessary FOR him to CONS to Yir-
ginia. It is known to all who have been { T
wears past members Of the congress OF the
United States, that be had attained a position
and acquired a practice in Washington second
TO no man in that city. When be came here
the governor of Virginia appointed him a sur
geon in the navy Of this State.
An act passed by Congress at It's last sss-
sion authorized the Executive authority Of the
Confederate States to commission in the Navy
Of the c. S. A. all those who had been Off
GERS in the navy Of the United States, and VITO
had resigned their positions in consequence Of
the secession Of their respective States. By
that act various gentlemen who have resign
ed have been received as surgeons. But as
DR.. Garrett did not resign his commission in
consequence Of the secession IF his Safe, the
act does not embrace his case. He asked
that the act be so amended az to embrace his
case. | believe, however, be stands alone in
this category. IL will be bat an 8c' Of iastice
to thus recognize the merits and services Of
this gentleman. move the memorial be re-
ferred to the committee Oh naval affairs. So
ordered.
Mr.. Seldom, Of Virginia, offered the fol-
lowing:
ResoIrel, By Congress, That the committee
on the judiciary be instructed to inquire into
and report on the expediencv Of prescribing
by law, while the facts are fresh and suscep:,-
bic Of proof, some uniform mode OF taking,
authenticatiDg and preserving the evidence Of
the addiction or reception, by the enemy, Of
slaves owned by any Of the Confederate
States, as also OF the age, sex and value Of
said ~slaysa, to the end that indemnity maj be
hereafter exacted from the enemy.
Referred as direc ed.
Mr.. Russell, Of Virginia, offered the follow.
ing, which was agreed to;
ReSolred, That the committee on postal
affairs, inquire into the expediency Of confer
ring the frankiDg privilege On John Tyler, late
president OF the United States.
Mr.. Staples offered the following, which was
agreed to:
ResoIeed, That the COMMITTEES on military
affairs inquire into tie sxpediency Of so
amending the law az TO authorize officers Of
the medical department to exercise command
over all enlisted men, like other commissioned
officers.
Mr.. Staple also offered the following, which
vas agreed to
Rc5Olred, That the committee on military
affairs Inquire into the exgediency Of so amend
ing the Laws as to authorize the Secretary Of
Wsrto 'mploy a messenger in the office Of the
surgeon general.
Mr.. Avery offered the following, which was
referred to the committee on naval affairs:
AN ACT 70 further smand an Ac. to provide for the re-
oIganIz4tioa Of the n4vy, approved ggrch IS, 1861.
The Congress OF the Confederate States Of
America do enact, Thst the P. esident be and
10 hereby authorized to nominate, anl by and
with the consent Of Congress to appoint all
officers Of the nIvies Of any Of the States Of
his OnfedeTscY, who have been officers Of the
United States navy, and who may be ct for ac-
tive service, to the same rank and position in
the Navy of the Confederate States which
they would have held in tbsn5vy Of the United
States, BY the ordinary course Of promotion
therein, If they bad remained in the said United
States navy until the date Of their said ap-
pointmsnt in the Confederate Navy: Provided,
however, that DO such officer shall be appoint
ed to a higher rank or position than be has
held in the Safe navy to which lie has been
attached and, provided further, That 10 such
officer shah be appointed a captain, comman-
der, lieutenant or sailing master 10 the line
Of promotion. who did not hold, at the tims Of
leaving the United States navy, one Of the
said ranks, or the rank OF passed midshipman
therein; or in default thereof, shall have seen
az l6dSL SIX years or sea service IN the navy
and merchant service combined, and snail, be-
fore receiving bis commission, successfully
pass an examination before a naval examin-
ing board, composed Of captains or command
ers to be designated BY the Secretary Of the
Navy, touching his fitness for said appoint
meDt, in which case he officer so passed nav
be nominated and commissioned to a rank not
higher than that of lieutenant. And, pTogifet
further, that no officer shall be appointed, by
authority Of this act, who nay at any time
have committed any act of hostility against
the Confederate States, or any one thereof.
SEC. ,. And be it farther enacted, That in
case any such officers Of any State Navy or
Navies, as are comprised in the first section Of
this act, should receive appointments in 'hs
NAVY Of The Confederate States, the President
is authorized to affx to their commissions such
dates as may be necessary to secure to them
the same relative position that they held, or at
the date Of their said appointment would have
held as aforesaid, in the Navy Of the United
States.
Congress then went into secret session.
The LOss of the Enemy
In the Manassas fight, the enemy threw for
war their very best material. The flower Of
the regular army was there. We do not know
precisely the number OF this arm that was en-
cared. Bat we infer from circumstances, that