Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-09-16
CohfEir.t:ATE STATES CUNGItEsa
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER u, 1862.
SENATE.

/
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER j., 1852.
SENATE.
The Senate was opened with prayer, nj
nom, b. the Rev. j. d. Coulling, ni the NJ.
i. Church.
Mr. Bows, Of Miss, offered the following
resolution which was adopted:
Resolved, That the Committee on Military
Affairs he Instructed Lo inquire whether per-
| Mons holding commissions in the army OF lhe
Confederate States are employed as clerks in
| lhe Departments, and especially in the offices
Of the Quarteriuaster and Commlssafy 'I"nc-
rails, in this city; what pay and allowances
such clerks receive; whether they are paid
al clerks or commissioned officers, or both:
and. whether the duties performed By such
commissioned officers, as clerks, may mt be
MS well performed by persons taken from clfil
| life, and al less cost to the Government.
| Mr.. OLDHAM, of Texas offered the follow
ng resolution, which was adopted:
| Resolved, That the Commute on Finance
be instructed to inquire ard report what leg
islation is necessary, if any, to suppress the
illicit trade carried on between persons resi-
ding in the Confederate States and prraons
! TrSinlhE IN Tile Untltu SLates
Mr.. IIrYRT, from the Committee on Military
Affairs, reported back the joint resolution, in
relation u the Hon. Pierre SJulr, now con-
lined by the enemy i'll Fort Warren, "lth
| amendments, 50 that the resolution would re-
| quest the President TO "uso ali the means Of
his power TO effect the ALcraiion Gnstead Of
exchahge,J Of Pierre Soulr, aid all "'her per-
sons illegally arrested by the enemy" Tn:
| resolution was LAID on tic table Tor the pre-
! Sent,
Mr.. SPARROW, from the Committee on Mill
tary fairs, reported Il bill fixing the number
and rank Of staff officers in The army CT the
| Confederate States, which ~aa laid or the ia
Lle aud ordered to be printed.
Mr.. SPaRRow, from the same COMMITTEE, re-
ported lack the resolution OF inquiry into the
authenticity and authority, if authentic, Of
certain reported executions by Gca. Bragg, Of
soldiers, without couIt-marLidl, ami asked To
BIZ discharged from the ftniher confederation
of tn. subject. The reason for this request
was that The Senator, (Mr. OhR,) who had ~
! fercd the resolution, had written n COMMUNE
cation to the Committee, indicating the ne
cc:,sity OF calling for persons nnd p1pars,
which would place the subject before the
Committee in form which they dill lnl IrcDl
it cxpcdient to consider it.
The Committee being discharged,
Mr. OK, Of South Carolina, moved that
the resolution be referred to q special culn-
1nittcc Of three, with Authority to call for
pcrsons and papers.
Mr.. BrRxErr, Of Kentucky, objected. The
army waS acting under Law, aud whenever Al
officer diSuhcynl THAT las, he vas nmcnable
to il, whatever his position. With that law
the matter should De left, and nat brought
| here 10 be investigated before commit
| tee.
Mr.. OAK replied that the information upon
| which he based his resolution came from a
source in which lac placed implicit confidence,
aud that although there was law to punish
officers for transceIding Their authority, that
law would scarcely Ice enforced where the
only parties, who could convict, were III the
| power OF the tyrant.
Mr.. BURNETT replied that General Bragg
| was surrounded and intimately associated
with officers of the highest charactcr-Gen-
rais Polk, Breckenridge, Cheatham, McCown.
and host Of others, and God forbid that the
spirit OF liberty should have sunk so low that
such men had become mere machines, afraid
To open their lips, when an offence sufficient
to brand 4 man rs II tyrant and & murderer
had been committed before their eyes.
Mr. Clay, Of Ala, opposed the resolution.
deeming it altogether unnecessary and Icgrct-
ting that the Senator from South Carolina had
been led into the discussion uf(hSssu hject.
which, should his resolution now pass aud
the expressions which had been made 90
forth would tend to create serious disscn-
ton in that wing of the army over winch
Gen. Bragg had command.
Mr.. PHEL,N also opposed Tie resolution,
and urged the Senate against undertaking
| the investigation al hui,ject 20 full Of deli
cac7, and yot SD void Of necessity, involving
as it did, the character al one of our ablest
Generals, and tho welfare OF an army whose
existence and unriYalled discipline we're due.
~ him. lie then proceeded to defend Gen.
Bragg frou impdtato1s, basiI5 his defence
upon personal investigation, under clrcum-
stances Of hostility towards that able officer.
which be now felt amply jnStl6cd in regret
ing ever had occurred.
Mr.. GLAZE, Of Missouri. favored the rcsoiu-
ton. Knowing nothing Of the case hiuiself,
he wished the facts to he brought out, and
by the committee laid before the President,
whose dutT il would then he 10 act in the
Premises.
Mr.. WIGTaii, al TeSa7. said thnt It M0nli
be most extraordinary thing tor the Senate
to make itself tribunal to investigate and
try ielonies every time they wera heard Of on
the streets or through the newspapers. It
was the duty ui the President, who was couI-
1nanderin- chief of the army, 10 institute
court Of inquiry Ill such cases as the one
alleged, snd if he failed 10 do his duty, then
this, the Presidents, imp achInent by the
lower House was the next step to be taken.
In relation to the alleged shooting Of three
soldiers by order Of General Bragg, there
Was 4 law to Justify such proceeding,
known to NIL familiar with the usages OF an
army. If man deserts in the face Of the
enrrny, or during retreat, the common law
OF the army, the lsr non scriptd, juStities an
officer in shooting him on The spot. There is
no time, under such circumstances for court
martial.
Mr.. YANcEY, Of A,ahama. deeply sJmpa-
thizcd with the Senator tom South Carolina
in the end he had in view, but was under the
conviction that this end could not be obtain
ed by the proposed coTnmlttee- The Senstel in
reality had no power, except to ascertain the
facts, and ne thought that they should be az
certained. III single citizen, who had taken
up arms for the country, had been dealt With