Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-10-07
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FrD,y,- October =, lSG2
SENATE.

"
Mr.. CiAY, Of Alabama, introduced tue fol-
lowing Resolutions, which were adopted:
hareas, it is notorious that many and
most Hasrant nrts yioiativn ol tho usagcs Of VA,
and the rights Of. humanity aud even OF c1lu-
iuun decency have been and still are being
perpetiaLed by the Forces Of the United States
upon The persons el,d property Of the citizen,
Of tha Confederate States; and, whereas, such
outi ages cannot be fully known and believed,
whilst resting only in the oral statements q
citizens in different and remote States and in
tho husty paragraphs Of newspapers publish
cd iu different and remote loCulitieFS now,
therefore, that the evidences hf tn. said ou t.
RACES may be collected and presented in n
per1nanont and credible form, and the truth
Of history thus vin,iicated, and the psrpetrn-
tors delivered to the just Indignation Of the
pr esent and future generaGong-
Resolved, That Committee Of thirteen
Dr of Que from ehch State, be np-
poiut:.l by the President oftlse Senate, whose
dnty-iL shall he - takr or csG,e TO he tax cyI
i'll snrh manner and torn as they shall Pre-.
scyibed, the testimony in relation to such
outragcs, aid, after making report at such
time ny they shall deem proper, The report and
ile testimony shall be deposited in The De.
pnrtluent Of Justice; and thai ihr rhircts OF
this resolution may be attained. the Cnmuit-
tee shal! have power 10 Sand for persons aud
papers.
Mr.. OLDHAM moved to take mp The rosOls-
tons in relation to provost marshals. Nc
gatived.
Mr.. SPARROW, from til" Military Committee.
reported back n House bill authorizing The
establishment ofcamps OF Instruction. Pass
rl
From the samr--A cora,nrncaiiOl, from
the Secretary Of War, in answer to Senate
resolution Of inquiry cpircerning casra of
drunkenness in the army.
From the same "A bill in relation to the
establishment Of Board for examining Utli-
GERS and for filling vacancies. Referred to
secret calendar, and ordered to be printed
Mr. Ssmmss, from the Committee Oh tic
judiciary, reported the fnlIowing
The Judiciary Committee have duly con-
si1ered the message of the President com
muuirating to Congress tlr. c6nIiti.n Of the
Posi- Office Department. It appears that the
revenues Of the Post Office Department ar' i'll
adequate to meet its expenses without snrh 4
reduction Of the postal service as would ssri
nnsly alt:ct tn" interest Of the people OF the
Confederate States, and that this state Of
things will continue dnrmg the war and roc
sometime thereafter until the avenues Of com
ncrcc are opened. The. President, ,loubtipg
the power nj Congress to appropriate ':ion"y
ont ur the general treasury To meet diti:icnrr =
in the postal service revenue occurring after
the Ist "i Mach, 1861, submits rhr uncsiiGu
t" the judgment of Congress. This doubt i,
haSAf IN the 1tt clause, section s, article
Of the Constitution, which provides That en-
grsss shall have power "to establish post eli
crs and post routes hut the eSpersts Of The
i'ns! Office Department after the first day of
Alarrh, in tht gear "i 0nr Lord, eighteen hun
hrctl and sxty-threc, shall be paid ont of its
own revenues.
Without undertaking al this time to express
Oh opinion as to the tnrce, extent Rn,l nean-
ug OF the clause alIudcl 10, The committee
has confined itself TO thc Interpretation OF
the word "cSpcneeS." lf thc expenses Of the
Post Office Department he lhid ont Of its own
rcvcllncs, the Constitution is complied with.
The committee think that the interest m Il
loan made 20 the Post Office Department for
the payment Of which its revenues should hc
pledgrd. is M exprna" within the purview OF
the Constitution. Il never would have
bsen intended by the trainers Of that 10.
s,rument to deprive the Department Of lhn
power nf anticipating its revenues. j. very
common among the nations Of Europe, instcar!
"f borrowing money on the faith and genef al
credit Of the Government, 10 pledge. specific
revenues by the way Of mortgage for the re-
endorsement Of loan. So long as the rev.
enurs of thc Department suffice to pay the
interest on the loan and create proper sink
ing fund to meet the principal, the general
l. casury is not to be charged with the expense
Of the postal service. and to that extent the
Committee nre Of opinion Congress may 20,
provided the general credit Of The Government
he not pledged for the rc-embnrsement Of the
loan. If the Post office Department may
thus borrow from third parties, the Commit
tre ace no reason why the Government may
not make loan to that Department IN The
same terms. and appropriate money for that
out ol the general treasury. a loan
woulh be a very proper investment for all
trust tu'rls in the hands nf the Government.
The report was ngreed to, and 81 mncb Of
the I'readrnta message as did not refer to
qnrstions, was referred to Gem
miltee un Pnatul Roads.
Mr.. MTTcBEI- from Select Committee Gil
Hospitals, reported House bill TO rc-organiar
ard promote the efficiency Of the medical de-
parment nf the army.
Mr.. WlGFALl npnnsri that provision oG tie
bill! giving the chief physician the rank of
Briga,licr General and his assistants the rank
of Colonel Of Cavalry. ii. reriel nur,rIolls
] 1rtiiculli"s that grew ont Of the practice Of
giving rank without corresponding power and
authority, in the old army Of the United
STATES; mud urged the imprupri"ty of intro
iucing such i strange audmally in our own
military organization.
Alr. CL4HE .:viItenJed that rank wns indis-
pensably necessary for surgeons in order TO
awe their orders respected and for The eiiec
tive carrying out Of their duties.
MIR. SpAksuw moved IN Amendment making
The bill apply 10 the provisional instead OF the
regular army. Disagreed to.
Mr.. CLAY mGvcd 10 defer action On the bill.
Lost.
On motion Of Mr.. Sr,rHnw, the whole vote
,rd the vote again heh'g put. the amendment
Hus adopted.
Tie bill then passed
On mnlinm Of Mr.. SEMsrrs. the title nf thr
bill was amended sn ~ to read 4 Fill to
AMI promote the efficiency of the
MEDICAL Department al the Provisional ar
uv."
SIR Clay calci mp Senate h:ll IN furnish
Ind rsprrss the I,"pnratlon Of notes pur
l0lLing Ia be nntr- Of The Confederate
States.
,,r Ci.,y SAID an imInefsr iiIIn,hcr nf ilre>a
notes had found their way sntn
i,e bank. and thI amount IN private cmruln-
ion cnmi not To-. ruInrntrd.
Wherever ,heir armies have invaded oar
country, continued Mr. Cray. these notes
hav. been scattered End an, hold thai ainnilg
th.se i,Ind dead on the battle field of Ma
na,sas. in the late battles SCARCELY one was
;ra chrd in whose r"":hets were not tiunh
Lllcse notes. They invr already impaired the