The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-08-23
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

FRIDAY, August q, 1864
The House met ct its usual hour. and was opened
with prayer by Bishop EARLY. Journal OF yester
day read
Mr. CURRIN, of Tenn, offsrsd a Joint resolution
rendering thanks to Col N Bedford For rest and the
officers snd soiderp under his command for gallant
services. Passed unanimously.
Mr.. FOSTER offered resolution requesting the
Secretary OF War TO furnish this House with copy
Of the report Of Gen. Crittenden Of the battle Of
Filming Creek Agleed to.
Mr.. MACHKN offered resolution that the Pres
dent be requested 10 furnish the House with a copy
of the report OF Gen. Simon b. Buckner of the bat
tie Ut Fort DOnelsOn. This resolution was with
drawn without action upon 1t.
Mr.. JONES, Of Tenn, moved that the House re-
solve itself into Committee OF the Whole ON the
Presidents message, and Mr. CURRY, of Ala took
the chair The Committee was called to order aud
the Chairman announced that the gentleman frSm
Tennessee (Mr. FooTEl was entitled to the hoor,
and he addressed the House the following proposi
tion, submitted by him fsw days ago:
Whsreas. it il now most manifest that our re-.
morseless and visdietivs Ices are resolved st fur
ther to prosecute this bloody aud unnatural wax
and are at this moment engaged in raising lsr ge
additional force Of mereenary soldiers for the do
struc;isa Of our liberties and for the desoleton of
our homes and Nhereas, the people OF the Conf-ie-
rate States are more united now than they have
heretofore been in the stern and unalterabe deter.
minafi0n never TO relinquish the struggle for inde
pendence and freedom until the last armed foe shall
cease to pollute the sacred soil OF the South aud
popular liberty and State sovereignty-for both of
which we are contending in arms-shall have been
established upon imperishable foundations: There
fore,
Be il Resoloed, That the Comm ittee Oh Military
Affairs be instructed to prepare bill to provide at
once. by law, for calling forth from the States
by the most effective and expeditions method an
additional army Of two hundred and fifty thon-
sand men, 10 be equitsbiy apportiOned among the
said States. having due regard to population, tho
number of soldiers heretofore furnished and other
kindred considerations; each Of the States being
required to organize aud to officer its own portion
of ths troops supplied and the whole force of two
hundred and fifty thousand men, or any part there
Of being subject to be called into the Confederate
service whenever the exigencies Of the war shall,
in the Judgment Of the President, render it neces-
sary; subject, when these exigencieS shall hsve
ceased, to return within the limits Of their respec
tive State and be subject once more to the furs.
diction thereof, and preserving, meanwhile, under
their existing political relations with their rsspsc
tive States, and bound at all times TO protect and
maintain the sovereign rights of the States to which
they shall respectively appertain against all
saults and usurpations which may be attempted
thsreupon BY any Government or potentate what
soevcr.
Mr. FooTE, after q few general remarks, relating
mainly to the history Of the origin of the Conscrpt
law showing the haste with which it was pass d.
the manifold de6ciencas which the original act
contained, the amendments afterwards made In it.
ut the special instance Of the President, and Its
general 5nsGcieney. arising from its intrinsic de-
fects proceeded to say that the act was notorouay
D03D00 0Q0e4 IN 8IlekeO N(CSS0Uy 0xl8tlO& ~ to0
psr; Cd of its adoption, and observed that many
honorable members then In his eye had confessed
that they voted for the law with the most painful
reluctance ssrioaay doubling its consatutienality
and. In fact only importing on the ground OF
salss sevsbica sxpreaA lox. He then reminded The
House that both tho President and Secretary of
War acknowledged that there was no present neces
sity for an extension Of the Consept law. In this
be- agreed with them but he did not agree with
them In supposing thst there was no present ne
eessity Tor law, free from constitutional aud
other objections which would enable the Confede-
rate Government to meet and to overthrow the
huge armies of the Lincoln Government which
that 0overnnent was now struggling TO bring into
the 6eld. He thought that no time was to be lost
In preparing to meet the enemy, and therefore he
had brought forward ths present proposition. Mr..
Foote spoke ct considerable ongth on this subject
and made the following points among others:
/. The present Conscript Law is nnc0nsfftHtionaf;
and II the plan dslinested In It should be allowed
70 Slow into systens would be stogether subver'
sys Of stats sossreignty and ponular freedom
merly for the present law no longer existed. 30
the President admitted; and such was apparently
ths truth Of the matter, a. the former necessity re-
lated alone to the tcstre M0Hths nes then In the
aeld, upon whom the present law had already fully
3. That the former alleged necessify was purely
srti6cial whish undenably grew out Of the failure
II the Provisional Government to provide for ex
pected dsheiencis IN the sTmy IN seaeoS.
I. He tndstsd that two hundred and ffty thousand
men could b. raised BY requsitioa npon the States
a less tims than In any other mode. On this point
10 dWelt q Some longth
s He urged thst IN army raised In this way
would awaken no distgust or alarm In the popular
rind nor occasion any collision with State aufh0r
iss, aiuays % h dQrscated.
e. He showed that such bill ~ the Secretary
econmsndsd should bs adopted, collision with VIZ.
EinjA Tennessee, Mississippi Arkansas and other
3tatea Would b. Inevitable. inaslnuch e. the new
1onscSipt tow would sweep into tts vortex the
! hols body of the militia now organized By them,
,r n eoufss of oeganixat On.
4 Heindstod that the Constitution clearly contsm
,laaeA iaAving ths gfsat body Of the militia force OF
- 0taaee undsr A6sss costrol, except when called
Or by the Prssdent 70 inset ext9eacies specified In
has insssumsns, afteg she passing away Of whicd
hoy wses expesesd 70 retusn ones noss % thsr osi
rlnsl pooltion a tho while maintaning their PoIii
e jdsntiev with ths States " which they might re-
4. r. 3iasssGed Is sosns length ths peopristy ~
,liowiag - 1lasss 70 4IAw and ~Isstasshs troops
.. y eielnsa - ~ nsw army, - hs con
paael cf 1Nnaxae1 Ae66es Qf aslAieeS frea yastoas
tla6as, WsiA a1sso sF1lnas1ly - = ye!uahie 49,
- euool01l9 - qeae - lseal 4e11aee aga1lat
ls1sis ~ = = - saa..Is.ss
80 sslIllle sG1l - Asegsy - sAsse91
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