Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-12-18
a0spFDERATE STATES voaLRHss'
THURSDAY, Dec. II, 1869.
CEN ATE

|
tina. State in. 1861 for the purchase of he Gamer
Florida. On his motion, the resolutions were r.
! fsrred TO the Committee Oh flnsncr..
| The bill heretofore presented, to limit the tern
! OF Office Of the heads of the Execu i've D-p'Ft'
msn,s was, on motion Of Dir JOHNSON u AK
taken D aud referred to the Judiciary COmmIj,e.
Mr. BAKER introduced in resolu'lons IT The
| Florida Legislature, relatlve to the pay OF th'
soldiera of the Confederate States, requesting
heir Representatives in Congress TO use thsi
! hest endeayors to cause tho same 70 be 'alsei :
also resolutions of the same body TO exempt sol
ldier's families, not owning slaves. TO the opera
ton of the law imposing tax in Kind H.
ferred.
Mr. WIGFALL of Texas, by leave, introduced
"a bill to provide additional rcm1nsr i'io" io'
non commissioned officers and priv"tes, serving
in the army Of the Confederate States
Referred to the Committee on Military Affairs
The bill provides that there shall be lsAuei to
every non. commissioned officer or private. " Il"
hiss an honorable discharge from the army; =
bond bearing eight per cent interest tor the
amount which he has been paid while III ser.
vice. snd that said bond shall bear evep dstc
with the discharge and the interast DO paYabs.
ANNUALLY. and that onesnalf OF tue amount oil sa1
bond shall be payable il len years, End the o her
half in twenty years anil that sAi'. bonds ana the
interest ereon shall only be pa, able TO the orl'
Iiral obliese during life. and TO his legal repre-,
sentative after his death. That the wife aud
children, or widowed mother OF any private OF
non. commissioned officer who shall die III ser
vice, shall be entitled 10 bond OF like character
and conditions, bearing date on the day OF the
death of the father, husband or son. -.
Mr. CAPERToN, of Va, offered lreaolu'!on
! instructing the Committee on Finance 10 m
! qnira into. The expediency of auth"tiz'rg sane
by tho oollactoruo tha tax in kind to he agents
| appointed By ths county courts, in their several
1 aS
diers such port N of the tythes collected or TO be
collected or can be conveniently colleead BY tie
Government agents
| Mr. Brown offered a resolution OF o. quiry in.
to the e1psdicncy of authorizing The chief COL
lectors OF the States to appoint deputy collectors
who shall, when tho principal IS sick, absent CT
from any other cause unable to discharge the IN
ties of bis Office take the place of such pri"cpnn
snu discharge the duties OF ths office. Adopted.
Tue bill to regulate the neat meeting OF Com
gres. was then taken up and am a'ded SO rs tn Tx
the time If meeting Oh the first Monday in May
1864. :.
Mr. JOHNSON of Ark, moved to reconsider The
vote and lay the bill on tho table which w''s
done accordingly.
| A message was received from the President
through bis private secretary, transrstinE copies
Of the correspondence of Major Gonera' Whiting
relative to running tire blockade Oideredto be
printed.
On motion of Mr.. ORR, The Senate resolved
itself into secret legislative session.
HOUSE OF REPRE- SENTA:IVES
The House was opened with prayer by the
Rev. Dr.. DUNCAN.
:. The SPEAKER announced that, in accord
auce with resolution directing him tn invite
TO seats IN the House the Inns. G Harris
| md Howell Cobb, aid Gen. r E Lee, be
had waited upan the two former gentlemen in
person, and having been unable to ascertain
the whereabouts of the latter. he had "ommu-
nicated the invitation il writing. The hon
orahle gentlemen from Tennessee and Geor-
sia accepted the invitation, with their thanks.
General Lee replied by letter, as follows:
| RICHMOND Dec. IL, 1868.
Hon Taos. S. BococK,
Speaker Of the House Of Representatives :
Sir: have received yosr communication
of this date, informing me that the House 81
Representatives had invited N" TO q scat in
heir Hall am deeply grateful for thi un-
deserved honor, and should DO much graf H.!
to he able to avail 'myse.f Of the privilege. and
] TO epioy the opportunity Of paying hey re
spects to the representatives, Ct tne people:
but called to Riuhm nd on public husiness,
my whole attention is occupied N It's execa-
ton.
With profound thanks for the h NOR eS-
tended t" me by the II use Of R -nresenta
rives, and sincerely grateful for the klad sel-
tinents expressed by yourself,
am. ~S lSa Hfss aSsaitaF servant,
- RE. LEE.
The SPEAKER presented two messages from
the President-one transmitting conmun;.
\ ~ &c a,
| TO the exemption Of Tu,rii 'ntrm,eors aud the
other transmitting a communica ion from the
Attorney General concerning additional es =
mates for the departments If justice
Mr.. SMlTH, of N c., in accor'1'n"e with
whose resolution the first document was sub
| mitted, stated that at the last session of Gu
| gress an act was pass czempting from m:.i-
tary duty all mail contractors mp routes
over ten miles in length. On the assurance
| of the Postmaster General that they wnr:!r
/ be exempted from service, many persnns ha!
F; been induced to take contracts but in scmE
instances, which he cited, the military ou-
thorities had declared that hey were not cx-
enpt from military duty The subject i:::d
| been carried into the Confederate Stn'"s Dis
trict Courts, and. though discharge had bee;
awarded by these Quarts, the milf ~ author
tiles persisted in ignoring the legality O! s-lc:'
exemptions. putting the subjects of them to
great trouble and expense.
The document was, without reading, Or
dered to bs printed, and referred. The 80
cond document, without reading, was zr--
ferred.
Mr.. REED, of Mo-, offered bill to provide
cations of tobacco for the army and navy.
which vas read a.frst aud second ting, aud
referred.
| Mr. GARTRELL. OF Ga, from the Committee
to whom was referred certain RESOLUTIONS hy
Mr. FoorE. inquiring into the expectancy Of
invigorating the army hy displacins OH eTs
who had forfeited cou6denS-., &c r ported
them back with the recommendation that they
lay on tho table Agreed to.
Mr.. CgocKErT. of Ky, from tho Com ulittee
on Elections, reported b3ck, with recommeu-
dation that it be placed on the secret cnlenda"
and passed. bill to provide for holding el"c
tons Uf representatives for the stare o; AI+
souri,. The bill was ordered TO he put upon
the secret calendar, AS recommended.
Mr.. STAPLES. of Va, offered resolution.
inquiring whether flues and forfsitures nf ar;-
vate property had been made By military courts
martial, and whether there was any 10 v Tor
such powers resolution inquiring into the
of-enlisting into tho military SER
vice all principals whose substitutes had de-
serted or those who had died c. been honnra,
| BY discharged, pruvidhug equicss'e' cunPvus.-
ton 10 the premises !; and q resolution, inqui-
ring into the e1pedienoy Of amending the tax
law, go rs to assess a tax upon hogs slaugh'
tered and sold by other.than their nnrchsse's.
Mr.. Chiffon Of Ala, presented bill t.
provide for refunding to the State Of Alabama
the balance ON account due of the purchase OF
the steamer Florida. Referred.
Mr. FosrsR Of Ala, submitted resolution.
which waa adopted. inquiring of the President
if any steps had been taken TO enf'r e the Law
of Congras respecting the absenc" o. officers
and soldiers from the army without leave.
Mr.. HENLEY. of Ark offered a resolution,
,uhinh ruaa adon.al ren nnstinlr the Prn. ilen I