Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-12-18

the iruprossinS officers stripped persons VI
their last meal sin the shadow of the COM
uiisssrv generals headquarters" His lan>
gnoge was commanding generals headqusr>
t.rs." He did not wish to do any injustice,
and did not know what was done near the
comm;ssary general, but he knew The impress
n,ens iaw Had hcen often violated and ero~o.J
- s;;t and sometlmes IN
the very shadow of the headquarters OF gene
Fais IN command. The mistake was not MAJ
1crjai, and he should not correct it but for the
fact that he did not wish to be understood as
making q charge. against the commissary gen.
crai from personal knowledge.
There being nofurther business before the
Senate, o.. motion Of Mr.. SSNMEs, Of Louisi-
ana, 8. adjournment was had after session
%. seine thirty minutes.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
The II use was opened with prayer, at II
O'Clock. hy the Rev. DR.. James A. Duncan, OF
the ". &. Church.
:On motion of Mr.. BoYct of South Carolina,
the special committee ON finance, was au-
th0rizeG and requested to sit during the ses-
sion Of the House.
On motion of Mr. BoTELER, his colleague
Mr.. BALDWIN, Of Virginia, was granted leave
: of absence to attend pressing duties connected
with the military defenees OF the State.
The SPEAKER announced the following spe-
c:al committee on deceased soldiers claims,
under "a resolution adopted on yesterday
Mississippi MULLER of Virginia, SIMPSON o.
South Caroline; and FOSTER of Alabama.
Mr.. CHILrsN, of Alabama, stated that, on
account Ct III health, he had resigned his POI
siticn Z, ehairmaa Of the committee on quar-
ternlaster and commissary departments, and
that Mr. PRESTON had been elected in his
place. lie asked, for the same reason, to be
excused from serving as q member OF the com
,nittce. Granted, and MIR. FooTE, of Tennes'
see, was appoin cd in his place.
Mr. MILEs, of S. c., from the Committee on
Military Affairs reported back the Senate
bill repeating the substitute laws, with an
amendment striking out the clause repeating
.tali laws heretofore passed permitting or al
: lowing persons liable to military duty to fur.
IRISH substitutes for the same, or authorizing
THAR acceptance" &C., leaving the bill to sim
MY stop all future substitution.
On motion of Mr. MILES, the bill was taken
up on it's third reading. The object of the
committee, in striking out the clause indica.
tca, ves no expression IF opinion upon the
merits of the subject, but only to divide it
leaving the roi;it upon which oil minds were
cyiaentiy agreed-the cessation Of substitu-
tion--to acaupy the first attention OF the
lta2se; and the other point, whether all SUBJ
stisution heretofore permitted, with its doubts
and difticultiee, to await discussion separately
IN spcakins 70 tbs subject, Mr.. MILES said ne
regretted that nc was able to present full facts
in relation to the subject of substitution, but
from rhe best estimates at his command the
number Of substitutes which had been put
;nSo the service was between forty and sixty
'1uusand .nen. The experience Of all the
Generals in the field united in showing that
rs class, (doubtle.s there. was honorable ex-
coption. substitutes were the least reliable
IA the field or in the discharge Of camp du
iica.
Mr. CONRAD, CT La, submitted his amend
,nenr making al persons who have furnished
substitutes, as well as the substitutes themselves
lis.uie 10 military duty, ard urged its adop
tian st so,as lcnsth. He commended that the
subject sbonid not be divided from the bill
I'm 'cr discussion, and, in support OF the
amendment itself, denied the existence of any
Contract, and said that, to make the bill sim
ply one acting upon the future, would be IN
lust, The class OF men, under thirty five and
forty wears, who had first claimed the priv
!G.a. wGull lie found to be much more ell
ci+rS ans! numerous than those who might
hereafter furnish them.
Ne. KENNER, Of Louisiana, agreed with Mr.
Miles that the two subjects should be divided,
and cited several difficulties presented by Mr..
CoNRAD's proposition, which would require
considerable debate.
Mr. CHlLroN opposed Mr.. CoNRAD's propo-
sitiop, on the ground, mainly, that the mea-
sure should not be resor;ed to until absolute
ly demanded by the necessities CT the country,
and that time, in his opinion, had not come
yet.
The previous questions being called, Mr..
CoNRADs amendment was pnt to the vote,
and rejected-ayes 80, noes 30.
The amendments of the committee were
then adopted, and the bill was ordered to its
third reading. t..
Mr.. SINGLETON presented resolutions refer
ring the bill back to the Committee on Mill
tary Atfairs, with instructions to report a bill
repsaling all substitute laws, requiring all
pripoipnls having substitutes within the con
script age to DO enrolled into service, and all
whose substitutes had deserted to take their
places.
Mr.. MAcuEN, of Ky, and Mr.. CHAMBLIss,
Of Va, urged that the bill be passed at once,
and not be either referred to the Committee or
being encountered with these various branches
of the general question. -
sOn motion Of Mr.. GARNET, of Va, the
resolutions of Mr.. SINGLETON were laid upon
the table for the.present. ~
The bill az amended was then put upon its
nassage and adopted, and, on motion of Mr..
GIruToS, was ordered to be imme diately COM
miutnicated TO tie Senate.
.Tha bill as amended is as follows:
BILL TO prevent the enlistment or enroll
ment of substitutes in the Military Service
of the Confederate States.
The Congress of the Confederate States OF
America do enact, That no person liable to
military service shall hereafter be permitted
or allowed to furnish substitute for such
service, nor shall any substitute be received.
enlisted or enrolled in the military service OF
of the Confederate States.
On motion of Mr.. FooTE, the preamble and
resolution offered by himself, On the 18th
inst, looking to the revisal OF the Exemption
Act. and the general strengthening of the
army, were taken up, and, on motion OF Mr..
GARRETT, of Va, referred to the Committee on
Military Affairs.
Nfr.GARTaELL, of Ga, from the Committee
ON Judiciary, reported back with amendments
a bill presented few days ago by Mr.. HAIR
FRIDGE, of Ga, amending the lmpressment
laws. The bill repealed. that part of the laws
appointing commissioners anu prescribing
their duties, and causes the valuations of im>
pressed property to be ascertained by apprais
ors from loyal anddisinterested citizens. The
..nendments of the committee were chiefly
:, verbal the most important amendment struck
cut the word "and place." in the clause re-
curing the payment of the value to be made
at 'sthe time and place of impressment."
Mr.. HARrRIpGk spoke at some length In
support of the bill, which was framed 80 as to
accord with the decision Of the Supreme
T,,.. rs Saor1;o which had rendered nupa-