The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-01-07
CONFEDERA1 & STATES CONGRESS.

CONFEDERA1 STATES CONGRESS.
In the Seaats the proceedings were opened
with prayer by the Rev. Mr.. Minnegerode,
of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
Mr.. johnson, of Ark, offered the follow
ing, which was agreed to:
Resolred, That the Committee on NJ iktary Affairs
inquire into the expediency of an act 70 reform
the system OF enroiments, and particularly OF an
or officers who may be appointed or assigned to
positions of enrolling officers, and 70 prescribe by
whom they are to be selected or assigned, and to
limit the length of time during which any such
officer shall be allowed to serve over one and the
same district, county, or beat, and to establish
some rule or regulation by which an Inspector of
enrolling districts rnay be appointed for separate
States or sections, and regulations by which such
enrolling officers shall be restricted In the number
Of men placed In their provost guards.
Mr.. Phelan, of Miss, introduced bill to
authorize the President to suspend the priv
lege of the writ of habeas corpus in ali cases
involving the right of the Confederate Gov
ernment to put into the army persons claim.
ing exemption from military duty by reason
of their having furnished substitutes.
On motion of Mr.. Burnett, of KY, pend
ing his motion to transfer the bill to the Sc
cret calendar, the Senate resolved into secret
legislative session.
The Hoe.ss met at II o'clock. and was
opened with prayer by Rev. DR.. Read.
The special order for the morning hour
the bill reported from the Military Commit.
tee repeating existing, and regulating future,
exemptions from military service-was taken
up.
Mr. Miles, Of s. c., being entitled to the
door, thought that the House was getting a
little too wild In Its notion Of putting every
body In the service who could stagger under
. musket. He entertained no such wild,
radical notions. 1t was not the object Of
the bill to put ndiscriminately In the ranks
every man without regard to his occupation.
He was not for placing in the service men
engaged In useful mechanical pursuits mere.
ly because they were able-bodied. In war
Of this character It would not do to hurl ouS
whole force into the field without asking
whether we wereprepared to feed and clothe
them. There had been many abuses under the
present exemption laws, and the COMMITTEES
had sought TO frame bill to prevent these
abuses. 1t had been objected to the bill
that 1t vested the Executive with very large
discretionary powers. He was not In favor
Of giving our President too much power, for
he really thought that he was = little too
find Of power, rather inclined to encr oach,
but still he had confidence in his patriotism
and integrity, and thought that the Secreta-
~ of War and the President could have no
other motive to actuate them than to keep
MP our armies to an efficient standard, with
out ruin To the industrial pursuits Of the
country. The power Of detail; he considered
. useful adjunct to the power of exemption.
II men were detailed for special Govern
ment service, there was q check upon them
calculated to retain them In employments
where their services were more valuable
than they could possibly be in the field.
Mr.. Foote, of Tenn, thought the PROPOSE
ton of tho gentleman from South Carolina
proceeded upon a wrong basis. He was op-
posed to the bill of the gentleman for the
reason that he believed Congress fully CO M
petent to frame An exemption bill without
further strengthening the Executive ARM
Az to tho subject of details, he knew that It
had been grievously managed. and he be-
Neved In some Cases with personal partiality.
The speaker took occasion to allude to the
present condition of our armies, and in
Weighed strongly against the mismanage-
ment of the Commissary Department, and
,ntimated his determination to introduce .
resolution requiring the-removal Of the pre-
sent Commissary General The remarks oi
Nr. Foots were continued until the expira
tioa of the morning hour, when the rules
were suspended, and
Mr.. Funsten, of We, introduced bill to
provide for disabled officers, n0n-commis-
eioned officers, musiciaas, privates and sea-
men. which was laid on the table and ordered
TO be printed.
Mr.. Singleton, Of Miss, also introduced a
bill for the relief Of tax-psyes In certGu
casea, which was referred to the Committed
Of Ways and Means.
On motion the Houfe then went into 90
cret session for the purpose OF eonsidsrlns
the report from the special COMMITTEES o.
Cmfe1cy.
Hes WAfsp.-Owing 70 The recent hees!