Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1864-02-09
CONFEDERATE STATES CONGRESS.


Wait, and see what God will do.
CONFEDERATE STATES CONGRESS.
In the Senate, on Saturday, the 3Oth, Mr..
Read, of North Carolina, offered the following,
which was unanimously agreed to:
The Congress of the Confederate States haV-
ing learned, through the public press. OF the re-
enlistment, for the war, of the North Carolina
Brigade in the army of Northern Virginia, serv-
ing under Gen eral Robert D. Johnston There
| GOre,
| Resoz0ed 6y the Confederate States ef Aneeraca,
That the patriotism and spirit of the North
Carolina troops evinced by this prompt ana vol
| untary devotion Of themselves afresh TO the ser.
I vice of tho country, are beyond all praise, and
deserve the unbounded gratitude OF the GoV-
ernment.
| In the House, the following bill, alluded to
| last week. was adopted by vote OF AZ ayes 70
81 nays:
SECTION l. The Congress Of the Confederate
| States of America do enact, That the ABOVE re-
| cited act shall not apply to farmers and planters
engaged on the 9th Of January, 1864, IN the pro-
duction OF grain and provisions either by thelr
| own manual labor or in experimenting The Ia
| Dor of others Provided, The exemption herein
contemplated is granted subject to the 1oliowlhg
conditions;
I. That the person avsiling himself thereof
shall devote himself, and the labor OF "hicn ne
has the control or superintendent, exclnsiVely
to the production of provisions amt .14.sss ~
plies.
II. That the re shall be paid and contributed
from the farm, or, if more than one faffh' tlo.n
each of the farms which the person thus exempt
cd owns or superintends. in addition to the 1.-THE
required By any tax law, an addltlonal tentn VI
the pork or bacon produced on said farm or laflAs
beginning with the product OF last year, iol tn0
use of the army. .u ;e 90
III. That the person thus eXemped Will, IL SO
required sell all his surplus provisions, no" W,
hand or her after raised, for the use OF soiaiefs
families or for the of the army, at prices no1
greater than those fixed for the time beinS py
the commissioners appointed under the IN
ment act. ,,t
IV. That the person seeking to aval himsei
of the benefit Of this act shall nave sufhisheo +"
substitute not liable to military dnty, VINO -
now in the service, or who has Deen legatly
r | discharged theretrom, or who has dleo there-
in.
v. That the benefit of this act shall not ap-
: ply to persons on farms plantations on Wnicn
there is any other male adult not ila9ie 10 hiin
tsry duty. .,;a 90. sha,
H. -srned as limiting the power Of the Fresl
be cons egllsting laws, to exempt sneh Pc
dent, unde. "esm proper on =. ss"un1s oi eq0'
sons as he may ssI.
ty, justice, or neces- hajshIpg al invalid corps
The following bill esta~
was also adopted -+<da,ot, e.. t
Section 1. The Congress of the Con, ronoomS
OF America, do enact, That all officers, -.
mSsOned officers, musicians, privates ana sea-
men, who hare or shall become disabled ny
wounds or other injuries received, or disease
contracted in the service of the Confederate
States and in the line OF duty, shall be retired
or discharged f.om their respective positions as
hereinafter provided. But the rank, pay and
emoluments Of auch officers, and the pay and e.
monuments Of such noncommssoned oflcers,
musicians, PIRATES and Seamen, shall continue
to the end Of the war or as long as they. shall
continue SO retired or discharged.
Sec. 2. That all persons claiming the dement's
of his act shall present themselves for examina-
ton to one of the medical examining boards
now established by law. Upon the certificate
of such board that such permanent disability ex-
lists, such persons shall De retired or discharged
as aforesaid.
Sec. 3. That all persons retired or discharged,
as aforesaid, shali periodically and at least once
in six months, present themselves to one OF sad
boards for further examination, the result OF
which examinations shall be reported by such
board to the Secretary of War. ana II any
such person shall fail so to report himself TO Such
board, whenever he shall be required so to 90,
he shall be dropped from said retired or dis
charged list and become liable to conscrlptlon
under the terms Of the law, unless such 1allute
shall be caused by physical disability,
Sec 4 That the Secretary of War may assign
such OffcGrS, aliO OFUeT buo uctDil vi ouSh hOAA-
commissioned officers, musicians, prlvates ana
seamen for such duty as they shall be qualified
to perforca Ii any such noncommiSsloneG Of
ficers, musicians, privates and seamen, shall be
relieved from disability they shall be restored
to duty.
Sec s. That the Secretary of War shall ma ke
all needful rules and regulations for the action
of the medical boards, as aforesaid.
Sec. 6. That vacancies caused by the retire
ment of officers under this act, shall be filed as
in case of tie death or resignation OF such OH
GERS.
Sec. 7. This act shall be in force from its pas.
sage.
The House then adjourned
In the Senate on Monday, the 1st of February, |
resolutions complimentary of the Louisiana
troops, who have re enlisted for the war, were
adopted and he House bill to establish an aSy- |
lum, to be called stThe Veteran Soldiers |
Home'' was adopted. The Senate then resolved |
into secret session to resume the consideration
of the sscurrency question:
The House passed the bills to allow rations in |
kind to commissioned officers of the army by /
conscribing free male negroes and slaves as
teamsters, cooks, &C., both under certain condi-
tOns and limitations
The latter bills reads as follows:
ssWhereas, the efficiency Of the army is great
ly diminished by the withdrawal from the ranks
OF able-bodied soldiers to act as teamsters, and
in various other capacities in which free negroes
and slaves might be advantageously employ ed
therefore,
"SEcr1ox.1 Tie Cong gtess Of tile Confederate States
of America do enact, That all male free negroes,
not including those who are free under the trea-
ty of Paris of 1903, or the treaty with Spain of
1919, resident in the Confederate States, be-
tween the ages Of eighteen and fifty years, shall
be hello liable to perform such duties with the
army. or in connection with the military defenc
es Of the county, in the way OF work upon forti
fications, or in State works for the pIoduc-
ton or preparation of material OF war, or in mil
itary hospitals, as the Secretary CT War may
from time to time prescribe ard while engaged
in the performance of such duties shall receive
rations ard clothing, and compensation at the
rate of eleven dollars per month, under such |
rnles and regulations as the said Secretary may |
establish: PROVIDED, That the Secretary of War,
with the approval of the President may exempt |
from the operations of this act such free negroes
as the interests of the country may require
should be exempted, or such as he may think |
proper to exempt on grounds of justice, equity |
or necessity.
ssSECTIoN. 2. Be itfurther enacted, That the |
Secretary of War is hereby yeauthorized to en- |
ploy, for duties similar to those indicated in the
preceding section of this act, as many male ne |
gro slaves, not to exceed twenty thousand, as