Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-02-16
Proceedings of the House Of Representatives
in secret Session on the Military Bill.

in Sec9et Session on the Military Bill.
Yesterday the injunction Of secrecy on the mill
tary bill in the House of Representatives was dis
solved, and the bill, as amended, returned to the
Senate. We have the following synopsis OF the
House proceedings in secret session:
The first section of the bill was amended by re-
ducing the maximum Of the military age from fifty
five b. "forty.fve :" requiring that such persons
shall be in the military service for the war, IN tHe
JielG' &c
The following substitute for section two, offered
by Mr. Chiffon Of Alabama, was adopted:
"All duties as provost and hospital guards, anu
clerks, or as clerks, guards, assistants, employees
or labourers. in the commissary and quartermaster
departments, in the ordnance and medical bureaus
and in the execution of the enrolment acts ana all
similar duties shall hereafter be performed oy per-
sons who have been disabled from active service IN
the field and who, by board of surgeons, shall
have been reported fit for these duties; and when
these shall have been exhausted the President shall
call upon the Governors of the several States for
the quotas of persons required to make up the
number needed for. the performance of the above
mentioned duties, which quotas shall be taken from
persons not liable TO military service IN the army OF
the Confederate States"
In the fourth section, among the list OF exempts,
are included, by amendment offered by Mr.. Smp,
son, of South Carolina, officers Executive ana
judicial of the Confederate and State governments,
except such State officers as the several States may
nave declared, may HOfehllcE " W
be liable to military duty"
An amendment with reference to the exemption
of the press offered bEa Mr.. Funston Of Virginia
fIwGs a6opted. Il extends the exemption of one
editor formerly limited to newspapers published ON
the 10th of April 1862, to those published "prior
to that date and since the beginning Of the war;
said editor st o.6s q practical Prtnter."
On motion of Mr.. Smith, of North Carolina, the
following was added to the list of exempts :: 1.-THE
public printer and those employed to perform the
public printing for the Confederate and Stste 60
vernment." '... .....-.. - -
In contrast with its ilhberality to the press we
have the following amendment, engineered by Mr.
HOlcombe, of Virginia, and professor. in the Uni
versity OF Virginia, extending exemption to new
class viz "al presidents and teachers Of colleges
academies, and theological seminaries who have
been regularly engaged assueh for two years pre-
Hious to the passage of this act. Preceded that the
benefit of this exemption shall extend to those
teachers only whose schools are composed OF twenty
students or more"
Physicians over the age Of thirty five years are
exempted mot including dentists"
On motion of Mr.. Smith, of North Carolina, the
following was inserted:
"Ardfor necessary subsistence there shall be also
exempt one white man, the head Of family Of
eight or more white persons who are dependent on
his la6our for support"
The following vas inserted in the exemption
clause on motion Of Mr.. Miles, of South Carolina ::
1.-The President, treasurer, auditor and Superin-
tendent Of any railroad company, over whose rail
road military transportation is performed, and such
officers and employees Of such company as the
President superintendent of such railroad CON-
pany shall certify, on oath to be necessary to the
efficient operation Of such railroad: Provided that
the nunGer Of persons so exempt by this act on
any railroad shall not exceed one for each mile Of
such railroad in actual use for military Transports
ton and shall be reported by name and deScrip-
ployment of the said company or may cease to be
necessary to the efficient operation Of the railroad,
at least once q month"; to the Secretary of War, or
such officers as he may designate for that purpose
and Providsd further, that such President or su-
perinteDdent shall, in each such monthly report
certify, oath, that no person liable to military
service has been employed by this company since
the passage of this act in any position in which it
was practicable to employ one not liable to militia
~ service and capable ofperforning efficiently the
duties of such position"
On motion of Mr.. Hartridge, Of Georgia, the
following was added:
"And be it further enacted, That there shall be
exempted from military service, under the provi-
sions of this act the white officers of any fire COM
pany organized and in existence in any city of the
Confederate States on the LIST day of January 1864
and composed of free persons Of colour and slaves
Provided that not than three officers shall be
! exempted for each company: and Provided fur
ther that the persons claiming this exemption were
officers IF such companies on the said LIST day of
| January, 1864"
The following was stricken out from the original
! bill:
THAT the President be, and he is hereby author
lied to grant details under general rules and regu-
| lations To be issued from the War Department Ell
Their from persons between forty. five and fifty five
years of age, or from the army in the field, in all
cases where, III his judgement, Justice, equity and
necessity require that he should make such details
and he may revoke such order of details whenever
he may think proper"
And, in lieu Of the above, the following, offered
by Mr.. Pugh, of Alabama, was adopted:
In addition to the foregoing exemptions, the
Secretary of War, under the direction of the Presi-
! dent shall exempt or detail such other persons as
! he may be satisfied ought to be exempted on &C
count Of public necessity and to insure the produc-
ton of grain and provisions for the army aud nom
producers, he shall grant exemptions or details, on
such terns as he may prescribe, to such overseers
farmers or planters as he may be satisfied will be
more useful to the country in the pursuits of agri-
culture than in the military service: Provided,
such exemptions shall cease whenever the farmer,
planter shall fail diligently to employ,
in good faith, his own skill, capital and labour ex.
clusiVey, in the production of grain and provisions
to be sold to the Government and non.producers at
prices not exceeding those fixed at the time for like
articles BY appraiser of the vicnage under the au-
thOrty Of the law imposing the tax in kind or the
law regulating impressments."
.. NORTH.CAROLINA.