Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-01-24
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On motion of Mr.. WATSON of Miss, the pre-
siding officer authorized TO Appoint the Commit
tes or the pant OF the Senate TO inquire into tho
trestuisut Of prisoners.
The GUAR appointed Messrs WATsoN, al Miss,
SI,ras of Kentucky, and CAPEUroE, OF Virginia.
Mr.. HAYNES, OF Tennessee, introduced the fol
lowing resolution, WHICH was agreed to-
ReSo'Ued, That the President be respectfully re-
quested to to be furnished, for the information
OF the Senate in secret session. statements showing,
as far as practicable
/. The number OF commissioned and non-commis-
stoned officers and pvates the muster rolls OF the
army now liable to military duty.
?. The number, rank and file now present Ion
duty.
B. The number Of officers and pryates absent iron!
duty with and without leave.
4. The number Of officers and privates now in the
hospitals and absent from duty on siccleave..
>. The number of troops now on detached service,
together with statement in what that service con-
sSts
6. The number of persons liable to military duty,
who have been detailed and what necessities and
for what objects such details have been made
I. The number Of Confederate prisoners still In
the hands ofthe enemy.
g. The number of officers and privates who have
been Killed or have died of disease and the number
rendered permanently unfit for service IN the neid
By reason Of wounds or sickness.
House joint resolution constituting the act of Jan
uary Sd, 1864 increasing the compen sGtion OF GER
tain officers and employees Of the Government, was
considered and rejected.
Mr.. SPARROW, from the Committee On Military
Affairs reported back Senate bill to amend an act
to provide an invalid corps which had beeh return
ed from the House with an amendment. The amend
ment was agreed to-
The bill 20 autho rzc the consolidation Of compa-
Mes. battalionS aud regiments was taken Bp, and,
OnmotOn of Mr.. BAKER, of Florida, the vote
by which the Senate amendment was adopted, was
recoBSidered.
The subject was debated at length, and the bill
passed by yeas and NAYS follows:
lpas-Mes1rS. Baker, Brown, Burnett, Caper-
ton, D9rtch Graham. Henry, lldnter, Maxwell,
Semmes or Louisiana, SImnls OF Kentucky, spar
row aud Matson--l3.
Nays--MesSrs. Haynes, Vest aud Wigfail-3 E.
Tho CHAIR appointed Messrs. GRAHAa of North
Carolina, WALLER Of Alabama. and SEMMEs OF
Louisiana on the Joint committee to prepare al
address TO tile people of the Confederate states.
MIR. SBMAES, OF Louisiana, gave notice that to-
morrow he should move TO take up the bill TO re-
duce The currency.
On motion Of MIR. BURNETT, the Senate resOlv
Cd into secret session.
The following is the bill for recognizing the ar
my as it passed. the Senate:
BILL to authorize the consolidation Of companies bat
talions and regim-nts
The Congress u the Confederate States Of America do
ers st That Whenever any companies .whic now in
the service shall be reduced TO number less than
tbtytwO r.en,rank and file present and III for duty
and when shall be proved 10 tie satisfaction OF the Sec
letuTT OF war vi the tenefal uepaEl-
ncnt the army in which said companies may be serv-
ing that they be recruited to the number within
reasonable time the general commanding said department
OF army NAV under geAeral regulations to be issued By
the Secretary OF War, consolidate such companies.
Sec. That companies may be organized from the
uOncommissioned officers anu prvaes of the companies
thus consolidated II they fro the same state having
the number rank ana file now Fixed " law ana tie COM
msjoned officers OF accompanies thus organized shall
be Captain and First and one Second Lieutenant
and tie noncommssoned officers four sergeans and four
Corpcras
sec That companies ii they are frcm the same state
may be organized INTO batalions and regiments and OF
of said companies ba,alions ana regiments shall be
Immediately designated and placed on duty therein BY the
General commanding ,he department or the army in which
the companies before consolidation dy nave Dee serving
Officers thus designated shall continue to serve until OIL
shall be appointed by the President by and%th the
advice and consent OF the Senate and all selections OF Of
tcers made By the General TO command said Organi
cations appointments by the President therefor here
in provided shall be From the commissioned officers Of the
companies battaons or regiments from which the new
organizations vera formed or from such non-commisson
ed 6cers OF pirates sEer1ot May nave been dstin
guished Cor meritorisys and soldery conduct or for
y0lor or skill aud the certificate OF the Colonel command
ing the battalion regiment in which said noncomms-
stoned officers pvaes may have served that they have
been distinguished if approved by the brigade and d.
vision commanders shall be sufficient proof thereof,
Sec Thrt the officers Of companies battaliops and
regiments which may be diSoande1 as herein provided
and who mas not be selected and appointed required
br this act shall be dropped from the rolls Supernum
prlrv officers but such officers within a reasonable
Secretary War rs 10 troops in the States east of the
Mississippi river and by the General commanding the de-
partment west Of the Mississippi river to troops there
III organize themselves into companies, battaiCps Ggd
regiments, the officers 70 which shall be appointed
by iLs President, with the advice and consent
Of the Senate or said officers may. volunteer
into any company belonging to the department IN which
they last served to the state from which the
company regiment to which the said officers belonged
may have come Of any OF the service aud all obi
Gers who may within thirty days after the date OF the
consolidating the battalion regiment
which he may have belonged volunteer and enlist IN
sdch organization or u other compaei a author
lZed herein. shall receive rUU tue time Ties drop
ped supernumerares for twelve months pay at The
their grade entities them TO al the time they were So
dropped,
section be filed by selection in the manner pointed out
by the 90 section OF this and all officers who may
have belonged the consolidated organizations and who
may be appointed TO the grade IN the new which
they held in the old organizations shall take rank from
the date OF their first commission appointment and
hereafter should the companies organized under the
provisions of this act become reduced in numbers
TO have less than thrytwo men, rank and file present
and fl for duty and the vacancy should occur in the Of
fee ot Second Lieutenant the same shall not be filed
and shouldn't be reduced below the number OF sixteen,
then vacancy in the Office OF Frst Lieutenant shall not
be filed.
Sec G. That the Offices of ddjutant5 and ensigns OF
battalions and regiments hereby abolished and here
after the officer commanding battalion regiment may
assign any su0atern Of the lnebeOngng 10 his command
aiutant; and said subatern. whilst Serv-
ing, shall receive in addition 10 hdpay and allowances
thirty dollars per month and the officer commanding
shall also assign act color bearer cOmmssio
ed officer orpriyate from his command who may be dis
tnguished for meroriOus solderly conduct, for
valOr skill and said nOn.cOmmissoned officer orr pr.
vate whilst acting shall receive the pay ola first lieu
tenant.
See T. That the name of battalions and regiments or.
gained under the provisions of this shall he the
of the old battalons and regiments from which the new
formed and the coors Of the Oldest battalion or reg
forming the shall be the coors OF the new
ganizaton and the coos of the other battans and reg
imensLal be transmitted by the Secretary Of War TO
the Governors of the respective States with the state.
men Of the battles in which the battalion regiment
TO which they belong may have borne part.
Sec. That all staff, lire and other officers who may
not haze any command or who may not at any time be
duty for period exceeding thirty days unless they
belong to the invalid corps or are prisoners owar or are
sick wounded absent by leave of the Secretary of
War thd general commanding the departing Mt army
TO which they belong shall he dropped from the rolls and
held u service as now provided by law: Provided That
tie Pelnnt be and he rs hereby authorized 10 assgn any