Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-01-23
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
SATURDAY. Jan. 81, 1894,

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
SATURDAY. Jan. 81, 1854,
The House met at II O'Clock. Prayer by the Rev
Mr.. Patterson, of the Episcopal Church.
STATE TAX IL MISSISSIPPI AND LOUISIANA.
The Chair laid before the House Senate bill ex-
tending the jurisdiction of the State tag collector
of Mississippi or the eastern district Of Louisiana
Under a suspension ef :he rules, at the suggestion
of Mr.. DUPRE, of louisiana, the bill was passed
without the usual reference to committee,
LEAVE OF ABSENCE.
|. Messrs. HoILInAY and FuNsTES, of Virginia, we're
granted leave Of absence.
COAL FOR THE HOUSE.
Mr. STANLY, of Arkansas, offered resolution
that the Doorkeeper be authorized to hire wagons
and teams for the transportation Of COAL Tor the
of the douse from the coal pits TO this city. Agreed
TO.
THE DISCHARGE OF MANNED SOLDIERS.
Y Mr. j. NJ. SMITH of Georgia from the Com
mittee on Military Affairs reported the following
bill, which, under suspension Of the rules, was
passed
'7te Congress Of the Confederate States Of Apseri-
ca do enact, That any commissioned, officer mu.
stefan or private who has lost, or may hereafter
lose in the line Of duty in the military service, an
arm, leg hand or foot shall be discharged from said
service upon his application therefor and after such
discharge shall be exempt from military service of
any kind whatsoever"
THE EXPECTS OF DECEASED SOLDIERS,
Mr. MILES, from the Military Comm SO, report
ed back, with amendIneptss the SeRGts o TO Sc
cure more etfectually the preservation aud dstrbu-
ton of the effects of deceased officers and soldiers
Under suspension of the rules the bill was
passed
BILL INCREASING THE COMPENSATION OF CONFEDERATE
MARsukIs, ETC
Mr. GHOLSoN of Va, from the Judiciary Com
4. IL. O.. %.t 81
compensation Of the Confederate States Marshal of
the Eastern District Of Virginia, with the recon-
mendatiOn that il be laid on the table, which was
agreed to. In lieu thereof he reported bill to in
the pay of all marshas. criers jurors of the
Confederate States District Courts, and witnesses
testifyiug therein on behalf OF the Confederate
States one hundred per cent, aud providing that
under no circumstances shall the compensation Of
the Marshal for the District of Eastern Virginia
coed or fall below eighteen hundred and seventy
five dollars per quarter, or seven thousand five
hundred dollars per annum,
The bill was passed
THE TXEMPTIOS BILL.
The morning hour having expired the SPEAKER
announced the continued special order.
The amendment offered by Mr.. ANDERSON, OF
Georgia. an independent section, TO come in after
the second section, was taken up. Ii provides for
the exemption of all agriculturasts over thirty
five, actually engaged III the production OF supplies,
and who were exempted or detailed under the act OF
the 18th OF February, 1864. Said exempts TO fur
nish the Government one hundred pounds Of bacon,
its equivalent in pork and one hundred pounds Of
net beef for each able bodied slave between sixteen
and fifty, worked in the field not, to be paid for
by the Government at prices be liked by the State
Commissioners; for the performance OF which bond
aud ample security shall be required by the Secretary
OF War.
Mr., ANDERSON said he fully appreciated the
Importance of recruiting the army. Ne one would
go further than lie would in support of any wise
measure for this purpose. lie believed the army
must be strengthened mainly by restoring 70 its
ranks the large number Of absentees who have,
without leave, abandoned their brave comrades in
the hour of peril and by gathering up and placing
in the service the thousands all over the country
who have, by divers shifts and devices, evaded the
duty they owe in the field. He was willing, never
theldss to aid in perfecting this BILL with the hope
that il might be made to suhserve the purpose Of
increasing the army without Interfering with the
production of supplies, The army must be strength
ened but il must be also fed. II was idle TO seek
to do the. one without having due regard TO the
other, II will not do to Withdraw too many men
from the plantations. Let CONSUMPTION sweep all
others into the army rather than those who pro-
ducing food lie thought the bill before the House
was defective In this respect, and TO remedy this
defect was the object of his amendment, That done
he could give the measure his hearty support.
The gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. MARsHALIl
objects tina, the amendment adopts the principle OF
exemption instead of the detail system. He begged
to say that this was purposely done. lie utter
II opposed to the present system Of details. He
would abolish it entirely IL practicable. 1t had
been the fruitful source Of corruption and fraud
II had enabled thousands to keep out of the army
who were needed in the ranks, aud whose release
from the performance of military duty contributes
In no degree to the advancement OF the public in
teIests We could not close our ears to the griey-
qua and Just complaints which come to us from the
army and from every quarter against the corrup
tons and the evils which result from that system
He could never, by his vote, sanction its continu
ance He was willing TO take his share of the res.
pons ibility of declaring by law, expressly and spe-
clicaly, who should remain out of the army for the
public good and who should not, as far as it was
practicable to do so. Continue the present system,
and the scramble for details will be renewed, and
many will get them improperly, whilst others who
deserve them will be refused. Ii was time that
Congress should retrae its steps on this point and
he hoped Il would be done by the action Of the
uonse on this bill.
Mr.. MACHEN moved to strike cut IS, and insert
40.
Mr.. MACHEN stated that 81, 900 conscripts, who
passed through the Conscripr Bureau last year were
pund unfit for military service Truly some of these
are t for agricultural duty and could be made use
full in contributing to the production of food for those
in the field,
Mr.. GlLMSR, of North Caroline supported tn,