Newspaper Page Text
/ • t
, 1 1 ■ ftw i
■ -
/6r, tiie !
fi i our t
service
t - in the army, and
_<ißii»utfi a force snffl
,Ar to a Hucoeeulul termi
_,fi eulom-meat of the con- 1
<thd a ligoiouH system of dis
>rmy, would effect these objects
m, therefore, to bo onr first duty
/very effort to recruit and maintain
Armies, before re >rti; the expe
arraing our black popu:Mon, Have
,00 ? We can ,ec ly ..,-wer in the
cive; while cur country notoriously
yis with skulkers from military service
,a absentees and deserters from the army.—
■so confess that we cannot execute the most
necessary laws, nor enforce th-■ military die
cipline essential to the very existence of an'
army, is an admission that we are not prepared
to make. Such an admission would imply an
tter want of vitality i.i both the civil and mil
.iarv administrations of the country. If such
were the condition of a country, even in time
of peace, it would <i of atrophy—but in the
midst of war and revolution it would be equiv
alent to terminating its exist aco by suicide.
We do not believe that the i oufederato states
are in this deplorable condition And if such
wore the demoralized end'prostrate stale of the
free white citizens of thte Contedei aey in vain
might wo expect to be elevated and made to
stand cfect through the assistance ot our negro
slaves. Without a proper tone, spirit and sen
timent among our peopie—will out a strict en
forcement ol and prompt obeli,nice to law
■without an inllexibSd adherence to those mili
tary regulations which Ur' experience of all
countries.has si) twit t be iudis i-ui.ablo to tlie
efficiency of armies—our cause is hopelessly
lost.
But let us consider the specific proposition
„efore us. We do not believe that the arm
ing of our slaves will add to our military
strength. It will not be contended that the
negro possesses naturally any of the attri
butes of a soldier. - lie is. constitutionally
timid. He has neither fortitude, constancy nor
endurance. He is excitable and may—es
pecially when maddened by liquor—make
wild assaults,"and reckless charges But he
lacks coolness and .steadiness, which are more
than a match for impetuosity. It is said that
the enemy has made good soldiers of negroes.
This is a disputed* point. It may well be
doubted whether • they have ever decided the
fate of a battle, It is said that if we do not
arm our negroes tho enemy will. This can
only be true in regard to those in territory oc
cupied or overrun by tho enemy. And since
the policy of arming them has been pursued *by
the enemy, the negro men, so far from flocking
to them, seek to keep out of their way. But if
we determine to arm them, and thus compel
them to fight on one side or the olher, they will,
in the great majority of cases, prefer to fight
under the Yankee banner. The enemy offer
them present personal freedom and, in the
event ol success, the freedom of their families
and race. In addition to this they hold out to
them the promise— however illusory it may
prove—of perfect (quality with the white man
—and a proprietary light in the soil upon
which they were born, quid to which their local
attachment is so strong. It is not freedom at
•'he North- in a strange hind and an uncon
genial climate, that they promise them—but
freedom, equality and ownership of the soil,
in then ncurve South. Can we offer them any
of these inducements ?. Congrecs has no pow
er to guarantee them ev&a their personal free
dom. That is.a matter over which the States’
alone have control. The Confederate govern
ment clearly have norm. Will the States agree
to this ? In several the organic law, and in
most, statutory enactments forbid it. But
suppose the consent at' ytlxpStates obtained to
Homo measure mcipijfijion, is it likely that
any of thetn •:! go as far as the Yankees
won!1 prom. . “ -And would not any
measure of-t .. : : -u oven if confined to
such a- i. uf;lit faithfully for us
daring tiio war—lm a slab at tin, intuitu
tlon of si-very • ifi Vv hat would be tho-ef
feet iij a t tii. o s iicii un ] ; Millcal fabric
of tin'u*' l , ... ‘ >* i our tuidst one or two
hundred a- i t :co .lr-gsous—trained to
irthfl inured i , d;ut;;ei ..... 1 TmTlituized to
scenes oi bio,,'! uud carnage '! Would they be
willing to re mam forever disfranchised ?
Wou'd WO . Ver ba wi ■nug o admit them to
the right oi oit /• u hip T Would they not al
ways be mi element of danger, discord and
weaker.*? Th<- 'c are questions which pre
sent a iretnendotv, problem let solution. The
imagination recoils from its consideration We
have only ipu briesly to allude to it. How
too, it may well be asked, can wo hold out
trcvdour to the slave as a boon or reward,
when the deu oce of the institution of slavery
has alw ys b. on based upon the 'argument that
it was the proper and natural condition of the
negro—that it was his happiest and best con
dition—anil that the tender mercy of the aboli
tionist would be cruelty to him
II avo we the arms; clothing and food neces
sary for converting any largo portion of cur
slaves into soldiers 1 We have difficulty in
supplying our present armies, even moderate
ly, with these essentials. Will the negro tight
tor us half fed and half clothed, as our noble
and heroic soldiers have frequently done : The
juemy will givO him as much buoun, mobi-.-u-s,
jottee, sugar and win key as he can consume,
lie will furnish him with line clothes and mili
tary trappings and tinsel. These are powerful
appeals to the strong animal instincts of the
negro. They must necessarily have a gw it
ntUieuce with him. There aro.no mom s
adapted to his nature which the eneiuy .cannot
l ring to operate upon him more cogently than
we can.
13ut granting, for the sake of argument, P ,
he negro may be made something of a -oid-cr
ami kept faithful to us, would h•be as va'-ua
ble in that capacity as he would be in twd
oultuie ? Can we afford to withdraw him from
the cultivation i.t the sod ? The-nun
slaves lost since the heginuimr oi the war, 'ey
•c’ztue of the enemy i>r by a! - . ndiug t!i
.»m*my, is iiMr.vUocly vnd iho majority
f those an* nb c bodkd mules. We have au
t u orize<i tnoetupu'- ... ’ of one i’i tiv . of those
t euntmnig at, cooks, te ousters, pioneer labor
are, &o . with oiu urtnies. We , .unot abstract
a still larger proportion without emlaugering
the supply of subsistence both for our array
and home population ihe -übseutri-- uud de
t erters sc*tteted over t :;e country, whom by
the bill of the majority of il* commit te we
• unless that we despair of returning to the
ranks- and for whom we thus propose to rub
stitute negroes— are not only non-prod urn >
ut wasteful consumers. When we cr-n -hi
all this, vreViO justified n exp : crave
doubts whether the ag vurcurU uvjiir ot the
ountry can stand the iiirtaurc*miimtion winch
the employment of slave- a s soldiers would ne -
cessitate. We will not attempt to.give •statistics,
lor which our data a r etoo i:y; '-‘-fleet, tor- urmk
the aspect ot the question just presented, ope
entitled to the nmst seiious eonsuiemtio- or
ihe House In this connection it is not im
proper to call attention to the fact, that so
soon as you inaugurate kto policy of arming
he negroes, there will boa general disposition
ouong them to escape the pos.fi hi ify of mid
tarr service, aigi the result will •-
wTll abandon their m\ -cut occupy, - ns in it
panic, and either join ti e enemy u ; choice of
evils, or becojrte •‘rui.v.ways,’-’ j vt r ,-. *
themselves in the weed-, mountains and
swamps. Here they will gradually unite
themselves with the rov 0 . u of desertets
t./»t infest many parts ot he country, and be
come a ter r> . - tooted
population at homo P eorr 1 '.on from various
quarters has reached u ■ t. .. < . ■ mere agitation
of the .question Ims ; ■ ‘ re.my can c .l many ne
groes to desert their OV. ; ihd passage of
any law on the subject wil l greatly stimulate
uidi a movement amor.g them.
We dread the effect of tit-3 mtv. «re upon the
country. It will t* •-* to iisheartor. it as an
evidence that we are iOaicul to ae but» x
j einUv, and compelled to try H uououul and
Experiment as a dernier resort.
» .’tur that it •- an experiment, and most
i .'.alv<jca**v approach ft with misgiving, if t
. with apprehension. It 4 question the j
* station of wuicii has airtgdy excited division
tid dimension among ur The adoption of
jtolicy by Congress will produce party
strife ad perhaps sectional lines among us.
ol toe Staten wjli further it, others will
■ noose by their >eglakai«H. 'i'wo ®f the States
ij»ve already, through lagNtoterea
pr<»*ed Uuanacivee ft- 1* ft *c*ld
bant, u that, the States with sparse slave pop
ulations-favor, while those with dense slave
(inference may spring up among us not un
like in its character that which in the old
L’uion divided the free and the slave States
We dread the etlect of the measure upon the
army. We do not know how the policy will be
acquiesced in by them. To make a soldier of
the negro is to a certain extent to put him on
an equality with the white soldiers. When
we make the negro belligerent he becomes an
integral part of the great contest in which wt
areeDgaged. The battle-field levels distinc
tions. . It-will be difficult to preserve the rela
tive status of the negro and the white man
hitherto so jealously distinguished, after they
have fought mud bled together on the same
hard fought field. How far or how soon our
white troops will bo reconciled to the neces
sary and inevitable association is a question
ol exceeding djubtand delicacy.
There is an objection to the particular
method of obtaining negro soldiers, provided
by the bill reported by the majority of the
committee which ought not to be overlooked
Lt provides that they shall be voluntarily con
tributed by their owners. This is likely tojgive
rise to much jealousy and heartburning
throughout the country. One owner win con
tribute liberally, another not at all. * This
inequality will still more embitter tue party
feeling which the measure will be certain to
engender. If we are determined to employ ne
gro troupe, it would be far better, far mor«
just and equal, to take them by impressment
in equal ratio all over the country—as fs done
in the case of negroes employed as teamsteis
or to work on fortifications, <fcc. This may be
considered by many a minor matter, but we
consider it a grave objection to the committee’s
bill.
We have endeavored point out, as
far as the limited time allowed us would per
mit, some of the prominent arguments against
the policy of arming our slaves. We believe
it to be suicidal and ruinous. It sounds the
death knell of slavery, ;&d with it of all that is
conservative in Southern institutions and most
valuable in our political and social system. A
democratic republic, without the balance
wheel, which our disfranchised laboring class
aifords, must soon degenerate as the experi
ence of the Northern States has proved, into
a raobocratic despotism, in which individual
liberty and freedom of opinion are swallowed
up and lost. ,
vVe believe that the arming of our slaves will
not add to our present military strength. To
rely upon it is to lean upon a broken reed, that
will pierce our side.
The minority of the committee, therefore, re
commend the adoption of the following resolu
tions :
Resolved, That the employment of any por
tion of our slave population as soldiers is un
necessary, inexpedient and unwise.
Resolved, That the States alone have control
over ihe status of the slave, and that the Con
federate Government has no power whatever
to modify or change it. *
William Porch er Miles,
Thomas S. Gholson,
W. N. H. Smith,
Julian Hartridqe,
Stephen H. Darden.
L.I.’VCCIJt’H HAUtiUKAL ADDHHSS.
Fellow- (Jovmtvyfnen —At this second appear
ing to take the oath of tho Presidential office,
there is less occasion for an. extended address
than there was at the first. Then a statement,
somewhat iu detail of a course to be pursued
scented fitting and proper Now, at the expi
ration ot four years, during which public de
c arutions have been, constantly called forth
in every point and phase of the great contest
which still absorbs the attent ion and engross
e the en' rgiesof the nation, little that is new
could be presented.
Tuo progress of our arms, upon which all
eho chieffly depends, is as well known to the
public as to myself, audit is, I trust, reasona
bly satisfactory and encouraging to aIL
With high hope tor the future, no predic
tion in %'gard to it is ventured. On the occa
sion corresponding to this four years ago, ail
thoughts tvere anxiously directed to an irn
pending civil war. All dreaded it. All sought
to avoid it. While the inaugural address was
being deft vered from this place, devoted al
togeiher to saving the Union without war, in
surgent, agems were in seeking to des
troy it; without war, seekmg to dissolve the
Union and divide the effects by negotiation.
Both parties deprecated war. But one of
them would make war ranker than let the na
tion r-utvive, aud the other would accept war
rather than let it perish, &ud the war came.
One eighth ol the whole population were coi
o.-.-d laves, not distributed generally over the
Union, but localized in tho Southern part of it.
These slaves constituted a peculiar and power -
ful interest. All know that this interest was
somehpw the cause of the war.
To strengthen, perpetuate and extend this
interest was the object for which the insur
gents would rend the Union—even by war;
while the Government claimed no right to do
move than restrict Ihe
ot it. Neither party expected ot the war mag
nitude or the duration which it has already at
tained Neither anticipated that the cause of
the conflict might cease with or even before
the conflict, itself should cease. Each looked
for an easier triumph and a result less funda
mental and astounding.
Both ru.-td the «ame bible and pray to the
s.'.tne God, and each invokes His aid against
the other, lt may seem strange that any man
should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in
wringing their bread from the sweat of
other men’s faces; but le us judge not, that
we be not judged. The prayer ot both could
• lot be answered—that of neither fans been an
swered fully.
The Almighty has his own purposes. “Woe
1 unto the world because of offences, for it must
iK uis bo that offeuces come; but woe to that
nu.u by v. fipm the offence cometli."
It we should suppose that American slavery
is one ot those oticnqes which, in the providence
of God, must needs come, but which, having
1 continued through his appointed time, He »tw
,V; - to remove, that He gives to both
N u tit and South this terrible war as the woe
due n> those by whom the offence came, shall
we discern therein any departure from those
Divine attributes whicn the believer in a liv
iug God always ascribes to him?
Fondly do we hope—fervently do we pray
that this mighty scourge of war may speedily
pass away; yet, if God wills that it continue
until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s
two hundred aifd fifty years of unrequited
t il shall be sunk, and until every drop of
biood drawn with the lash shall be paid by an
o bet drawn with the sword,as was said three
hundred ;• ears ago, so stiii it must be said
‘ ; lte judruie its of the Lord are true and
righteous altogether.’’ With malice towards
none; with charity for ail; with firmness in the
right, as God gives 11s to see the right, let us
strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind
ap the nation's wounds, to care for him who
snail have come from the battle, and for bis
widow, and his orphan. To do all which m y
ixihieve and cherish a just and lasting peace
among ourselves and with all nations.
t uo.u VlilfiLVU.
jhe enemy have torn up the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad fiom Harper's Ferry to Martins
and are laying atrack from Cumberland to
Frederick City
y v *,s Mollit Bear of >Torth Carolina, was ar
es vd la feqldie* flothas in Richmond a lew
! days s uet*.
Tee condition of the ground in Virginia pre
vt...- the movements of troops around Eich
: mend.
K-j y . \V 11 Boykins, a nuicli esteemed min
■■sv.er of Norfolk, was foully murdered in the
-1 reels of that city a few nights since—being
•'..ot through the head by some unknown per
son r
i “, h 1 Ist Banner.— The Banner is an
v- xi.eiiei.. l lucrary as well as religious weekly,
-v.a<.ied with t.ovl ability,and printed in
i oie best style of the art. For terms etc., see
! card. —jimqii Jtessenger,
A LKTTKH Tv
Eon. A. H. Stephens:
Sir It is in no spirit of compla.
kindness that 1 venture to address ye
long continued acquaintance, and the in
personal kindness existing between us, exc*
tlte idea oi rnv seeking to impair your weir
merited influence. The bane of our country,
io its bet:er diy c wms the almost universal
practice, by it* publi-■: men, of the arts ot the
demagogue While you may not wholly have
,p ,i tL** nenl contagion. lam sure you
never teugiH j-iir ua'tve tegud tot truth, nor
been ie utm.'iiidiui of wh u was justly due the
ch" ic *r ol a gentleman You have filled
with credit to yourself, and profit to your
country, many important oubiic trusts. But
none have you ever filled of greater importance
than that ot (te mmtssiouer, in the tecent con
feree:*! with President Lincoln and his Secre
tary of State. A painful impression exists
that in Iho published report of the Commission
ers, there is a failure to state the precise in
gtruoti -ns under which they left Richmond,,
and the exact teims of settlement suggested by
M*. Lincoln. No-one, from President Davis
down to the most ignorant, ever supposed that
Mr L ncoia dare, «ven if so individually dis
posed s far disregard the feelings of the peo
p . „f’ the United States, as to entertain a pro
pobu Jor peace based on the recognition of the
fnd penderree ot the Confederacy. You will
p . ; , me, for asking you whether you de
pa i dm ytfhr great mission with any hope of
ou' mi eg such a concession? If you did not,
m<t vout instructions left you no discretion,
’.,1 -U independence was first yielded, why di 1
I , , . ;)»»-nt to undertake the hopeless task?
A : k row that the Congress ot the United
states, by a constitutional majority of two
i p,i o’(d eacli House, have enacted an amend
meat, os more technically speaking, proposed
an amendment, of the Federal constitution,
abolishing slavery throughout the Uuited
Uii.es This amend nent, when adopted by
three loirrth- of the Slates, will become a part
ot tho fundamental law. But, until it is so
adopted by three iourins of the States, it is no
i art of the oinstitution Mr. Lincoln contin
ues to it gurd all the States as still belonging to
ihe Union, and therefore, subject to its cor.sti
tulion and laws. While you and 1 may think,
that, to effect such an amendment as the one
referred to, (t is necessary to secure the affir
mative V(>t i of three-fourths of all the States,
to b<*. affected by it—others umy insist with
plausibility at .least, that derelict States, ie~
fusiug to exercise the constitutional privflego
of voting, a concurrence of three-fourths of the
acltug States will be sufficient to secure the
adoption of the amendment This, I take it,
is the Lincoiu-Seward construction.
It is believed by many poisons, that in no
event, w. u and the Federal authorities consent
tor tne States in which the Confederate gov
ernment. new holds unquestioned sway, to par
ticipate iu determining the proposed amend
ment of the Constitution of the United States.
You are 'presumed to know ihe views of Mr.
Lincoln,on this subject. If#tr. Lincoln re
. ally desires the retro u of the seceded States to
the Union with all tueir former constitutional
rights, including, necessarily, the power by
vitt led etfo: t to defeat the proposed amend
ment ol the Constitution, I t ike it for granted
you are awate of and. The country labors tinder
Ihi impassion that in the peace conference no
.let ms of settlement were tolerated by Mr. Lin
coln, short of unconditional submission to the
laws of * the Union, including the abolition
amendment, as a fact accomplished. If this
impression be erroneous, it is due from you as
a man of honor, and a lover of truth, to cor
reel it. i cannot possibly know what are the
facts, but L wish to kuo v them, and the coun
try is emitted to know them. If the Commis
sion ol which you were ami tuber originated
hi no higher or holier purpose than to make
proposals that were known to be wholly un
tenable, .and that would certainly terminate
in rejection amt failure, t en was the motive
an unworthy one, and the poor, wretched, hop
ing soldiery anil people were cruelly trilled
with. *• Borne have suspected I hat the Blair
mission, and its apparent success, was only
th‘eff' (t ot the '• two clever oues’ : Lincoln
and Davis,) to overt each each other, and pro
duce a stale (*f inovt perfect unanimity amongst
their respective peoples. If this was their
iiim, they It ive both achieved a temporary suc
cess, and the work ol death m us t proceed on a
grander and more awful scale You are famil
iar with all the facts, arguments and expecta
tions of success in obtaining peace ; and you
know how much or how little of sacrifice w«6
offered bv either party to arrest this horrible
war. Gan you not consistently with ycur offi
cial obligations inform the people?
We find on the return of Mr. Lincoln to
Washington, that for some reason, an Inroad
is made info the rauks of the opposition, and
that such men as Fernando Wood, and your
old friend Mr. English of Indiana, are ready to
strike hands with the administration for the
prosecution of the war What produced this
extraordinary change? It must have been the
conviction that liberal terms for a return to
the Union bad been offered the seceded States,
and promptly rejected. You can tell whether
or not such t rms were offered. The truth
ought to be known.
Ou tho other hand, on your return f?t Rich
mond, the deep disappointment of our people
at the failure of your negotiations, was sought
to be soothed by ttie accompanying telegraph
ic announcement that “ Mr. Stephens would
soon return to Georgia, and stump the State."
Yon have returned, but I do not hear of you
on the stump. Yon hre a modest man, and
perhaps have not confidence in your ability to
lead armies You are rt sagacious man. and
know that the people desire "deeds, not words,
and hence, perhaps your sileDce. I do not
even hear of your co-operation with Mr. B H.
Hill and Gen. Cobb at* Macon They were
prompt in meeting the Legislature, and most
energetic in at ou ting the indignant patriotism
of the people Some suggest that it is easier
to harangue than to fight. But this is invidi
ous I taV it for granted that the Senator
ha 9 left his civil duties to | anticipate in the
perils of war by the side of the illustrious gen
eral in whose shadow he now reposes Geor
gians will rejoice at the auspicious tmion of
two such champions, and even laggards and
deserters will come forth from their hilling
places to follow them to the field.
Your high sense of justice, and your unaf
fected love of your kind, induce me to hope
that you will favor us with a reply.
With sentiments of high regard,
I remain your obedient servant,
An Old Constituent.
Items from Fort Gaines, Ga —A negro man
tiie property of Rev J Wood, who resides near
Cotton Hill, was hung at Fort Gaines on Friday
the 24-h ult, for an assault with intent to kill
te!-! tuns ter and a Mr.Sealy, on Saturday, the
18th ult., was aiter runaway son of the old ne
*gro. Tho bov. to escape the putsuing dogs,
thought he would go home, but as he approach
ed the house, they caught him. Mr. Sealy
dismounted from his horse, and commeuced
fighting the Hogs off, when the boy’s father,
who was cutting wood by, up and
gave Mr Sealy a blow on the back of his be«d
which broke the outer table of the skull. Par
son Wood then ertered. when tho negro turned
o; U’ni aud broke his collarbones. Mrs. Wood
approached with a drawn pistol, when the ne
gro mounted Sealy's horse and fled. He was
caught on the following Monday above Cuth
bert. He fought till the last and was badly
torn by the dogs Mr. Sealy is improving and
bids fair to get well.
A negro roan was put in jail on Sunday, the
26tWnlt., for fighting Mr Cohen to whom he
was iiired, and who was endeavoring to cor
rect him.
A considerable fire occurred on the night of
the 21st ult., which burned the dwelling occu
pied by Dr. O’Conner, the two other houses
and about twenty head of hogs. Great vigi
lance saved contiguous buildings. The fire
o riginated in a livery stable through careless
ness. — Columbus Sun-
A dispatch from Montreal says, that in the
last trial of the St. Albans raiders, several wit
nesses testified th-t the prisoners were in the
Confederate service, and their commissions
were sworn to as genuine. One witness testi
tied that a majority of the prisoners had been
at Chicaeo, where five or six hundred Confed
erate soldiers bad collected to release the pris
oners at Camp Dongias. This expedition fail
ing, two others were organized, one of which
was the St. Albans raid. This witness said
they were instructed to report to C. C. Clay,
Confederate commissioner in Canada.
' C n-
G‘or
\ i/urb&tor* of
V thereof tor the
> ttud establish he
. K... fcte _i __.a Company die
number of Director necessary tor .t qu tmn
to transact business, an<l forolitet j.ui (h. m.--;
relative to said Company.
2. A''t to relkve fax pave > from S»‘ite
and county taxes tor tiie vear 1801, in certain
cases
3 Act to increase. the per diem pu> of
Teachers entitled to the beiefit of the j. oor
school fund of this State.
4 Act to limit the tax to be imposed upon
the '’itizens and tax payers of the city ot Mari -
etta, in said State
5 Act to refund all taxes payed by hirers
of negroes on the same in certain cases *
6. Act to legalize administrations made un
der letters granted frsin wrong counties in
certain cases
7. Act to increase the compensation of Re
ceivers of Tax returns and Tax Collectors tor
the y ( ar 1865, and thereafter until altered by
law.
8 Aot for extending time for paying rax
of D. H. B. Troup, and others similarly situ
ated.
9. Act to amend the 1752 Section of the
Code ol Georgia.
10 Act to add the countv of Worth to
the South Western Judicial Circuit and to
change the time of holding the Superior Cout t
of said county.
11. Act to authorize Executors, Adminis
trators and Guatdians in those counties over
ruu by the public enemy to make their annual
returns in any county m this State to which
they may remove, and for other purposes
12. Act to -incorporate the Metropolitan
Telegraph Company, and for other purposes
therein mentioned.
13. Act to amend an Act to incorporate an
Insurance Company in the city of Savannah to
be called the Southern Insurance and Ttust
Company, passed 17th December, 1861,and to
sanction its reorganization.
14. Act to change the line between the
connth sos Merriwether and Coweta, so as to
include the residence of B. P. Hill in the lat
ter
15. Act to change the line between the
conaties of Chattahoochee and Stewart, also to
change the line between Glasscock and War
ren.
16. Act to change the line between the
counties of Pulaski and Telfair.
17. Act to legalize the election of Commis
sioners for the totou of Madison, held on the
10th day of December, 1864.
18- Act to change the line between the coun
ties of Wayne and Pierce.
19 Act to repeal an act entitled “An Act
to change the county lines between Marion and
Taylor, and the county lines between Coweta
and Heard," assented to December 27, 1857,
so far as relates to the county line between
Coweta and Heard.
20. Act to repeal an act entitled “An Act to
alter and change ths oath f tax payers in this
State,” assented to Dec. 14, 1863.
21. Act to prescribe the oath of tax payers
for the year 1865.
22. Act to amend an Act to incorporate an
Insurance Company called the “Home Insur
ance Company," approved Bth December,
1863, and to sanction its reorganization.
23. A#t to amend the charter of the town of
Sparta, in said State.
24. Act to amend the laws of evidence in re
lation to the gaming laws of this State.
25 Act to authorize and require tho record
ing of deeds, mortgages and other instruments
that have been heretofore recorded, and when
record of the same has been burned or de
stroyed; and to authorize the recording of
deeds mortgages and other instruments iu coun
ties iu this State which have been, or nuiv
hereafter be, occupied by the public enemy,
and for other purposes.
2G. Aot to amend an aot of the 14th of I)e
comber, 1863, authorizing the Treasurer to
issue certificates of deposit for certain Treasury
notes.
'll. Act to alter and amend the act iuc->r
porating the town of Fort Valley, in tin :u
--ty of Houston, so as to invent the eointnuSdion
ers of said town with lull power to regulate or
prohibit the retail of spirituous liquors within
the corporate limits ot the same.
28. Act relative to juries.
29. Act t» alter and amend the Code of
Georgia, that the provision of sections 4792
and 4T93 shall apply to and be of force in the
city of Columbus, allowing judgment entered
as in case of appeal.
30. Act to repeal an act assented to April,
1863, entitled an act ti changt the lines be
tween the counties ot Randolph and Calhoun,
so as to embrace in the county of Randolph
lots of land Number 210 211, 246, and
247, in the sth distrist of originally Lee,
now Calhoun, jn the county of Raudolpb..
31. Aet to amend the charter and oorpo
rate laws of the city of Miliedgeville, as to the
mode of clothing aldermen.
32 Act to alter and change the corpo
rate limits of the town of Perry, in Houston
•ounty.
33 Act to prescribe the tax on banking
corporations and all incorporated companies
using banking privileges in this State; also, to
relieve the banks and other incorporated com
panies fiom a double tax levied upon the same
in 1864.
35. Act to allow certain tax receivers a
reasonable time to make their returns
36. Act for the relief of persons elected to
Civil ofliees in this State, and for other pur
poses.
36. Act for the relief of tax collectors
from whom State and county funds have been
taken by tho public enemy.
RESOLUTIONS.
1. A resolution appointing a joints commit
tee to examine the condition ot the peniteni
ary, and report thereon.
2 Resolution authorizing the Treasurer to
rent an offioe in the city of Macon.
3- Resolutions itquestirg the authorities to
suspend the order to take iron from the Macon
and Brunswick Railroad.
4. Resolutions relative to the pay of the
members and officers of the General Assem
5. Resolutions relative to repairs, etc., on
the State Penitentiary.
6. Resolutions requesting his Excellency
the Governor to allow the officers of tkte Gen
eral Assembly to purchase cotton cards.
7. Resolution authorizing the Governor to
furnish members and certain officers with Wa
ters’ pamphlet.
FROM MU % ICO.
The reported expulsion -of the American
Consol from Matamoras appears to be confi.fin
ed by his arrival at the Southwest Pass
lhe latest news Irom Matamoras is that the
Americ&u Hag has been hauled down by some
unknown party.
The assigned reasons for the Emperor Max
imilian tor delivering the passport to the Amet
ican Consul at Matamoras i# the non-recogni
tion of the French-Austrian authorities in Mex
ico by the Government of the United States.
It iB reported that Gens. Caraval and Corti
nas are marching on Matamoras, where Gen.
Mejira, with 4,000 troops awaits their attack.
Gen. Hurlburt has ordered that no permits
fer vessels or merchandise be granted for Mat
amoras until further orders. $
Advices received in New York through private
sources from Mexico state that the war in the
United States is attracting tie special atten
tion of the Imperial Goverewnent. The po
lice are directed to arrest all who express their
sympathy with the Union cause, and one man,
named Valders has been sentenced to a year’s
imprisonment for speaking favorably about
the United States and predicting the speedy
end of the rebellion.
The Imperial Treasury is constantly getting
lower.
The hostility of the church party to the Em
peror Maximilian is on the increase.
Tbe friends of the Jurist cause here refuse
to give credence to the reported defeat of Por
firio Diaz at Oaxaca.
—
Gen. Palmer, commanding in Kentucky, an
nounces bi 9 poliny. will in no material degree
differ from that pursued by Gen. Burbridge,
the enlistment of negroes to be vigorously
prosecuted, no State troops to be enlisted or
allowed within the State.
V Mil P . if* IIILII l Hi BILL
Fxfcoravs: DJii’Artmext, j
MILLEDOKYILLti, Ga,.,! '- Oil 13 1, ISOS. j
'] oil! to amen ian act for the re- otgani
.i • of the M itfa o this State, assented t,>
Due.- m:ter lib, 1?63, w.-s passed as so 1 ice an
his ti on 2,i urduy up. at D'-c i! : hu.;, t, that
I h• I no opportunity to x inline uai aov upon
, prior to me djoutntaent 1 the Genera: As
sr-.uhiy. which occht'red a. few moments aiiet
•he «uiolted hill was delivered to me at the
Executive Department.
1 have stoci rea and carefully considered
this bib: ami, wii e lapptove U.a portion of
it winch provides lor me reng .n z ttioii neces
sary to tid iut* command of sapernnmeiary
officers, and eb 'tion by those to tie command
ed, of .the officers neco. xary to command the or
ganizations which it may be imfktr nt to con
soitdate, as the t fficers now iu command were
elected prior to tne receipt of their c. minis
sious, and ot that pat of the bill pro
vides tor the organ zutou >1 a Military Goyrt :
there are other provisoes ot the bill which 1
cannot approve, because I am of op nion they
would greatly weaken -he Militia force of the
State. As lam üblig dro sign or reject the
bill as a whole, cue question presouied tor my
consideration is, will its passage tesult mmo.e
benefit or more injury to tlu service. After
dareful exam nation of the whole bill, I am
satisfied it will weaken the orgauination much
more ay its exemptions than it writ strengthen
it by placing what supernumerary officers
there are, io tue ranks
Tue bill exempts from active military (er
vice ali processors of colleges, all teachers who
had been such tor tour y ejrs previous to the wav
without requiring that they be now engaged
iu teaching; and all physicians who have been
for seven years iu the regular practice ot tLetr
professions, it also exempts ail boys b-l a- t-i
sixteen and seventeen years of age, trotn ail
military duty, either on t.h -active list, ov in
their counties at home with the resetves
The records of the Adjutant and Inspector
General’s utfiee show that there were 4,474 of
this class enrolled in Utc State when the Aiili
tia were reorganized. This number is proba
bly more than ten tim s as many as the whole
number ol officers whe would be reduced t >
the tanks by the re-organization. Ot this class
some whose physical development is defective
are unfit for active service • These have been
discharged by the Met! eni boards. There are
however, a large uuuiucr ot those between these
ages who nave been found by experience to be
able and willing to do valuable s* vice.
The Battalion of Cadets are generally boys
from litteeu to seventeen years of age, and u
is well known that no troops in tlie service,
during the campaign trotn Miliedgeville to 8a
vaunalv, and thence to Augusta, endured it
better or acted with more distingu.shed g tl
lautry, under the tire of the ent-rny liie same
i#true of many ot this class who were iu Gen
eral Smith’s Division, who endured camp iile
as well, and acted their part with as much cred
it as any troops in service.
Details of a number of physicians sufficient
to do the necessary practice m each county
have been made u, on the application of tne
Justices of the Interior Courts, i'ue exemp
tion of those who now belong to the Divis on
ot Militia would therefore weaken the organ
ization, without a corresponding benefit to
the community. All necessary professors in
colleges, and teachers, can also he detailed or
exempted when it is uhqwn that they will be
more serviceable at liornt; while those not so,
though they may have been teachers lour years
previous to the war, can be useful in the th id.
lt may be a great inconvenience for any or
ali ot those persons and classes to leave home;
aj it is for the detailed agricultural Ist, the
blacksmith, the shoemaker, the miller, the tau
uer and other classes, which the tyli does not
exempt. But our late sad experience Im
shown that we must depend mainly upon fn
Militia for the piotectiou of the Btate ; and -t
becomes our duty to require, in great t m u
geneiea, the services of all who can bear arms.
While we require the old men over fifty years
of age, to do police and other duty iu tlieu re
spective counties, the bill proposes to relieve
boys between sixteen and seventeen, who are
generally more active and able to endure
latigue, from all obligation to discharge even
this duty.
As the passage of the bill wbu’d so far re 7
duce the Militia force as to render it inadequate
co the necessities which required
izttion, and which doubtless, influenced ihe
LegUlatare in their determination to keep the
.Utliti 1 lor Suite defence, I fee; it my duty to
withhold my sanction from it, while I regret
that the portion of it which won and have been
beneficial cannot become a law, without the
objectionable parts above enumerated.
Joseph E. Brown, Governor.
The Curse op the Country. —The greatest
curse of the country—that which has en
tailed upon us more injury than all the advan
tages secured by the armies of Lincoln —is the
spirit of speculation that has grown up in the
land. Already have we observed that the re
suit of the peace negotiations has been eized
as an excuse to advance prices—not real values
—generally, and now that the war threatens
au indefinite prolongation, we have no - iouffi
but there will be another attempt made 0 < re
liance the price of all things in tho subs? - tonne
liae, and thereby create an amount of suffering
and destitution among the people hitherto tin
exampled in our history.
We agree without - coteinpqvary of the C ■*,
lumbus Times in his estim -te of the sp tit of
the sprcu’ators who thus take advantage «:>■ tne
fears and necessities of the peopie. Bo heart
less are mauy of this class, bo eager to take ad
vantage of every turn in the wheel of our po
litical fortunes, so eager to amass princely : s
tates, even though such wealth should be aeon
mulcted by scrambling over the graves of our
dead patriots, or in hearing of tne cries of the
penniless widows and orphans that tbey wT!
not scruple to take advantage of the waning
prospects of peace, to depreciate the vatu-; of
our money, and double the tariff on all articles
of produce iu their hands Is there no vein of
patriotism in the carcasses of such leeches that
can be aroused into life ? Is there no chord of
compassion in their hearts tf*tt can be touch
ed ? No feeling of commisseration that can t»«
awakened? Are they determined to sacrifice
all on the altars of mammon ?
Since the first of January, the price of flour,
meal, corn, wheat, potatoes, beef, poik, lard,
and in fact almost every article necessary to
sustain the life of man and beast, have nearly
doubled; and there appears to be every dispo
sition lo go on in this upward scalp without
pause. What is the cause of this upward teu
deuev? Provisions seem as plentiful ais they
were two y.,-ars ago. The volume of currency
ha: been decreased and will no doubt he con
tractor! suii further. Why then should flteie
be such an unquenchable mania for accutntnu
lation? Let everybody, for Heaven’s sake,
try to keep prices down u- living rates, It will
be far more honorable at tho end of tli- j war
in the sight of God and man, for each oi os to
stand before the world without one cent, than
to revel amid neaps of weal ch secured at the
expense of all that is noble and gene: o us in
man .—Montgomery Appeal.
To What are We Drifting. —The demora
lization of the times continues. Men who
were strictly sober four years go, now get
(tyunk wituout any regard to conscientious scru
ples. M6c who were formeiy considered para
gons of honesty, can now steal without a
blink of the eyeyor a palpitation of the heart—
steal little things ofteb without the slightest
justifiable pretext, through mere wanton
maliciousness. Men who would once have
blushed at the conception of an obscene
thought or the utterence of a profane word
can now abandon themselves to the indulg
encejof these things with a gusto that eclipses
the most desperate instances of profanity and
vulgarism in iormer years. Avarice, lust, in
temperance, inhumanity, Sabbath desecration,
profanity, pilfering, hold high carnival.
To what are we drifting ? Life, property,
domestic tranquility are insecure. Even the
house of God is often prostituted , and the sa
cred right to worship God, is not secere from
interruption. To what depths is man capable
of descending? Without the restraining grace
of G "and of law he would sooji approximate
the lor. ast fiend in the abominations that make
up he II Verily, without reform we can
never expect the favor of Heaven —Columbus
IWMi.
The Democracy 5f Connecticut have re
nominated Judge Seymour for governor, and
the whole State ticket of the last State cam
paign.
utlii .\i.VVei.
and j Geu iltdiitzelman, who- lias been so
joun :;_r in When dug for some mouths, has
been • hiedto Cu re.
the British Minister th Washington deuies
the report that his Government has sold a man
of war steamer t > the rebels.
be steamer Brilliant was tired into by Coa
ted rate goerUias below Oonion, ou her way
fiwin Steshv tie to Cairo. Tbey followed her
live, miles down Use river, 1 equeutty firing.
A number of shots passed through the pilot
house and toxas. 0 eof the bandies of tie
pilot's wheels was shot off, aud the bedclothes
iu ttie officer:.’s ioouu severely riddled, but no
one on the boat w. 13 auit’.
A Confederate named Joseph McJoan'dl, a
captain iu tie Geotgia St .te Militia, was sent
t.i the prison at bandusky, Ohio. A short
time since he took the amuesty oath as pie
scribed oy Lincoln and was released a few
days ago he a dived at Dalton %nd asked per
mi.-stou to pass through the lines there to go
to his home in Cherokee county, Georgia
The Provost marshal of the district immeadi
ately returned the dispatch, ordering that the
man should no' pass through The amnesty
only allows rebels to return to their homes
atter they have taken the oath, when their
homes are within tiie F deral lines.
The L uisvtlle Journal says, immense quan
tifier ot bridge timber for tiie raitroaes in Ten
nessee, Georgia aud Alabama are daily trans
ported through Louisville by tlu government.
Tne time- r # pine, aud comes from tho forests
ot Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Gen. Leslie Combs was knocked down and
robbed a lew nights ago iu Frankfort.
Henry Ward Beecher’s salary for this year
lias been fixed at 5> 12,500.
A young girl thirteen years old, has been ur
te-uxJ m Liuuisyilie, Ky., for killing her la
t.uei by giving him poison iu his food.
A New York telegram says that forty tlious
au l peisous whose'names had been enrolled
tor the draft m tha t city cannot he found.
"A New York mechanic has invented what
promises, to prove a formidable weapon of war
m the snipe of a combination of sabre and
six shooting revolver. # The sabre is of the
regular length, aud iu the cip of tho steel hilt
hits the charging part of a six shooter, which
revolves iu the usual manner aud discharges
the balls through ati aperture bored in front
ot the guard, coining opposite the thumb when
the sabre is grasped in lire hand.'
Judge Euo, who was the successful Whig
candidate lot Lieutenant Governor of Califor
nia 111 1853, is now iu the Sacramento Coun
ty Hospital. He lias become intemperate aud
very poor, and ot late has subsisted by begg
iug. .
Gen. Patterson has published his report o!
tne famous Winchester campaign, where Joe
Johnston so manceuvered his men as to put
Piitteisou on retirement ever since, it is an
elaborate deienso of his operations, and a la
bored attempt to prove that ;he battle of Bull
Ruu was iost through no fault of his. Gen.
Patterson pioduces|iu this pamphlet a letter
President Lincoln, who wnte 3 : “I am unable
tq,see tuat you could have done anything else
than you did do. Y"#ur h’auds were tied; you
obeyed your orders aud did your duty, and I
am satisfied with your conduct.” Gen. Thom
as, who was m Gen. Patterson’s command at
that time, also upmoves of his conduct.
Ttie St. Louis Republican understands that
the Kiowa, Cauxanche and Apache tribes of In
dians on the plains, have had council with the
Indian agent iu pursuance ol an expressed de
sire tor peace. A day had been appointed for
a council witu the military authorities to de
cide the matter. Pending the decision theie
agreed to, the Indians anJto remain quiet.--
! arc now posted near the border ol Texas
file Memphis Argus reports that gangs of
thieves continue their nightly depredations in
G,e country* arountl N ishvflle, robbing tl%
citizens of their money and stock. Sometimes
the parties ate dress, and iu the Federal uniform
and sometimes in citizens clothing.
A New York dispMch of the 18th sayfi fight
ing in Mexico wstill active. Juarez's guerillas
shot every French soldier tbey. captured.
Ihe Legislatures of New Hampshire and
Vermont both have passed resolutions calling
upon neighboring States to co-operate iu ef
forts to restore; he fisheries ot chad and salmon,
which in former years yieidde bountiful sup
plies .of choice food. These fish have entirely
disappeared from most of the Eastern rivers.
An order from the Yankee headquarters at
Little Ro«k, dated January 16th, directs that
in as much as Uioso “persons living within the
army lines, aud enjoying the protection of the
national forces, who have declined to declare
there adherence to the government," all such
shall tor removed beyond the lines unless they
avail themselves' of the privilege of taking the
oath.
' Lieut. S. B Davis, formerly l&eper of tho
prison at Andersonville, Ga., who wasarrest
< (1, in,,; and convicted a short time since by a
ntiiUury court martial iu the North of being a
rebel spy, end who was sentenced to he hung
at J ihe: - u’: Island, had his sentence commu
.i*e by t.incoln to imprisonment at hard labor,
during the war, at Fort Delaware. At tlie
time <A his anest. as our readers are probably
aware, Davis acknowledged that he was bearer
of dispatch- s from Canada to tlie Government
t Richmond, but protested against the charge
made against him of being a spy.
• Confederate guerillas are said to bo quite
numerous around Clarksville. Some of litem
recently e-qttmed have been shot. '■
Sev rul hundred cavalry appeared in the
vicinity of Nashville.
Gen GHletn has just returned from Knox
vil’»- and reports everything quiet in that
sccifr.'tt, except some cavalry roving over the
country, which are unable to do much dam
age.
Military matters in the Department of the
Cumberland are said to be quiet. The Yankee
c va’ry were ail at Eastporr, Tenn., at fast ac
counts.
• The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, lend
ing out jrora Knoxville, is being repaired for
a hundred miles beyond that city.
A correspondent of the New York Herald,
speaking of Gen. Hindman joining Maximilian
says : Hindman had got into Matamoras from
eight bundl 'd bales of cotton, which he had
sold io an English house at thirty-live cents
per. pound, and received a draft on Liverpool
for the amount,
A Yankee ccxespondent writes that the win
tr-r mortality among the black people and en
listed soldiers in colored regiments has bee»*
very great. It averaged during Decent her and
part of January, twenty *a day. Fifteen of
these were contrabands. The weather is hard
upon the half clad, half fed, a:nl half boused
blacks. According to • Yankee correct indent
there have been between December *lstti and
January 28th, in the various hospitals at Nash
viiie. 1,500 deaths, by faT the g.eater part
having lice a from wounds hi battle. The sol
ders cemetery contained a total of 11.500 Yan
kee dead. - p
‘ Bt. Louis is required to furnish 8,400 map its
her quota under the late call, for »00,000
which is more than two-thirds of her voting
population, and as large a number as there ara
abie-bodied men in tho city.
During themonth of February, an expedition
of the enemy went up the Ouachita river, La..
and destroyed a large amount of property.
The passenger train which left Nashville on
the morning of Feb. 17th, on the Nashville
and Decatur railroad, was captured by a squad
of rebels at Spring Hill, * twelve mile3 below
Franklin, Tenn.
There was a great meeting at the Capitol in
Washington last Monday night, in behalf of
Joyiu elugees from the South. Postmaster
Gene,. I Dennison presided, and interesting
speeches were made by Rev. Dr. Thompson,
of New Y'ork; Col. Taylor, of Tennessee; Sena
tor Doolittle, of Wisconsin; Gen. Garland and
others. The commission has branches at Chi
cago, St. Louis and Nashville, and will imme
diately send supplie»f chothing, etc., to Ten
nessee, Arkansas aau other States.
The Knoxville Whig says that Bradley coun
, ty, East Tennessee, is literally overrun with
Confederate guerrillas and bushwhackers, who
are robbing and murdering' Union citizens.
They shot Wm. Hunter, of Georgetown, but a
few nights ago. They cut the telegraph wires,
.captured a lot of horses and run them off to
Murray county, where they make their head
quarters.
Recruiting is going on in Ohio rapidly, that
is of ail accounts are correct.
Bahclu of Natural Bru.ue, Fn*.—ln the
1 ■' - . (-sc Journal oi Match 11, we find the
annexe ace uni oi i :e batlte which occurred
near Nat . M Bridge t 1 that State :
Attune o’clock ou Siturtlay night Inst,
n- vs wa . eceivYu ;n la i a .lessee Y un
k««s, 1,400 Btro .g . bad ia ided trotn their licet
at the ::t. I*i. t vk’« 1 tght House, and wcie
matching m : r .- -t s._-a of Newport; vh.-n
the Coufi'dr ate tosces iu that neigh bo thoou,
under the to itn mu of Col. G W Scott, wa re
gallantly opposing them and chick'ng .be.-
u.iva ce, aud that iheir object was probalw) l»
make a forced march upon Tallahassee au-r
burn and destroy the place, or turn the battu
1 ns of St. Murks and take permanent posses
sion and > stabhsh them elves there.
The alarm w s given, and the note ot pre
paration sounded throughout the whole tuty
aud coqnty, and w»;t.s extended 'o tho ortie.-
counties. The militia Wire ordered out, au.i
au unanimous add iuvinci ie response was
made to the c.-iii- Every tuau and boy capable
of bearing anus was at bis post. Never, since Ho
cotntuouc. ment of the war, have the peopie
exhibited a greater spirit. One company of
Cavalry marched nearly sixty miles in twenty
four hours. Others marched ou foot tinny
and forty miles to overtake their companies
who hau gone ahead, aud in a very short 1 in-*
a sufficient force was on the way to the u mo*
of action to meet any force tlie enemy hud
there.
Gol. Scott was hardly pressed by the enemy
and retired to Newport and burned the bridge*
theie. The enemy finding it impossible to
force a passage of the river at that place,
march and in the direction of tho Natural Bridge.
Reinforcements having arrived, at daylight
on Monday morning our forces cncouutOiCtl
the enemy at the Natural Bridge, about seven
or eight miles aiiove Newport, ou the St. Mat ks
liver The action lasted for several hour#,
when tho enemy were completely repulsed ami.
driven back to their gunboats, with a Joss < f
400 killed, wounded and prisoners.
In tho action we lost, three killed and twenty
two wound and Among tiie kilted, we are sorry
to mention Capfc. ii Lv. Sisumaus, of 2d Flor
ida Cavalry-, a brave and skillful officer. The
names of the other filled and wouudod will
be found in auo'ker place
Gen Samuel Jon was enriy upon the field
and has piovi u liu-.u ' .m able officer That
brave veteran Gen. W. Miller, n command of ttie
Reserves, took a prominent part iu the action,
and contributed materially to the victory.
VVe have beaten the enemy again in Florida
and di iviit them from our soil, and with tiie
help of God if it is iu the power of man to
keep them from ravaging . ur homes, our men
will not permit them to do it.
At the time of our writing the Yankee have
re-embarked on their transports, a few of which
remain in the oay oppo.-ite the Light House.
The enemy were commanded by Gen. New
ton.
Two deserters were shot, after trkvi h-j?
court martiai, who were captured in Yankee,
uniforms. . One of them was recognized ȣ,
the man who shot the Adjutant of the s;m
ond Florida cavalry at the time of his desor
tioa.
Col J J Daniel Had a leg and arm injured by
a fait from his horse.
The Cadets from the Florida State Semiuasy
were ii the fight, and behaved in the most gal
lant manner, i heir praise is on the lips of all
who took part*in the tight.
Twenty tour prisoners were brought to this
city last Wednesday evening. Two whites and
the balance negroes. One of the whites is a.
Lienten ml.
A citizen of Newport, who was taken pris
oner during their retreat and held until their
re-embaikatiou, to prevent his giving informa
tion, says that the Yankees admitted a loss of
400 in the sa,e battle. They carried off most of
their wounded.
We are indebted to C<>l G W Scott for thu
annexed list of casualties among the Yankee
officers. Every officer engaged i j tho fight at
Natural Bridge was either killed, wounded or
taken prisoner:
Killed : Lieut Col I'earsol), Major Lincoln,
Adjutant General of Coin maud. Captains Tracy
and Carpenter, Lieuls Murphy and Moore.-.*,
Wounded: ttrig Ueii John Newton, inarm and
thigh, Col Townsend, mortally.
This Nkuuo Soldier Bill — Annexed is the ne
gro soldier bill as it passed the Senate. It is enti
tled “A bill to increase the military force of
the ContedenUe States
The Congress o 4 the Confederate States of
America do enact, That in order to provide
additional forces to repel invasions, maintain
the rightful possession of the Confederate
States, secure their independence and preserve
tbeir institutions, the President be and is here
by aadhoi ized to ask for and accept from the
o vners of slaves, the services of such number o
able-bodied men as he may deem expedient!
for and during the war, to ' perform military*
service in whatever capacity he may direct.
Sec 2. leneral iu-Chief be author
ized to organize the said slaves into compa
nies, battalions, xegiments'and brigades, un
der such rules and regulations as the Secretary
of War may pi esc ribe, and to be commanded
by such officers as the President may appoint.
Sec. o. That while employed iu the service,
the said troops shali receive the same rations,
clothing and compensation as are allowed to
other troops iu the same branch of the service.
Sec 4. i'liat if, tinder the previous sections
of this act, the President shall not be able to
raisa a sufficient number of troops to prosecute
the-war successfully, and maintain the sover
eignty of the States and the independence of
the Confederate f-tates, tlien he is hereby au f
thorized to call on eacch State, whenever he
thinks it expedient, for her quota of three hun
dred thousand troops, in addition to those sub
ject to military service under existing laws,
or so many thereof as the President may deem
necessary to be raised from such classes oi the
population, irrespective oi color, in each State,
as the proper authorities, thereof may deter
mine :-Provided, That no more than twenty
live per cent, oi tiie male slaves between
the ages of eighteen and forty-five in any
State shall bo called lor under the provisions
of this act.
See 5* That nothing in this act shall be con
strued to authorize a change in the relation
which the said slaves shall bear towards their
owners, except by the consent of the owners
and of the S ates in which they may reside,
and in pursuance of the laws thereof.
Robberies in Rubseli, County. —We are in
formed that three men, iq tbe guise of Con
federate sol,tiers and who represented thetrf*-
selves as cavalry, being mounted and armed
called near night on Tlmnday last at tho
house ot Mr. Tate, in Russell county, about
eight miles from Columbus. They asked Mr
T.’s permission to go in his bouse and warm
to which he readily consented. While sit
ting around tbe fire, one of the 'party drew
on* a> orse pistol and showed it to Mr. Tate,
remarking those were the kind of weapon they
had to use. and that he desired to swap it for
a lighter one, and at, the same time asking Mr.
T. if he ho ! one Upon Mr. T. answering in
the affirmitive and- hewing his pistol to hirn
at tho request of the soldier, the latter sudden
ly exclaimed, ‘ We have your arms;, we now
want your gold and are determined to have it,
Upo 1 being informed that he had none, they
then asked if he did not have Confederate
money, and made the old gentleman give up
what be had of that. The party then broke
open his trunks, and took what clothes they
.wanted, and then broke open his smokehouse
and treated that in the same manner.
We also learn that they treated a widow
lady, living in that neighborhood, in a some
what similar manner a night or two before.—
Columbus Sun.
FROM MISSISSIPPI. —*
Two transports came up within nine miles of
Canton, Miss., a few days previous, to remove
the cotton which had been placed on the banks
for government purpose. Our troops were
commanded to let them alone.
Gen Taylor has issued an order that “in
future the field and line all com
mands. within this department will be person
ally responsible for damages committed by
their soldiers upon public or private prop
erty”
The new Confederate commander in the
vicinity of Natche? has prohibited and taken
measures to stop trading between the country
and the city
Seventy boats loaded with Yankee troops
have gone down the Mississippi during the
past lew weeks.