NUMBER XXXIII. JOINT RESOLUTION to meet in convention to elect a State librarian. Resolved by the general assembly of the State of Tennessee, That the two houses meet in convention in the hall of the house of representatives on Tuesday, the second day of May, at 10 o'clock a. m., for the purpose of electing a State librarian. WILLIAM HEISKELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. SAMUEL R. RODGERS, Speaker of the Senate. Adopted April 29, 1865. NUMBER XXXIV. JOINT RESOLUTION offering a reward of five thousand dollars for the apprehension of Isham G. Harris. Whereas treason is the highest crime known to the laws of the land, and no one is presumed to understand the true meaning of the term better than governors of States, and certainly no one should be held to a more strict account for their treason; and Whereas the State of Tennessee, before the rebellion, enjoyed a high social, moral, and political position, and had the well-earned reputation of the Volunteer State; and Whereas by the treason of one Isham G. Harris, ex-governor of Tennessee, the State has lost millions of dollars, and thousands of the young men of the State have been killed in battle and died of disease, and thousands of the middle-aged and old men have been murdered and imprisoned, and defenceless women and children driven from the State, heart-broken and penniless; and Whereas the voters of Tennessee did, in the month of February, 1861, by a majority of sixty thousand, repudiate treason and rebellion, but the aforesaid Isham G. Harris, well knowing the true sentiments of the State upon treason and rebellion, and wholly disregarding the overwhelming expression of popular sentiment, did use his position as governor as aforesaid, to put the State in rebellion and hostility to the government of the United States, and is guilty of treason, perjury, and theft, and is responsible to a great extent for the war, misery and death of thousands of the citizens of the State, and for the desolation of the same from east to west and from north to south; the cries of the wounded and dying, the wail of the widow, the weeping of the orphan, come to us upon every breeze, imploring us to punish the instigators of the rebellion: Therefore, for the reasons aforesaid, be it Resolved by the general assembly of the State of Tennessee, That the governor of the State is hereby authorized and instructed to offer a reward of five thousand dollars for the apprehension and delivery to the civil authorities of the State the aforesaid Isham G. Harris; and he shall fully describe said fugitive from justice, and shall make publication for three months, or longer if he may think proper, in one newspaper in each of the grand divisions of the State, and a paper published in Richmond, Virginia; Raleigh, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Little Rock, Arkansas; New Orleans, Louisiana; and shall publish the preamble with his proclamation. WILLIAM HEISKELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. SAMUEL R. RODGERS, Speaker of the Senate. Adopted May 1, 1865. NUMBER XXXV. A JOINT RESOLUTION to meet the house in convention to elect a State comptroller. Resolved by the general assembly of the State of Tennessee, That the senate meet the house of representatives in joint convention on Thursday, the second day of May, at ten o'clock. to elect a State comptroller. WILLIAM HEISKELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. Speaker of the Senate. Adopted May 1, 1865. NUMBER XXXVI. JOINT RESOLUTION to raise a joint committee to wait on the national banks of the State. Resolved by the general assembly of the State of Tennessee, That a committee of three on the part of the senate, and such committee as the house of representatives may appoint, shall constitute a joint committee to ascertain what, if any, arrangements can be made with the national banks in each division of the State to receive the public funds of the State and disburse the same, as is now provided by law for the Bank of Tennessee and branches. Resolved, That said committee report as early as possible. WILLIAM HEISKELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. SAMUEL R. RODGERS, Speaker of the Senate. Adopted May 2, 1865. NUMBER XXXVII. JOINT RESOLUTION to meet in convention to elect an entry-taker for the Ocoee district. Adopted May 2, 1865. NUMBER XXXVIII. JOINT RESOLUTION appointing commissioners to settle with the Louisville and Nashville railroad. Resolved by the general assembly of the State of Tennessee, That the comptroller, secretary of state, attorney general of the State, and commissioner of public roads of the State of Tennessee, be, and are hereby, constituted commissioners, on behalf of the State of Tennessee, to meet and make a settlement with the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company, and make a report thereof to this session of the general assembly, if practicable; if not, to the next session of the same. Be it further resolved, That if such settlement cannot be made by said commissioners with said Louisville and Nashville railroad as shall be satisfactory to them, the fact shall be made known to the governor of the State, and he may direct the attorney general of the State to institute such legal proceedings against said company as may be necessary to protect the interests of the State. WILLIAM HEISKELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. SAMUEL R. RODGERS, Adopted May 5, 1865. NUMBER XXXIX. Speaker of the Senate. JOINT RESOLUTION applying to the President for troops. Whereas the fourth section of the fourth article of the Constitution of the United States provides that the United States shall guarantee to every State of this Union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion, and on application of the legislature, or of the executive when the legislature cannot be convened, against domestic violence; and Whereas the State of Tennessee is one of the States of this Union, and is constantly invaded by armed bands of guerillas from the so-called Confederate States, and subject at all times to violence by domestic traitors, murdering and robbing the loyal citizens, stealing and carrying off their property, and hindering, delaying, and preventing the execution of the civil laws of the State; and Whereas the greater portion of the young and middle-aged loyal men are in the United States army, and the old men have neither arms nor ammunition, consequently defence less, and the financial condition of the State is such that it is impossible to create a fund to clothe, arm, feed, and pay troops for State defence, to meet the usual expenditure of the State, and provide for the payment of the interest accrued on the bonds of the State, together with Tennessee's portion of the twenty million apportioned amongst the States by an act of Congress of August, 1861, will be all, if not more than the people can possibly meet: Therefore, be it Resolved by the general assembly of the State of Tennessee, That the legislature of the State aforesaid, by virtue of the authority of the fourth section of the fourth article of the Constitution of the United States aforesaid, do make this application to his excellency Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, and commander-in-chief of the army of the same, to place under the direction and control of the proper military authority, in pursuance of the Constitution and laws of the United States, and under the control and direction of such authority as in his opinion may be right and proper, a sufficient number of Tennessee troops now in the United States service to repel invasion, and drive the invader from the State, and suppress any and all violence by armed domestic traitors, to protect loyal citizens, and aid and assist the civil officers in executing the civil laws of the State. Resolved, That the secretary of state shall, immediately after the passage of this resolution, transmit a copy of the same, together with the preamble, under the great seal of the State, to the President of the United States, asking him to notify the legislature now in session, at as early a day as convenient, what action he will take in the premises. Adopted May 9, 1865. WILLIAM HEISKELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. SAMUEL R. RODGERS, Speaker of the Senate. NUMBER XL. A JOINT RESOLUTION appointing a committee to memorialize Congress. Whereas, by the presence of the federal troops in the State of Tennessee, rendered necessary by the armed resistance to the laws of the United States of a portion of its citizens, many military supplies have been taken from the loyal citizens of the State in an irregular manner, and much damage has been done to the property of unconditionally loyal citizens; and Whereas, by article five of the amendments to the Constitution of the United States, it is declared that private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation; and Whereas the loyal citizens of Tennessee are entitled to the same consideration and protection as are the loyal citizens of any other State in the Union: Therefore, be it Resolved by the general assembly of the State of Tennessee, That a committee of two on the part of the senate, and five on the part of the house, be appointed to prepare a memorial to the Congress of the United States, setting forth the obligations of the government of the United States to pay the loyal citizens of Tennessee for property taken from them by officers and soldiers of the United States, and paying that some legislation be had by Congress, making provisions to enable those loyal citizens who may have sustained losses in the manner already described to prove such losses, and that an appropriation be made by Congress to pay such loyal claimants. WILLIAM HEISKELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. Speaker of the Senate. Adopted May 10, 1865. NUMBER XLI. RESOLUTION of inquiry in relation to the Hermitage property. Resolved, That his excellency the governor be, and he is hereby, requested to communicate to the senate all the information in his possession in reference to the present status of the Hermitage property, including an account of its purchase by the State, the amount paid for it, and all subsequent legislation in regard to it, and what acts of ownership have been exercised over it by the State, and all other information he may deem proper, as well as any recommendation he may have to offer regarding its future management. SAMUEL R. RODGERS, Speaker of the Senate. Adopted May 12, 1864. NUMBER XLIL JOINT RESOLUTION raising a joint committee on the elective franchise. Resolved by the general assembly of the State of Tennessee, That the judiciary committee of the senate and the judiciary committee of the house of representatives compose a joint committee on the subject of the elective franchise, and be instructed to bring in a bill on that subject to-morrow for action on that day. WILLIAM HEISKELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. SAMUEL R RODGERS, Speaker of the Senate. Adopted May 16, 1865. NUMBER XLIIL JOINT RESOLUTION requesting the governor to lay before the legislature certain correspondence. Resolved by the general assembly of the State of Tennessee, That the governor be, and is hereby, requested to lay before the legislature all correspondence, if any, he may have had with James T. Dunlap, late comptroller of the treasury, relative to a return of the archives of the State; also with Vernon K. Stevenson, president of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad Company, relative to said road; also, with Granville C. Torbett, late president of the Bank of Tennessee, relative to a return of the assets of said bank, if, in the opinion of his excellency, the said information will net be detrimental to the public welfare. WILLIAM HEISKELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. SAMUEL R. RODGERS, Speaker of the Senate. Adopted May 19, 1865. NUMBER XLIV. A JOINT RESOLUTION declaring certain civil offices vacant, and providing for filling of the same. Whereas a war has existed in the State of Tennessee for four years, and during the greater part of that time all civil tribunals have been closed, and most of the officers holding offices have wilfully abandoned their offices, and neglected or refused to perform the duties incumbent upon them by the laws of the land, and in pursuance of the Constitution of the United States and of the State of Tennessee; and whereas many of the civil offices thus abandoned and vacated have been filled by appointments made by the acting governor of the State since the 7th day of March, 1862, which should be ratified and confirmed: Therefore, Resolved by the general assembly of the State of Tennessee, That all civil offices of the State of Tennessee, to which their respective incumbents were elected and qualified previous to the 6th day of May, 1861, and who, after such election and qualification, have voluntarily abandoned their offices and wilfully neglected and refused to perform the duties required of them by law, are hereby declared vacant. Resolved further, That all of the offices in the State of Tennessee that have been filled by appointment and election under the authority of the usurped State government, after the declared independence of the State of Tennessee, and after the 6th day of May, 1861, are hereby declared vacant. Resolved further, That all civil officers who have been appointed since the 7th day of May, 1862, by his excellency Andrew Johnson, acting governor of the State, or who have been elected and qualified under his various proclamations, are hereby ratified and confirmed, and they shall continue to hold and exercise the functions of their respective offices until successors shall be elected and qualified as prescribed by the laws and constitution of the State of Tennessee and of the United States. Resolved further, That his excellency William G. Brownlow, governor of the State, be, and he is hereby, requested, as soon as in his opinion he deems it advisable, to issue his proclamation ordering elections to be held in the respective counties of the State where such vacancies have occurred, requiring the people of the State to fill such vacancies in pursuance of the laws of the State; and in the mean time, until such elections are held, that he proceed and fill the vacancies by the appointment of suitable and proper persons until their successors shall be elected and qualified; and the governor is clothed with full power to appoint special officers to hold said elections for each county, with full power to appoint deputies to perform all the duties as now required by law, where no regular officers are performing civil duties. WILLIAM HEISKELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. SAMUEL R. RODGERS, Speaker of the Senate. Approved May 20, 1865. NUMBER XLV. JOINT RESOLUTION to raise a joint committee to examine into the condition of the Bank of Tennessee and branches. Resolved by the general assembly of the State of Tennessee, That a joint committee of one from the senate and two from the house be appointed to examine the condition of the Bank of Tennessee and branches-a committee to the principal bank and one to each branch, with liberty to send for persons and papers, and that they report to the regular session in October. Committee on the part of the senate appointed under the above resolution.-Rogersville, Senator McKinney; Athens, Senator McElwee; Sparta. Senator Bosson: Columbia, Senator Frierson; Knoxville, Senator Rodgers; Trenton, Senator Hall; Memphis, Senator Smith; Clarksville, Senator Peart; Shelbyville, Senator Spence; Summerville, Senator Hurst. Committee of the house.—Principal bank at Nashville, Messrs. Cooper and Lewis; branch at Rogersville, Messrs. Willis and Minnis; branch at Knoxville, Messrs. Heiskell and Donaldson; branch at Athens, Messrs. Henderson and Hood; branch at Sparta, Messrs. Anderson and Faulkner; branch at Columbia, Messrs. Arnell and Gilmer; branch at Shelbyville, Messrs. Mullens and Steele; branch at Trenton, Messrs. McNair and Norman; branch at Memphis, Messrs. Richards and Rider; branch at Somerville, Messrs. Smith and Warren; branch at Clarksville, Messrs. Wines and Mulloy. WILLIAM HEISKELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. SAMUEL R. RODGERS, Speaker of the Senate. Adopted May 20, 1865. NUMBER XLVI. JOINT RESOLUTION to authorize the secretary of state to take charge of the senate chamber and hall of the house of representatives. Resolved by the general assembly of the State of Tennessee, That the secretary of state, at the close of this session, shall have charge of the senate chamber, representative hall, and committee rooms, and cause all stationery, furniture, and other articles belonging to said halls, to be carefully preserved for the use of the next general assembly, and shall be allowed by the comptroller all necessary expenses incurred in preserving the same, and a reasonable compensation for his services. WILLIAM HEISKELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. Adopted May 22, 1865. NUMBER XLVII. JOINT RESOLUTION to meet in convention to elect a keeper of the penitentiary. Resolved by the general assembly of the State of Tennessee, That the senate meet the house of representatives on Monday, 29th instant, at 11 o'clock a. m., for the purpose of electing a keeper of the penitentiary. WILLIAM HEISKELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. Speaker of the Senate. Adopted May 22, 1865. |