The Confederate States Department of the Treasury was the department of the executive branch of the
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...
responsible for the administration of the economic affairs of the Confederacy. These affairs including the issuing of debt, the collecting of taxes, the printing of money, and the administration of customs The Department of the Treasury was led by the
Secretary of the Treasury
The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
, a position which was established in legislation passed by the
Provisional Confederate Congress
The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States, also known as the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America, was a congress of deputies and delegates called together from the Southern States which became the governing body ...
in 1861.
History
While not explicitly established in the Confederate Constitution, a mandate for the establishment of the Treasury Department can be inferred from repeated references throughout the document referring to the "Treasury of Confederate States".
[ ''Constitution of the Confederate States of America.'' (1861).] The Department of the Treasury was officially established by an act of the
Confederate Provisional Congress
The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States, also known as the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America, was a congress of deputies and delegates called together from the Southern States which became the governing body ...
.
One of the early acts of the Provisional Confederate Congress assembled in Montgomery pertained to the status of the federally employed customs official at customs houses which were in Confederate territory following the secession of states in which said customs houses were located.
["''The Confederate Civil Service''".(1959).Van Riper, Paul and Schieber, Harry. ''Journal of Southern History''. Southern Historical Association: Houston. ] This issue was resolved by passing a bill assuming these customs agents into the employ of the Confederacy as part of the Department of the Treasury. The bill was passed into law on February 14, 1861 effecting such transfer of employment.
On March 9, 1861 the Provisional Congress authorized the printing of Confederate currency, in the form of paper treasury notes, amounting up to a total of $1 million (CSA).
[''The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference''. Wagner, Margaret E. , Gallager, Gary W., and Finkleman, Paul (Eds.).]
Organization
The Department of the Treasury had several sub-departments which were responsible for specific administrative duties within the department's purview.
*Loan Production Office:
[Van Riper and Schieber, p. 454]
Office of the First Auditor
Office of the Second Auditor
This office established in 1861, was responsible for auditing the accounts of the
War Department War Department may refer to:
* War Department (United Kingdom)
* United States Department of War (1789–1947)
See also
* War Office, a former department of the British Government
* Ministry of defence
* Ministry of War
* Ministry of Defence
* Dep ...
.
[
]
Office of the Third Auditor
This office was established in 1864 to handle the accounts of the Confederate States Post Office.
*Office of the Treasury Agent of the Trans-Mississippi:[
*Treasury Note Bureau:][
]
Office of the Treasurer
Office of the Commissioner of Taxes
Established in August 1861 as War Tax Office for the purpose collecting the taxes mandated by the Confederate Congress.[
]
Lighthouse Bureau
Established on March 6, 1861 by an act of the Confederate Provisional Congress
The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States, also known as the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America, was a congress of deputies and delegates called together from the Southern States which became the governing body ...
and placed into the care of the Department of the Treasury.
See also
* Confederate States Department of the Treasury personnel
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Confederate States Department Of The Treasury
Treasury Department
1861 establishments in the Confederate States of America