The national Republican., 1861-09-23
IMPORTANT OFFICIAL DOCUMENT
TOUCHING THE COEEIsCATION Or
THE PROPERTY OF NE3ELs.
The following circular has been issued by the
Secretary Of State:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

September q, 1861.
SIR: Ia order to prevent seizures OF property
belonging to citizens Of insurreCtionary States
not warranted by the acts of Congress relating
to that subject, 1t is thought advisable to direct
the special attention of marshals and district
attorneys Of the Unit, States to The provisions
OF these acis.
The fifth section Of the act of July IS pro-
vidas that oil goods and chlttcls, wares and
merchandise, coming from, or rrJc.cding TO. n
State or place declared 10 be In insurrection,
together with the vessel or vehicle conveying
the same, or conveying persons to or from sucb
State or place, shall be forfeited to the United
States.
This section obviously applies to all prom
erty in transit, or purchased, or provided with
view to transit, between loyal and disloyal
States and especially to property forming Tie
subject OF commercial intercourse. Such prop.
crty, wherever found, is liable to seizure, and
the only redress of parties who think them
selves aggrievcd, is by appeal to the Secretary
of tho Treasury, who is invested by and with
full power of mitigation and remission.
The first section OF the act approved August
9th, declares, q" that if any person or persons,
his, her, OF their agent, attorney, or employee,
shall purchase, or acquire, sell, or give any
property OF whatsoever kind or dcscription.
with inlcn: 10 use or employ the same or
suiler tie same to be used or employed in aid
lnH or abetting, or promoting such insurrec
ton, or any person, or persons en-
gagged therein; or If any person or persons
peing the owners OF any such property, shall
knowingly use, or employ, Or suifsr the use or
employment Of the same as Aforesaid all such
property is hereby declared to be lawful sub.
Ject OF prize aud capture wherever found"
No doubt can be entertained that This 500
tion was well considered, and that its opcration
Was intended to be limited TO property used in
furherauco of the insurrcction only.
Seizures under the act of July i3 should be
made by the officers, or under tho direction os
the officers Of the Treasury Department, and
all district attorneys and mGrshals Of the United
States should afford all practicable counsel and
aid in the execution of The law.
Seizures under the act of August sbou,d
be made by the marshal Of the district in which
such property may be found, under the general
or particular direction Of the district attornev
or other superior authority For such seizures
there is no power OF mitigation or remission in
the Secretary OF the Treasury, but the district
attorney or other superior authority NAV direct
The discontinuapce of any proceeding IN rela.
ton thereto, and the restoration of lhe prop
erty seized.
1t will be seen, from an inspection of the
provisions OF the acts OF Congress that no
property is confscated, or subjected to forfeit.
ure, except such as is in transit, or provided for
transit, to and from insurrectionarv States, or
used for the promotion of The iasurreoLion,
Real estate, bonds, promissoly Gotcs, moneys
on deposit, and tho like, are, therefore, uol
subject to seizure or corl.caiol, in the alb.
sence of evidence of such unlawful nee. All
officers, while vigilant in the provention of the
conveyance OF property to OF from the JJnilod
States. or the uEe Of 1t for nsur,c cctionary pur
poses are expected To be careful in avoiding
unnecessary veXation aud cost by ceizures nCi
warranted by law.
WILLIAM Ii. SEWARD,
Secretary of State.