Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-10-23
Messing os Ihe N eselaanss ana Basf-
ness Ven az the Court House on FRI.

g ana business men OF Nashville held at II
Court House en- Friday, the 18th iustaD
Thomas L Bransford in the Chair an
George Searight acting as Secretary. n
5 Committee to whom was referred the consi,
Grafton Of the act of The Confederate Cos
gress, for the sequestration of the estate
: property and effects of alien enemies. an
: for the indemnity of citizens of the Confef
| crate States, and persons aiding the same
the existing war with the United States snI
mitted the following report
/ Il That the act Of the Confederate Congress
! which they have under consideration. doe
not confscate the property and effects of allie
: enemies for the purpose of replenishipo il
treasury, bat, simply seqaestered their stock,
property, debts and credits, as an act OF retail
alton against the Government and people .
the United States who, contrary tothe custom
aud usage Of civilized nations. have passe
an act which virtually confiscates the pro
perty of every citizen of the Confederat
States, who may aid or assist his Govern
menu in the prosecution of the present war
| under which large amounts of the property
Of the citizens of the Confederate States. ant
of its friends in the border States. have beer
| already seized and confiSca;,d The act O
the Confederate Congress is intended as {
measure OF retaliation against the Legislation
of It's enemies, aud to cure fund to b.
| held in trust, which to some extent NAV in
1
| which they may sustain by the confiscation
OF their property by the Government of the
| United States. This being the object and in
| tent OF the sequestraiion act. as declared in
It's preamble, the committee think that. under
the circumstances of the case, the eypediency
and propriety of such law for the indem.
nifty Of its friends and citizens cannot be sue.
cessluiiy co8troverted.
The second section of the act makes ii the
DIN of niiTzpn ..SnaaHsfr-
nation to the officer charged with the execu.
ton OF this law of every lands, tenements.
aud Entertainments, goods and chatteIs rights
or credits, within the Confederacy,'' held.
owned or possessed by or for any alien
enemy.
The third section imposes similar duty
on every attorney, agent. former partner,
trustee, or other person holding or control
ling any land, goods or chattels. rights OF
credits, or any interest therein for any such
alien enemy. Any person wilinlly failing to
comply with the provisions of this section.
SUBJECTS himself to a fine not exceeding five
thousand dollars, to imprisonment not ex-
ceedIng six months, and to "A suit and ljabiI-
lty to pay double the amount of the value Of
the property, estate, or effects of the alien
enemy SO held by him or subject to his Or
der.
By virtue of these two sections, it will be
perceived that the persons liable to be af.
fected by this act may be classed under two
heads First, those who are Indebted bv
6IIl' note, or account, to the alien enemy
Secondly, those who are acting as their agents
or IN a iiduciary capacity for them.
The Committee do not propose TO discuss
the operation Of the law on those who are
acting as agents or in fiducarv capacity
for alien enemies, further than to say that
lhey do not see that any hardship is likely to
result to that class Of persons. If they do |
not wish to continue the agency. or trnst |
they have only to hand over to the Receiver |
he property, effects, or credits in their hands |
and are thereby discharged from further care |
Dr. liability. With the other class of persons
o-NTit Those who are indebted to the alien
enemy, the case is different. They are re
Iuired to render to the Receiver Il Schedule
Of such Indebtedness. and to pay the amount
lue into his hands, or into The Confederate
COURT This they are unable to do. The
lbility of large majority of cur business
men To pay the debt due the alien enemy de-
'ends on their collections, or in other words
IN their bills receivable. from which. at this
ime, il is impossible To realize ANYTHING |
Not being able to collect what is due them
hey cannot pay what they owe. Since The
of the war they have realized
lothing out OF the debt due them neither is
he prospect for the future any better. In
ONE OF the States, indulgence is given h
lcts Of their Legislature in the collection of
Iebts until after the close of the warm
thers for shorter periods of time. and in
ONE others the courts in pursuance of a
isolation or request without the passage of
positive statute, Tor that purpose refuse TO
old the courts, or render Judgments.
Inc committee are apprised that by the
iXtb section CT the act which prescribes the
node OF preceding IN the confederate courts
collecting debts C"Credits.") Il is provi-
ed that snch delays shall be allowed as NAV
ave been or may be prescribed in any State.
$ 10 the collection of debts therein during the
ar, and it may be said that this gives to the
ebtor to the Sequ; stored fund ell the indul-
ence he has RICH. to ask or expect. The
ommittee. however, do not think il does-l
ne ability OF that class of persons, who are
debtt TO onr Alien enemies TO collect the
Do due them, depends in many cases not on
e Law OF the State, where they reside and :
? which they win be bound in the Confede
lie Court, but are the laws of other States.
I'd these as they are advised are by no
cans UNIFORM on that subject. The citizens ;
tennessee have large amounts due them
Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas.
The merchants of Charleston have LARGE
lenees against North Carolina, Georgia and !,
ALBANIA Texas. Mississippi and Arkansas
Z Indebted to New Orleans. The debtor TO | ;,
e seqGestered fund, may reside in a State y
at prescribes no delay in the collection of $
BITS, while his means ale invested and have T
be collected i'll those States that have de-
Ted payment .until after the close of the =,
II. VI the delay in State may be Incl | f.
ntal or indirect by the abolition of the g.
ate courts, or the extension Of their terms -
Iniring them to be ANIMAL biennial or tri- "
NAL or 1t may come in the form of resolu- :,
Us requesting suspension of judgments and =,
10y positive statute. In neither of these r
'es do the committee suppose the law would os
so construed as to secure delay in the -
nfederate court to Il debtor to the seuues- 9,
ed fluid on the ground that delay was -,
'escrlbed therein" by the State" nothing "
positive statute 1t Is supposed would be L.
to be prescribed delay" If given at Id
in the absence of positive stafute the
lmittee think it more reasonable to sun ."
e that it would be done under the proyiso I.
he sixth section Gntended as the COM -
tee think for agents aud trustees) by Civ o,r
security Tor the principal and the pune 2,
payment OF the interest. Id Ia
MS would be requiring of one class of - -,
tors, as the laws of the States now stand. ,,n
1t they could not demand or obtain from ~;
&c indebted TO hem. In addition 10 this -,
lay be said that from the great uncertain
In times like these, of debts in which their niS
ost total stOpppage of collections, but -
persons would have the ability 10 do oes
er. Another serious objections to the eh'
as 1t now stands is, that the judgment in NJ
ri TO the sequestered fund might and pro- ~ ~
y viii, operate as a lien on the property :
EDITORS Ia favor of that fuGd to the pre- a..
&c Of domestic creditors. .io'
tbst No. S-H, ~; tuat IL thr
II citizens ty the Sequestration Act than iII
III have been, by the laws of the States -
OF nations bad not ihat act been passed. IL
iey recommend memorial to the Con-
rate Congress praying chang or modi- ro,s
in t,r,,rnss.,I "a 80. ~ tue views law
Ny OF tuis State now in session. request Al
most respectfully of that body to ma IN
y consider this subject, and instruct our 1os
tors and request our Representatives. in Pr
,ress to vote for such amendments to the