Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-07-25
C0nfiscatiOn and EmancipatiOu
bill. 200

l. purposes.
BE 1t enacted by the Senate and House
Representatives IF the U4atsd States {
u america an Congress assembled, That ever
: person who shall hereafter commit the CT i'm
of treason against the United States, an
shall be adjudged guilty thereof, shall sutft
! death, and all his slaves, if any, shall be dt
clarcd and made free or he shall be impris
oned for not less than five years and fine
not less than $4,000, and all his slaves,
any, shall be declared and made free; sal
fine shall be levied and collected on any O
,. all of the property, real and personal, eXcll
ding slaves, Of which the said person SO con
victed was the owner at the time of commit
: ting the said crime, any sale Or conveyance t
the contrary Notwithstanding.
Sec. 2. Ana be IL tmrthe, enacted. That
, any person shall hereafter incite set on foot
assist, or engage in any rebellion or insulrec
ton against the authority OF the Unitet
States, or the laws thereof, or shall give ail
F OF comfort thereto, or shall engage in, or civ,
aid and comfort to, any such existing rebel
lion or insurrection, and be convicted thereof
such person shall be punished by imprison
ment for a period not exceeding ten years
by a fine not exceeding $4,000, and by th,
icSANtAOAA VI eei Aiio sittNSH, II IlC iltVC.
SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, THAI
every person guilty Of either Of the offenses
described in this act shall be forever incapa
BILE and disqualified to hold any office, under
the United States. hf
Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That
this act shall not be construed in any way to
affect or alter the prosecution, conviction, or
punishment of any person or persons guilty
of treason against the United States before
the passage of this act, unless such person is
convicted under this act.
Sec. 5. And be ii further enacted, That to
insure the speedy termination of the present
rebellion, it shall be the duty of the President
of the United States to cause the seizure of
all the estate and property, money, stocks,
credits, and effects of the persons hereinafter
named in this section and to apply and use
the same, and proceeds thereof, for the sup
port of the army of the United States, that is
to say: First, of any person hereafter acting
as an officer of the army or navy of the rebek.
in arms against the government of the Unit ed
States; secondly, of any person hereafter act
ing as President, Vice-President, members of
Congress, Judge of any Court, Cabinet officer,
Foreign Minister, Commissioner, or Consul of
thirdly, of any person acting as Governor of
a State, member of Convention or Legisla-
ture, or Judge of any Court of any of the So
called Confederate States of America fourth
ly, of any person who, having held an office of
honor, trust or profit i'll the United States,
shall hereafter hold an Office in the so-called
Confederate States of America filthy, of any
person hereafter holding any office or agency
-l...A IL II I ~
federate States of America, or under any of
the several States Of the said Confederacy, Or
the laws thereof, whether such Office or agen-
cy be NATIONAL State or municipal in its name
or character: ProDide7, That the persons
thirdly, fourthly, and filthy al ove described
shall have accepted their appointment or cleo
ton since the date of the pretended ordinance
of secession of the State, or shall have taken
an oath of allegiance to, or to support the
constitution of the so-called Confederate
States ; sixthly, of any person who, owning
property in any loyal State Or Territory of
the United States, Or in the District of Co
lumbia. shall hereafter assist and give aid and
comfort to such rebellion, and all sales, con-
veyances or transfers of any such property
shall be null and void and it shall be a suffi-
cient bar to any suit brought by such person
for the possession or use Of such property, or
any Of it, to allege and prove that he is one Of
the persons described in this section.
Sec. 6. Ind be it further enacted, That if
any person within any State or Territory of
the United States, other than those named as
aforesaid, after the passage of this act, being
engaged in armed rebellion against the Gov
ernment of the United States, or aiding or
abetting such rebellion, shall not, within
sixty days after public warning and procla-
nation duly given and made by the President
of the United States, cease to aid, countc-
nance, and abet such rebellion, and return to
his allegiance to the United States, all the es-
tate and property msneys, stocks, and cred
its of such person shall be liable to seizure as
aforesaid, and it shall be the duty of the Pres
ident to seize and use them as aforesaid, or
the proceeds thereof And all sales, trans
fers, or conveyances of any such property
after the expiration of the said sixty days
from the date of such warning and proclama-
ton shall be null and void and it shall be a
sufficient bar to any suit brought by such
person for the possession or the use of such
property, Or any of it, to allege and prove
that he is one of the persons described in this
section.
Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That
to secure the condemnation and sale of any
such property after the same shall have been
seized, so that it may be made available for
the purposes aforesaid, proceedings in rem
shall be instituted in the name Of the United
States in any District Court thereof, or in
any Territorial Court, or in the United States
District Court for the District of Columbia,
within which the property above described
or any part thereof may be found, or into
which the same if movable may first be
brought, which proceedings shall conform as
nearly as may be to proceedings in admiralty
or revenue cases, and if said property,
whether real or personal, shall be found to
have belonged to a person engaged in rebel
lion, or who has given aid or comfort thereto,
the same shall be condemned as enemies
property, and become the property of the
United S4ates, and may be disposed of as the
Court shall decree, and the proceeds thereof
paid into the Treasury of the United State for
the purposes aforesaid.
Sec. 8. And be 1t further enacted, That
the several Courts aforesaid shall have power
to make such orders, establish such forms of
decree and sale, and directs such deeds and
conveyances to be executed and delivered by
the marshals thereof, where real estate shall
be the subject of sale, as shall fifty and eff
GENTLY effect the purposes of this act, and
vest in the purchasers of such property good
and valid titles thereto And the said Court
shall have power to allow such fees and
charges of their officers as shall be reasonable
and proper in the premises. t..-
Sec. 9. And be 1t further enacted, That
all slaves of persons who shall hereafter be
engaged in rebellion against the Government
of the United States, or who shall in any way
give aid or comfort thereto, escaping from
such persons, and taking refuge within the
! lines of the army and all slaves captured
| from such persons, or deserted by them and