Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1862-02-27

49,
LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES,
Passed ut the second Session Of the Thirty
seventh Congress.

PUBTIc-No. 14.7
AN ACT to authorize the President o.
the United States in certain cases
to take possession of railroad and
teleraph lines, and for other pur.
poses.
BE u enacted by The Senate and Hous,
Of Representatives. Of the United State,
Of Amertoa in Congress assembled, That
the President Of the United States,
when in his judgment the public safe.
ty may require it, be and he is hereby
authorized to take possession of any
or all the telegraph lines in the United
States, their Offices and appurte.
nances to take possession of any or
all the railroad lines in the United
States, their rolling-stock, their Offices,
shops, buildings, and all their append
ages and appurtenances to prescribe
rules and regulations for the holding,
using, and maintaining of the afore.
said telegraph and railroad lines, and
to extend, repair and complete the
same, in the manner most conductive
to the safety and interest of the Gov
ernment to place nnder military con.
troll all the officers, agents, and EN-.
ployes belonging to the telegraph and
railroad lines thus taken possession of
by the President, so that they shall
be considered as a post road and q
part OF the military establishment of
the United States, subject to all the
restrictions imposed by the rules and
articles of war
SEC. 2. And be IL further enacted, That
any attempt by any party or parties
whomsoever, in any State or District
in which the laws Of the United States
are opposed, or the execution thereof
obstructed by insurgents and rebels
against the United States, too power
full to be suppressed by the ordinary
course of judicial proceedings, to re-
sist or interfere with the unrestraincd
use by Government of the property
described in the preceding section,
or any attempt to injtre or destroy
the property aforesaid, shall be pun
ishcd as military offence, by death,
or such other penalty as a court
martial may impose.
Sec. 3. And be IL further enacted, That
three commissioners shall be appoint.
ed by the President of the United
States, by and with the advice and
consent Of the Senate, to assess and
determine the damages suffered, or the
compensation to which any railroad
or telegraph company may be entitled
by reason of the railroad or telegraph
line being seized and used under the
authority conferred by this act, and
their award shall be submitted to Con-
gress for their action.
SEC. 4. And be 1t further enacted, That
the transportation of troops, muni-
hons of war, equipments, military
property and stores, throughout the
United States, shall be under the i'm
mediate control and supervision of the
Secretary of War and such agents as
he may appoint; and all rules, regu-
lations, articles, usages, and laws in
conflict with this provision are hereby
SEC. 5. And be Il further enacted, That
the compensation of each of the Com
missioners aforesaid shall be eight
dollars per day while in actual SER
vice (; and that the provisions of this
act, so far as it relates to the opera
ting and using said railroads and tel
egraphs, shall not be in force any lon-
ger than is necessary for the suppress
sion of this rebellion.
Approved, January 81, 1862.