The Portland daily press., 1862-07-12
Committee of Conference on the confiscation

DDiAAAeeNS VI SoAiSiChSC VII tHC COulSCdllOD
They recommend that the House recede
from their disagreement and agree to the Sem
ate bill with certain modification so as to pro-
vide as follows:
Every person who shall commit the crime
of treason against the United States and shall
be adjudged guilty thereof shall suffer death.
and all his slaves, if he has any, shall be de-
clared and made free, or he shall be imprison-
ed for not less than five years and fined not
less than $4,000, and all his estate. real and
personal, excluding slaves, shall be levied upon
any sale or conveyance to the contrary not
withstanding.
If any person shall hereafter incite or set on
foot, assist or engage in any rebellion or insur-
rection against the authority of the U. S., or
the laws thereof, or shall give aid or comfort
to any such existing rebellion or Instruction
ane be conficted thereof such person shall be
punished by the forfeiture of all his personal
property of every kind whatever, or shall be
punished by Imprisonment for 10 years and
fined not exceeding $4,000, and his slaves, if
he has any, be liberated at the discretion of the
court, and all such property, excluding slaves,
shall be forfeited to the United States.
Every person guilty of either of the offences
described in the act, shall be forever incapable
and disqualified for any office under the Unit
ed States.
This act is not to be construed in any way
to affect or alter the prosecution, conviction or
punishment of any person guilty of treason
against the United States,
To insure the speedy termination of the re-
bellion, the President is authorized to cause
the seizure of all property, real and personal,
of all such persons and apply and use the pro-
ceeds of the some. for the support of the Unit
ed States.
Five classes of persons are affected by this
bill, viz:-Those who shall hereafter hold the
Office of President, Vice President, members
of Congress, Foreign Ministers, etc. under the
SO called Confederate States.
The President is authorized to issue pro-
clamation, that if. after sixty days, all persons
in rebellion do not return to their allegiance
that their property shall be forfeited, etc. All
slaves of persons hereafter engaged in rebel
lion or who shall in any way give aid and COM
fort thereto, escaping to and taking refuge
within the lines of our army. and all slaves de-
serted by their masters and coming under the
control of the government of the United
States, all slaves found at places occupied by
rebel forces and afterwards by the u. S. troops,
shall be held to be captives of war and forever
free from their service and no longer held as
slaves. No slaves escaping from one State to
another shall be delivered up, except for crime
against the laws of the United States, until the
claimant shall first make oath a to his lawful
ownership and that he has not borne arms in
the present rebellion or given aid and comfort
thereto. No person engaged in naval or mill
tary service shall decide on the validity of the
claim or surrender such slaves. on pain of be-
ing dismissed from the service. The Presi-
dent is authorized to employ as many persons
of African descent for the suppression of the
rebellion and use them in such manner as he
may deem best for the public welfare, and the
President is also authorized to make provis-
ion for colonizing the blacks beyond the limits
of the United States. The President is auth
orized to extend to prisoners in rebellion par
don and amnesty on such conditions as he may
deem expedient for the public welfare. The
title of the bill was amended so as to read
"For the suppression of insurrection and the
punishment and seizure of the property of the
rebels and for other purposes"
Messrs. Mallory, of KY, and Cox, of Ohio,
raised points Of order, which were severally
overrued.
Mr.. Allen, of Ohio, moved to lay the report
on the table.
The motion was lost, yeas AZ, nays II.
The report of the Conference Committee on
confiscation was then concurred in, yeas 81,
nays AZ.
Mr.. Stevens, of Penn, made a report from
the Conference Committee on the Tariff bill.
which was concurred in. Adj.