The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-08-09

gone home with the hearty respect Of al
members and Senator'S whose respect valua
bic having made record of which any mar
ofany State might well be proud.
The COmflscatiOn Bill.
The following is a synopsis Of :he bill
agreed upon by the Conference Committee
and passed by both Houses of Congress BY
thirds vote, viz: .,as-
Mr.. Eliot (Rep. Mass.) made repor
from the Committee of Conference on the
eonfscation bill. They recommend thai
the House secede from their disagreement,
and agree to the Senate, with certain modi-
fications, so as to provide as follows: "Ev
cry person who shall commit the crime o.
treason against the United States, and shall
be adjudged guilty thereof, shall suffer
death, and all his slaves if he have any
shall be declared and made free, or he shall
be imprisoned for not less than five years,
and fined not less than SlO 1000, and all his
estate, real and personal, excluding slaves.
shall be levied upon, any sale or convey
ance to the contrary Notwithstanding. If
any person hereafter shall incite, set on
foot, assist, or engage in any rebellion or in
surrection against the authority of the Uni
ted States or the laws thereof, or shall give
aid or comfort to any such existing rebel
lion or insurrection and be convicted there
of, such person shall be punished by the
forfeiture of all his personal property of ev-
cry kind whatever, or shall be punished by
imprisonment ten years and fined not ex-
ceeding $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 offen-
ses described in this act, shall be forever in
capable and disqualified to hold any Office
under the United 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 termi-
nation of the present rebellion, the president
is authorized to cause the seizure of all pro-
perty, real and personal, of all such persons,
and apply and use the proceeds of the same
for the support Of the United States. Five
classes of persons are affected by this bill.
/. OF every person who shall act as presi-
dent, vice president, member of Congress,
Judge of any court, cabinet officer, foreign
minister, commissioner, or consul Of the so
called confederate States.
2. Ofsvesy person who shall act as gov
ernor of State, member of convention or
legislature, or judge of any State court of
the socalled confederate States.
3. Ofevery person who, having held an
Office of honor, trust or profit in the United
States, shall hereafter hold an Office in the
so-called confederate States.
4. Ofevery person who shall hold any Of
fice or agency under the so-called Confeder-
ate States, or under Of the States thereof.
5. Of every person who shall act as an Of
ficer Of the rebel army and navy. The
president is authorized to issue proclama-
ten calling on every person not within the
above classes, who, after the passage of the
act, being wilfully and without compulsion
engaged in armed rebellion, shall not
within sixty days lay down their arms and
return to their property shall be confisca-
ted =
The bill also disqualfies said five classes
from holding office under the United States
government. The president is authorized
to negotiate for the acquisition, by treaty or
ntherwise, Of lands or countries in Mexico,
Central America or South America, or in
the islands in the Gulf of Mexico, or for the
right Of settlement upon the lands Of said
countries for all persons liberated under this
act, to be removed with their own consent.
For the purpose of paying the expense of
the purchase OF lands and the removal, the
president shall use such money as Congress
may from time to time direct, arising out of
the sales of the property formerly owned by
rebels, and which shall have been confisca.
ted to the use OF the United States
An slaves of persons hereafter engaged in
rebellion. or who shall in any way gige aid
and comfort thereto, escaping to, and taking
refuge within the lines of our army. and all
slaves deserted by their masters, and COM
ing under control Of the government of the
United States, and all slaves found at places
occupied by rebel forces, and sfterward by
United States troops, shall be held to be
caphves Of war, and be forever free from
their service, and no longer held as slaves; !;
no slave escaping from one State to another
State shall be delivered up except for crime
or some other offense against the law Of the
United States, until the claimant shall first
make oath as to his lawful ownership. aud
that he has not borne arms in the present
rebellion, or given aid and comfort thereto.
No person engaged in naval or military SER
vice shall decide on the validity Of the claim
or surrender such slaves, on pain Of being
dismissed from. the service.