Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-07-28
GPuBLIC-No. 16O ]

w Lillian n. SEWARD, SeCrebdIy OF STATE.
GPuBLIc-No. 100
AN ACT to suppress insurrection, to punish trea.
son and rebellion, 20 sei1e and confscate the
property Of rebels, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted By the Senate and House of Repre-
sentdtfUsS Of the UAited States of America Con-
grssS assembled, That every person who shall
hereafter commit the crime OF treason against the
United States, and shall be adjudg ed guilty there
of, shall suffer death, and all his slaves, II any,
shall be declared and made free; or, at the dis
erection Of the court he shall be imprisoned for
not less than Ave years and fined not less than ten
thousand dollars, and all his slaves, IL any, shall
be declared and made free; said fne shall be
levied end collected any all Of the property,
real and personal, excluding slaves, Of which the
said person SO convicted was the owner at the
time OF committing the said crime, any sale or
conveyance to the contrary notwithstanding.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That X any
person shall hereafter ncite set on foot, assist
engage In any rebellion or insurrecon against the
authority OF the United States or the laws thereof.
shall give aid or comfort thereto, or shall
gage in, or give aid and comfort TO, any such
lsing rebellion or insurrection, and be convicted
thereof, such person shall be punished by i'm
pTs0nment for period not exceeding ten years.
or by q fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars,
and by the llreraton Of all his slaves, II sny he
have, by both Of said punishments, at the dis
cretion Of the court.
person guilty of either of the offences described
in this act shall be forever incapable and disqual-
fled to hold any Office under the United States
Sec. q. And Be 1t further enacted, That this act
shall not be construed in any way 10 effect or
alter the prosecution, conviction, 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 IL further enacted, That, to IN
sure the speedy termination OF the present rebel
lion, IL 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 ;his section
and to apply and use the same and the proceeds
thereof for the support OF the army Of the United
States; that 10 to say:
First. OF any person hereafter acting as an off,
Ger Of the army or navy Of the rebels in arms
against the Government Of the United States.
Secondly OF any person hereafter acting as
President, Vice President, member of Cong ress
Judge Of any court, cabinet officer, foreign minis
ter commissioner or consul Of the sO-called Con-
federate States of America.
Thirdly. or any person acting a. Governor Of a
State, member of Convention or Legislature, O:
Judge Of any court Of any Of the called Confed-
crate States Of America.
FOurthly. OF any person who, having held an
office Of honor. trust, pro 1T in the United States
sh all hereafter hold office In the so-Caied Con-
federate States Of America.
Filthy Of any person hereafter holding any
Office or agency under the Government Of tue So
called Confederate States of America, or under
any Of the several States Of the said Confederacy
the laws thereof, vhethe, such ofce or agency
be national, state or municipal in tie name Sr
character: PT0Dtded Ehdt the persons thirdly.
fourthIy, and filthy above described shall have
accepted their appointment or election 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 socaIled
Confederate States.
SixthlY. OF any person who, owning property
in any loyal State Territory Of the United
States or IN the Dittrict Of Columbia shall here
after assist and give aid aud comfort 10 such re.
beilion; and all sales, tran sfers, couveyances
Of any such property shall he null ana sod: and
1t shall be sufficient bar to any suit t-ough 1T bv
such person for the possession or the use OF suca
property, or any Of IL, to aIlege and prove that
he Is one Of Il persons described in this section
Sec. And be if 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 n srrpea
rebellion against the Government Of the United
States or aiding or abetting such rebellion shall
not, within sixty DAYS after public warning and
proclamation duly given and made by the Presi-
dent Of the United states, cease TO aid, counte-
nance, and abet such rebellion, and return to his
allegiance to the United States, all the estate and
property, moneys, stocks and credits OF such PER
son shall be liable TO seizure aforesaid and IL
shall be the duty Of the President to seize and use
them a. aforesaid, or the proceeds thereof And
all sales, transfers, 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 IL shall be a
| sufhcient bar to any suit brought by snch persGn
for the possession or the use Of such property or
persons described In this section.
See 2. And bett further enacted, That to secure
the condemnation and sale Of any OF such property
after the same shall have been seized, 20 that 1t
may be made available for the pur pose afOresaI
proceedings IN shall be instituted in the name
OF the United States IN any district court thereof
or in any terrific rial 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
II movable, may first be brought, which pro-
ceedings shall conform, as nearly az may be- 10
proceedings in admiralty or revenue cases; and II
said property, whether real or personal, shall be
found to have belonged to person engaged In
rebellion, or who has given aid or comfort there
erty, ana become the property Of the United
States, and may be disposed II az the court shall
decree, and the proceeds thereof paid into the
Treasury Of the United States for the purposes
aforesaid.
Sec. s. And be Il further enacted, That the sew
eral courts aforesaid shall have power TO make
such orders, establish such forms OF decree and
sale, and direct such deeds and conveyances TO be
executed and delivered by the marshaIs thereof
where real estate shall be the subject Of sale a.
shall Ally and eBiciently effect the purposes of
this act and vest in the purchasers Of such prop
erty coed and valid titles thereto. And the said
courts shall have power to allow such fees and
charges Of their officers shall be reasonable and
proper in the premises.
Sec. 9. And b. Z! 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 com.
fort 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 coming under the control of the
Government OF the United States, and ali slaves
OF such persons found on Tori being within any
place occupied by rebel 70 ces and afterward oc.
cupied by the forces Of the United Sta tes shall
be deemed captives Of war, and shall be forever
free Of their servitude, and not again held as
slaves.
Sc. 10. And be it fsrthsr snactsk, That no slave
escaping into any State, Territory, or the Dis
trict Of Columbia, from any other state shall be
delivered up, or In any way impeded or hindered
OF his Liberty, except for crime or some ofense
against the laws, unless the person claiming said
fugitive shall first make Ca b that the person 10
whom the labor or service of such fugitive IL al
legged to be due In his lawful owner and has not
borne arms against the United States In the pres-
ent rebellion, nor In any way given aid and com
fort theretoi and no person engaged In the mill
tary or naval service of the United States shall
under any pretense whatever, assume to decide
on the validity Of the claim Of any person 10 the
service or labor OF any other person. or surrender
up any such person TO the claimant, on pain Of
being dismissed from the service
Sec; III. And BE- 1t fryth<T enacted, Thst the
Pfenidept ifaN Ia