Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1863-04-03
AN ACT TO CIRCULATE IMPRESS
EfENTS


such impressments may be made by the off,
Ger or officers whose duty it is to furn ish
such forage articles of subsistence, or 9TH
err property, for such army. 1u cases where
the owner Of ch property and the impress
ing officer cannot agree upon thexyalue
thereof, it shall be the duty of such inn ress-
ing officer, upon an affidavit in writing Of
the owner of such property or his agent,
that such property was grown, raised or pro-
duced by said owner, or is sold or has been
purchased by him not for sale or speculation
but for his own use or consumption to cause
the same to be ascertained or determined by
the judgement of two loyal and disirteres
ted citizens Of the city, county, or parish in
which such impressments may be made, one
to be selected by the owner, one by the i'm
pressing officer, and, in the event Of their
disagreement these two shall choose an UNI
pire of like qualification whose decision
shall be final. The persons thus selected
after taking an oath to appraise the proper
ty impressed fairly and impartially, which
oath, as we'll as the affidavit provided for in
this section, the impressing officer is hereby
authorized to administer and certify shall
proceed to assess just compensation for the
property to impressed whether the absolute
ownership or the Temporary use thereof only
is required.
SEC 2 That the officer or person impress
ing property. as aforesaid, shall, at the
time Of said taking. pay to the owner. his
agent or attorney, the compensation fixed
by said appraisers, and shall also give to
the owner, Or person controlling said prop
orty certificate over this official signature
specifying the battalion regiment, brigade,
division, or corps to which he belongs, that
said property is essential for the use OF the
army, could not be otherwise procured and
was taken through absolute necessity; set
ting forth the time and place, when and
where taken. the amount of compensation
fixed by said appraisers, aud the sum, If
aEv. paid for the same. Said certificate
shall be evidence for the owner. as well of
the taking of said property for the public
use, as the right ofthe owner to the amount
Of compensation fixed aforesaid. And III
case said officer or person taking said prop
erty, Shall have failed to pay the ewner or
his agent, said compensation as hereiube-
fore required, then said owner shall be en-
titled to the speedy payment Of the same by
the proper di>bursing officer which, when
50 paid, shall lie In full satisfaction OF all
claim against the Government Of the Con-
fyterate States.
SEC 3 Whenever the appraisemcnt pros
for any reason, be improbable at the tame
of said impressmcnt, then, and i'll that case,
the value Of the property impressed shall be
assessed as soon as possible by two loyal and
disin'ercstcd citizens Of the city, county Or
parish, wherein the property was taken,
! chosen one by the owner and one by the
Commissary or Quarterm:ster General or
his agent, who in case Of disagreement, shall!
choose third citizen Of like qualification
az umpire to decide the matters in dispute.
who shall be sworn as aforesaid, who shall
hear the proofs adduced by the parties, as
to the value Of said property, and assess a
just compensation therefore according to
/ the testimony.
| SEC. That whenever the Secretary OF
War shall be Of opinion that it is necessary
to take private property for public use, by
reason of the impracticablity Of procuring
the same by purchase, SO as to accumulate
necessary supplies for the army. or tue good
of the service in any locality, he may, by
general order through, the proper subordl>
nate officers, authorize such property to be
taken for the public use, the compensation
due the owner for the same to be determin-
cd and the value found as provided for IN
the first and second sections of this act.
SEC That it shall be the duty of the
President as early as practicable after the
passage of this act, to appoint Commits
sioner to eac State where property shall be
taken for the public use, and request the
Governor of such of the States in which the
President shall appoint said commissioner,
to appoint another commissioner to act III
conjunction with the commissioner arpoin-
ted BIZ the President, who shall receive the
, compensation of eight dollars per day and
ten cents per mile as milage, to be paid by
the Confederate Government. Said COM
missioners shall constitute board, whose
] duty i shall be to fix upon the prices
. FaisEn' for the pdbHS -
aforesaid, So as to afford just compensat to5
to the owners thereof Said commissioners
shall agree upon and publish schedule OF
prices every two months, or oftener if they
shall deem it proper; and in the event they
shall not be able to agree in any M after con-
fidcd to them 10 this act they shall have
power to appoint an umpire to decide the
matter in dispute whose decision shall be
the decision Of the board; and said umpire
shall receive the same rate Of compensation
I for the time he shall serve, allowed to said
commissioners respectfully: Provided, that
| said commissioners shall be residents of the
State for which they shall be appointed;
and if The Governor of any State shall re-
fuse or neglect to appoint said commission
er within ten days after request to do SO
by the President, the President shall APP
point both commissioners by ana with the
advice and consent of the Senate.
"SEc 6 That all property impressed or
taken for the public use as aforesaid, in the
hands of any person other than the persons
who have raised, grown or produced the
same, Or persons holding the same for their
own use or consumption and who shall make
the affidavit herein before required, shall
be paid for according to the schedule OF prl-
ces fixed by the commissioners as aforesaid