Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1863-03-31
AN ACT To REGULATE IMPRESS.
MENTS.

mentS or OF subsistence OF piop
erty absolutely then Suci mressment On az
be made by the officer officers whose duty 1t is to
furnish such forage arc es Of subsistence or ctner
property for suth Army In where the owner ct
such property aud The lmpIessing officer cannot
gree upon the value thereof shalt be the duty of
suck mpresslng office, upon an affidavit In writing
of The owner of such property or his AGENT tbat such
properly was grown. raised or produced by said own
er, is held has been purchased by HIM not for
sale speculation, but for his own use ct consump
iIon the to be ascertained or determln-
ed by the Judgment of two loyal and dls1neresed CIT
liens of the city, county parish In which such I'M
pressment NAV be made, one to be selected by the
owner one by the impresslng officer and. IN the e.
vent OF their disagreement these two shall choose an
umpire of ike qualifications, hose decision shall be
nal The persons thus selected after taking an oath
TO appraise the property impressed fairly and I'm
partially (Which oa tn well the affidavit provided
tor in this Section, the mpresslng officer is hereby au
torized to administer aud certify, shall proceed to
just compensation tor the property SO Impress
ed the absolute ownership or the temporary
use thereof only Is required.
SEC. g. That the officer person, inlpressing prop
erty aforesaid shall at the time Of said pay
to The owner, his agent or attorney, the compensa
tion ixed by said appraiser and shall also give 20
the owner per sou controlling SAID property, a GER
thcate his official signature specifying the bat
alion 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 setting forth the
time and place when and where taken, the amount OF
compensation fixed by said appraisers, and the sum.
f any, paid for the same. Said certificate shall De
evidence for the owner, well of the taking OF said
property for the public use, the right OF the owner
to the amount Of compensation fixed as aforesaid
And in casesaid officer or person taking said prop
ery, shall have failed to pay The owner or his agent
said compensation he enbetore reqult ed, then SAID
by the proper disbursng officer, which when so
paid shall be 10 full satisfaction OF all claim against
the government of the Confederate States.
SEC. 8. Whenever the appraisement, provided tor
tr,o,, e shall for any
be impracticAble at the time of said impressment,
then and in that case, the value of the property i'm
pressed shall be assessed soon AS possible by two
loyal and citizens of the CITY, county or
parish, wherein The property was taken, CHOSEN as
follows: One by :he owner and one by the commls-
sary, or quarermaser general or his agent, who, In
of disagreement, shall choose third citizen OF
like qualification. umpire to decide the matters
in dispute, who shall be sworn aforesaid who shall
ear the proofs adduced By the parties as to the val
ue of said property, and assess just compensation
therefor, according to the testimony.
SEC. 4. That whenever the Secretary OF ar shaii
be of opinion that it necessary to take private prop
ery for public use, by of the impracicabilty
Of procuring the same by purchase so as to accumu
late necessary supplies for the army or the good OF
the service in any locality he may by general order
through the proper subordinate officers, authorize
such property to be taken for the public use the com
pensaton due the owner for the same to be determln
ed and the vare found provided for In the hrst and
second sections of this act
SIC s. That it shall be the duty of the President.
early practicable after the passage OF tits act !"
appoint commissioner In each State where property
sha be taken for The public use and request the Go
vernon OF such of he STATES in which the President
shall appoint said commissioner to appoint another
commissioner 10 act IN CONJUNCTION with the commis-
sioner appointed DIV the President who shall receive
the compensat ton OF eight dollars PER day. and ten
cents per mi mileage, to be paid bs the Corr de
rate Gov erun,eut Said commissioners shall con
-tute board whose duty it shall be to nix upon the
or Cas- TO be paid BY he Government for all property
Impressed taken for public as aor esald so
af,rd just compensation to the owners thereof
.ald comm ,ssioners shall agree upon and publish
chedule of prices every months, or otteper, II
they shall deem roper; ard in The event they snail
be able TO agree any matter conhded to them 10
his act they shall have power to appoint an umpire
decd the matter in dispute. wi hose decision snai
De The decision of the board ard said umpire sha
receive the rate Of compensation for the time ne
shall serve allowed said commissioners respective
ly: Pro0tdet, That said commissioners shall be resi-
dents of the State for which thev shall be appointed
and if the Governor of any State shall refuse or neg
lect to appoint said commissioners, within ten DAYS al
request to do so by the President the President
shall appoint both commissioners by and with
vice and consent of the Senate.
SEC 6. That all property impressed or taken for
the pubic use, aforesaid in the hands OF any person
other than the persons who have raised, grown, or
produced the Same, or persons holding the same Tor
heir consumption. and who shall make
the affidavit hereinoefore required, shall be paid Tor
according to the schedule OF prices liked by the COM
missiouers aforesaid. But if the officer lmpressing
or taking for the public use said property, and the
shall differ 10 the quality OF the article or
property impressed or taken as aforesaid. thereby
making it fall within higher or lower price named
N the schedule then the owner or agent and the ON
Ger mpress;ng or taxing, as aforesaid. may seiect
each, Toy al and disnterested citizen OF the qnall
cations as aforesaid to determine the quality OF SAID
article or property who shall, in of disagree,
ment appoint umpire of like qualifications and his
decision if approved by the officer imp essing shall
be final But, if not approvs d. the lmpess'ng ohcer
shall send the award to the commissioners OF the
yfufo ,haro t,o 10 with
sons for disappearing the same. and said commission
may hear such proofs the parties may respec-
tivey adduce and their decision shall be final: Pro-
yided That the owner may receive the price oHered
by the mpressipg officer, without prejudice to his
claim to receive the CHER compensat on
SEC. Z. That the property necessary for the sup
port of the owner and bis family and 10 carry on his
ordinary agricultural aud mechanical. business TO be
mined by the appraisers, to DE appointed as pro-
vided in the first section of this act under oath. shall
not be taken or impressed for the public use; and
when the impressipg officer and the owner cannot
agree as to th quantity of property, as aforesaid
then the decisions of the said appraisers shall be bind
ing on the officer and all other persons
SEC. s. Where the property has been impressed
for temporary use and is lost or destroyed, without
the default of the wner, the government OF the Con
ederate States shall pay Just compensation therefor
to be ascertaned by appraisers appointed and quail
fed as provided in the Sd section OF the act 1t such
property when returned has, in the opinion Of the
ow ner been injured whist in the public use, the
mount of damage thereby sustained shall be deter
mined 10 the manner described In the tn1rQ SecOn OF
this act the officer returning the property being au
h,rzed to act behalf of the government and upon
such inquiry, the certefe of the value of the prop
ertv when originally Impressed shall be received as
priaaG facie evidence of the value thereof.
SEC. 9. Where slaves impressed by the Con-
Tolerate Government to labor on fnrtifcahOns or 9th
er public works, the lmpressment shall be made by
said government according to the rules and regula-
prescribed in the laws OF the State wherein they
are impressed and, in the absence of such law, in
accordance with such rules and regulations
ssent with the PROVISIONS of this act the Secretary
of War shall from time to time prescribe: Provided
That NO impressment of slaves shall be made when
they can be hired procured by the consent of the
owner or agent
SEC. To- That previous to the first day Of Deem
Der next. no slave aboring on farm or plantation
exclusively devoted to the production of grain and
provisions shall be taken for the pubic use, wlihou
the consent OF the owner except case OF urgent ne
cessity.
SEC Il. That any commissioned or non c ommis
stoned officer private who shall violate The provls-
Of this act shall be tried before the military
court OF the corps to which he is attached, on com
plant made by the owner other person. and or
conviction if officer he shall be cisble red aud pu
into the ranks IA private, and if commission
ed officer or private, he SHALL suffer punishment
inconsistent with military law, as The may
direct.
Bail at the Odd FeIiows' Hall.
There will be BALL at the ODD Fellows Hall or
u,vvr