Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1863-02-20

Ane IoioWlbg Is copy OF the impress
mcnt bill which was passed BY Congress on
Friday last
SECTION i.-The Congress Of the Con.
federate States of America do enact Any
officer Of the Confederate States. command
ing a military district or department., NAV
authorize the impressnient, BY al officer Of
grade not lower than captain, under special
order, of property, other than the property
of State Of the Confederate States, fsdr the
use of the army or other necessary military
purpose, by order in writing. whenever he
is satisfied that the same cannot be procured
in due time, except by impressment.
SEC. g.. Where slaves are required to la
Dor on Notifications or other public works
the imprcssmcnt shall be made in accord
ance with the law of the State where they
are employed in the absence Of such law !,
in accordance with rules ana regulations not
inconsistent with the provisions Of this act,
to be prescribed from time to time by the
Secretary Of War: Provided no impress
ment Of slaves shall be made where they can
be hired, at Tie ustial market rates.
SEC. 3. In no instance shall any indi-
viduai be, deprived, by imprcssmcnt, Of the
amount Of PROVISIONS reauired for the COM
Portable support of his family, nor except
undef circumstances of extreme urgency, to
be declared in the order Of the commanding
general, shall any individual be deprived Of
the grain, forage, slaves or other property
necessary for the use of his plantation
SEC. 4. In all cases of impressments,
just compensation shall be made for the
property seized, whether the absolute own
ership, or the temporary use Or hltc ,Shly
thereof demands it. If the owner and the
impressing officer cannot agr ee upon the
amount of such compensation, it1shall be as
ccrtained and determined by the judgment
OF three loyal and disintere sted frecholders
of the city, county or parish in which the
impressment is made-one to- be selected by
.Ac owner, one by the impfessing officer, and
the third to be chosen by these two. The
persons thus selected, after taking an oath
to appraise the property impressed, fairly
and impartally, which oath the impressing
officer is authorized to administer. shall pro-
coed 70 assess tie full value Hf tie property
seized, as we'll as the amount of compensa-
tion for its temporary use or hire. where
that only is required and also to determine
upon the application of the impressing off
Ger, which application is " es made OILY in
extreme cases, What amount of provision
@ould furnish liberal support for the fam
lily Of the owner. And it shall be the duty
Of such persohs to. mako OFT certificate to
be signed BY all the parties, in which the
valuations herein provided for, shall be de-
clared. and the property impressed, where
its temporary use or hire only is demanded,
described with such r!ihu,eness as to iden-
tif5 it, and to deliver one COPY of it to the
owner, and one to the impressing officer.
SEC. 5. Where property has been i'm
pressed fer temporary Use " ksre, and is
lost or destroyed without the defau; of the
owner, the Confederate States shall pay the
full value thereof, as ascertaipcd under the
provisions of this ret. If such property,
whsh Esthrhed; has, in tie opInion Of the
owner, been injured while in the public
use. the amount of damage thereby sus-
tanned shall be determined in the manner
prescribed in the fourth section of this act !;
the officer retarning tbs pr5perty being au-
thorised I'd act of behalf Of the Confederate
States, and upon such inquiry, the certfi-
cate of the value Of the property when orig
inally impressed, shall be received as con-
elusive evidences thereof
SEC. 6-Any officer ST the Confederate
States impressing property in violation of
the provisions of this act, shall be liable to
stth punishment as the military court of the
district or department to which he belongs
may In its discretion inaict, unless colHp!l-
ance with the requirements thereof. be pre-
vented by the owner Of the property or by
the public enemy And in the latter eteit
the impressing officer shall be liable to the
penalties of this section, unless he shall
cause the property seized to be appraised in
tie manner pointed out in this act. as soon
as p:abtlsabls; Of if this be impossible, by
reason of the occupation by the enemy, then
BY an appraiscment in the city, county OF
parish most convenient to that in which the
property was impressed.