Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-03-18
,IMPREssMENT IN CONGRESS

IMPREssMENT IN CONGRESS.
In the House of Representatives of the Confede.
rate States on Tuesday last the following proceed
ings took place on the subject of impressment,:
The joint resolutions from the Senate, relating to
the production OF provisions, were taken up and
read first time.
Mr.. H. w. Bruce, of Kentucky, was in favor of
an amendment to the following. effect and asked
that it be read for the nformatis, of the House.
-" Resotsed, That the President be also requested
ask the State Legislatures universally prohibit
the production Of cotton and. tobacco during the
present year, and that such State Legislatures as
are not now in session, be convened for that pur-
pose"
Mr.. Baldwin, of Virginia. offered the following
amendment to the second resolution of the Senate
And that the President be also requested in
sach proclamation to give to the producers of food
the assurance that if at any time it shall become
necessary to impress provisions forage for public
uses, full and just compensation wlbe made to the
owner, according to the fair market value at the
time and place Of seizure"
Mr. Baldwin, in advocating his amendment ami.
madverted with severity upon the present system
OF nnpressment protesting against it "a violation
OF the rights Of The citizens. When it was under
STOOD iaat the Confederate government claimed the.
rignt 10 seize private property without law or an.
thoslty OF Congress seize it at an arbitrary val
uatlon below the market price, he thought it time
Tor every representative, and especially every Vr
glnan, to enter solemn and earnest protest AGAINST
! the policy. Not only vas the power claimed tn
violate principles underlying all good government
but to violate the Confederate Constitution Itself
Government was making these seizures deliberately
IN the lace of law and in opposition to the written
opinion of the Attorney General of the Confederate
s1ates-that the right of seizure must be granted
oy law, oy act of Congress that if the government
makes seizures otherwise it commits trespass. for
"r'ch any citizen had redress by law and that no
o'neer mao right to impress without such author
NY. tic had seen this written opinion, delivered
SIN months ago. and again very recently, It was
'he OPINION OF the law officer of the government
.nat tnere was NO right to take private property
under the Constitution, except at the fair market
value at the tiufe and place of seizure. Now when
ne say the Secretary of War cQmmittins error and
pers'stng IN it. directly il the face Of the opinion
gwen by the law officer Of the government, he
,nousht 1t time for the people to speak out and.n
oeuer opportunity would occur thas that afforded
oy inc Senate resolutions. Until We could come to
Tue farmers with the assurance offered in his amend
ment, 1t would be treated as a mockery and an in
suit to urge them to raise provisions which We're
iiaole to be seized at half the market value. He
hoped the House would not hesitate one moment
IN ENGRAVING this feature upon the resolutions as
necessary part Of the encouragement of proper as
rcuiture. (Mr. Baldwin quoted from letter from
one OF ms constituents describing the state of
tnings existing in the Valley .d;strict) The peo-
pie ne Continued could not send cattle to- this CITY
except with the risk of seizure at little over half
the market value at the place where they started
IRON, or the place to which they were going. They
were afraid to risk It, What state of things was
thiS! In the city Of Richmond the other dav the
government seized all the -four at prices notorious.
ly less than the market valne. The plea was mill
tary ncceSslty-the army must be fed. He admit
ted the force OF the plea, but denied that was nee
tn faulf cni.l 4. !
the poor people Of the country feed their wives and
children 1t was having the effect in this city and
IN Petersburg of bringing the people to the verge
oil starvation. lie quoted the instance OF miller
who actually lost SSu,0vo by these impressments-
equivalent to forced contribution to that amount
to the support OF the goSern:neat Did any one
suppose that the people Of the country would SUBJ
nit to this sort Of thing? DID any one suppose
they would cheerfully support government which
gave them no security for privae property The
people were patriotic, and were prepared to submit
to grievances and hardships but it was calculating
too much their patriotism to suppose that they
would permanently submit to seizures Of private |
property by government officials without any ar-
thority of law. He hoped the consequences would |
be averted; but unless something were done, evil /
results would ensue as as there was a God in |
Heaven. 1t was the duty of Congress to avert that
state of thiaSs-to give the people the legal and
constitutional protection which they claim-to pro-
tect them by just wise and timely legislation. lie |
I'D not counsel resstance-God forbdl He was
for making the people patriotic by encouraging their
patriotic feelings. In answer to numerous letters
from bis constituents Oh this subject, he had advised
them to appeal to- the laws of the land
Mr, Miles, of South Carolina, demanded the yeas
and nays, and Mr.. Badwins amendment was adopt
ed by llae following vote:
Ye,.s-Messrs. Arlington, Ashe. Baldwin, Bat
son, Boteler, Boyce, Bridgers Bruce, a. W., Bruce
F.. NJ, Clapp, Clark, Copton, Collier Davidson, De
.Jarnett, Duprc Foose Foster Gardcnhier, Garrett
Cartel, Goode, Henly, Hsiske, Herbert, iiolcombe,
jones' kcnan, o. Ns'th Carolina, Marshall Menees,
Miles, Miller, Munnrrynn, Perkins, Rails Simpson,
Smith of Alabama 'Stnt! Of North Carolina, Smith
'sf Virginia, Vest Vllers Wright of Tennessee, Mr..
Speaker-4S
Nays-Messrs BarkstL,le, Burnett Chambers,
Chi!ton, Conrad. Conrov, Curry, Elliott, EWING
Farrow, Freeman, Garland Grahami Gray, Harris, T
Hartr,dge, Hilton, Hodge, Kcuner, Lander, Lyon,
Aachen, Mcdowell, McRe McQneen, Moore, Pugh, |
Royston, Sexton, Singleton, Strickland, SWAIN, |
Tr,ppc, Wech, Wicox-55. -. |
The resolutions then passed as amended. 4