The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-03-31
AN ACT TO REGULATE IMPRESS
MENTS


The following is the Law passed by the
Confederate Congress-:
r. SECTION l. The Congress of the Confederate
States OF America do enact That whenever the
exigencies ofany army in the field are such as to
make impressments OF forage, articles OF subsIst-
eLcc other property absolutely necessary, then
: such impressnent may be made by the officer or
officers wh.se duty it is to furnish such forage,
articles of subsistence, or other property, tor
such arn,J. In cases where the owner OF such
property and the impressing officer cannotagree on
the value thereof, it shall be the duty Of stch
impressing officer, upon affidavit in writing
of the owner OF such property or his agent,
that such property grown, raised or produced
BY said owner, or is held or has been purchased
BY him, hot ior sale or speculation but for his own
use or consumption, to cause the same to De
ascer tanned or determined by the judgment of two
loyal aud Gsinterested citizens Of the city, county
or parish in which such impressment may be made,
one to be selected by the owner, one by the
! impressing officer, and 10 the event OF their
disagreement those two shall choose umpire OF
| like qualification whose decision shall be final
The persons thus .ei,cted after taking an oath 70
appraise the property impressed, fairly and lm-
| partially, (Which oath we'll as the ahdaFlt
provided tor in this section, the lmpressing omeer
! is hereby authorized to administer aud certlty)
shall proceed to assess just compensation Tor tie
prorerty so impressed whether the absolute owner
Ship Or the temporary use thereof only is required
Sec 3 That the officer or person, impressng
property as aforesaid, shall, at the time OF said
taking pay to the owner, bis agent or attorney
the compensation fixed by said appraisers; and
shall also give to the ownersor person controlling
I said property a certificate his ottclai Sig
nature 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; setting forth the time and
place, when aud where taken, the amount OF
compensation fixed by said appraisers, and the
sum if any, paid for the same.-oald certificate
shall be evidence for the owner, we'll as Of the
taking Of said property for the public use, as the
right of the owner to the amount of compensation
fixed aforesaid. And in case SAID officer or
person taking said property shall have failed to
pay the or his ag mt said compensation as
| hereinbctore required, then said owner shall be
entitled to the speedy paymentof the same by the
proper dsbursng officer, which, when so paid,
Shall be i'll tull satisfaction Of all claim against the
| Government of the Confederate States.
Sec 3. Whenever the appraisement provided
for in the lst section of this act, shall, for any
reason, be impractcable at the time of said iM
pressment than and in that case, the value Of the
property impressed shall be assessed as soon as
possible by two loyal and disintcrestcd citizens of
the city, county or parish, wherein the property
was takes as follows: One by the owner, and one
by the Conmissary or Quartermaster General, or
his agent, who in Of disagreement, shall
choose third citizen of like qualification,
umpire to decide the matters i'll dispute, who shall
be sworn as aforesaid, who shall hear the proofs
adduced by the parties to the value Of said
property, and assess just compensation therefor,
according to the testimony.
| Sec 4. That whenever the Secretary Of War
ho fhaf TO taEc
private property for public use, by reason of the
mnracticability Of procuring the by pur-
! chase, to accumulate necessary supplies for
the army or the GOOD of the service, in any loca-
ty, he may, by general order, through the proper
subordinate officers, authorize such property to be
taken for the public use, the compensation due
the owner for the same to be determined and the
value found as provided for in the first and second
sections of this act
Sec 5. That it shall be the duty of the Prcsi-
dent, as early practicable after the passage of
this act, to appoint a commissioner in each 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 commits
sioner to appoint another comm. missioner te act
! in conjunction with the commissioner appoint
ed by the President, who shall receive the
compensation of eight dollars per day, and ten
cents per mile mileage, to be paid by the Con-
lfederate Government. Said commissioners shall
constitute a board, whose duty it shall be to fix
upon the prices to be paid by the government, for
all property impressed taken for the public use,
aforesaid, to afford just compensation to the
J owners thereof. Said commissioners shall agree
upon, and publish schedule of prices every two
months ofiener if they shall deem it proper; and
in the evet they shall not be able to agree in any
matter confded to them in this act they shall have
power to appoint an umpireto decide the matter in
dispute, whose decision shall be the decision of
the board; and said umpire shall receive the same
rate Of compensation for the timo ne shall serve
allowed to spd commissioners respectively: Provi
deG, That said commissioners shall be residents of
the State for which they shall be appointed; and
if the Governor of any State shall refuse or neg
lect to appoint said commissioner, within ten DAYS
after requested to do So by the President, the Pres
dent shall appoint both commissioners by aud with
the advice aud consent Of the Senate
Sec. 6. That all property Impressed or taken for
the public use, aforesaid, in the hands of auy
person otherashan the persons who have raised.
grown, or produced the same, or persons holding
the same tor their own use consumption, and
who shall make the affidavit heretofore REQUIRED
, shall be paid for according to the schedule Of
prices fixed by the commissioners as aforesaid.
But if the officer imrressng or taking Tor the
public use said property. and the owner shall
differ IS to the quality of the article or property
impressed or taken as aforesaid, thereby making it
fall within higher or lower price named in the
schedule-then the owner or agent aud the officer
, lmDreSSfhr takinr NO. aoJ..t -.