The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-28
CoNFIsCATIoN ACT
IPunLtc No. 1901


ioa in Congress assembled, That every person
who shall hereafter commit the crime of
treason against the United States, and
shall be adiudged guilty thereof, shall
suffer death, and all his slaves, if any,
shall be declared aud made free or at
the discretion Of the court, he shall be
imprisoned for not less than five years,
and fined not less than ten thousand dol
lars; said fine shall be levied aud collect
cd on any or all Of the property, real and
personal, excluding slaves, Of which the
said person 30 convicted was the owner
at the time Of committing the said crime,
any sale or conveyance 20 the contrary,
Notwithstanding.
Sec. 2. And b. 10 further e,jnctei, That
IL any person shall hereafter incite, set
on foot, assist, or engage in any rebellion
or instruction against the authority Of
the United States, or the laws thereof, or
shall give aid or comfort thereto, or shall
engage in, or give aid and comfort to- any
such existing rebellion or instruction,
aud be convicted thereof, such person
shall be punished by Imprisonment for a
period not exceeding ten years, or by a
fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars,
and by the liberation Of all his slaves if
any he have; or by both Of said punish
ments, at the discretion of the court.
Sec. 3. And lie IL f,ntler enacted, That
every person guilty Of either Of the often
ces described in this act shall be forever
incapable and disqualified to hold any
office under Ne United States.
Sec. T. And be IL tujtleS enacted That
this act shall not be construed in any
way TO affect or altar the prosecution,
conviction, or punishment Of any person
or persons guilty of treason against the
United States before the passage of this
act, unless such person Is convicted un-
der this act.
Sec. 3. And be IL further eaacied That,
10 ensure the speedy termination of the
present rebellion, it shall be the duty of
the President of the United States to
cause the seizure of all the estate aud
property, money, stocks, credits, and ef-
fects of the persons hereinafter named
in this section, and TO apply and use the
same and the proceeds thereof for the
support of the army of the United States
that is TO say
First. OF any person hereafter acting
~ an officer of the army or navy ot the
rebels in array against the Government
of the United States.
Secondly. OF any person hereafter act
ing as President, Vice-P President, mem
Der of Congress, judge of any court, cab
met officer, foreign minister, commits
sioner or consul of the so-callcd ConfCd-
crate States of America.
Thirdly. OF any person acting as
Governor of State, member of a Con-
vention or Legislature or judge of any
court of any of the so-called Confederate
States of America.
Foqrthly. OF any person who, having
held An Office of honor, trust Orpl fit in
the United States, shall hereafter hold an
Office in the sO.caled Confederate States
of America.
Filthy. OF any person hereafter hold
ing an Office or agency under the social
ed Confederate States of America, or I'M
der any of the several States of the said
Confederacy, or the laws thereof, whe-
Their such Office or agency be national,
state, or municipal in its name or char
acter: ProUac1, That the persons thirdly,
fourthly and 6fthly above described
shall have accepted their appointment or
election since the date of the pretended
ordinance Of secession of the State, or
shall have taken an o;Sh of allegiance to,
or to support the Constitution Of, the So
called Confederate States.
SiXthly. OF any person who, owning
property in any loyal State or Territory
Of the United States, or in the District of
Columbia, shall hereafter assist and give
aid and comfort to such rebellion; and all
sales, transfers, or conveyances Of any
such property shall be null and void; and
il stall be sufficient bar to any suit
brought by such person for the possession
or use of such property, or any of it, to
allege and prove that he is one of the per-
sons described in this section.
Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, Thatif
any person within any State or Terrific
ry of the United States other than those
named as aforesaid, after the passage of
this act, being engaged in armed rebel
lion against the Government of the Unit
ed Stairs, or aiding or abetting such re-
bellion, shall not, within sixty days after
public warning and proclamation duly
gHen and made by the President of the
United States, cease TO aid, countcnance,
and abet such rebellion, and return TO his
allegiance TO the United States, all the
estate and property, moneys, stocks and
credits of such person shall be liable TO
seizure as aforesaid, and it shall be the
duty Of the President TO seize and use
them as aforesaid, or the proceeds there
- II
ances of any such property after the oS-
piration of the said sixty days from the
date of such warning and proclamation,
shall be null and void; and it shall be a
sufficient bar to any suit brought by such
person for the possession or the use of
such property, or any of it. 70 allege and
prove that he is one of the persons de-
scribed in this section
SEC Z. And he 10 further enacted, That
to secure the condemnation and sale Of
any such property, after the same shall
have been seized, so that il may be made
available for the purposes aforesaid, pro-
ceedings in rem shall be instituted in
the name of the United States in any
district court thereof, or in any Terrific
rial court, or in the United States dis
trict court for the District OF Columbia
within which the property above desert
bed, or any part thereof, may be found,
or into which the same, if movable, may
first be brought, which proceedings shall
conform as nearly as may be to proceed
ings in admiralty or revenue cases, and
said property, whether real or personal,
shall be found TO have belonged to a per-
son engaged in rebellion, or who has Civ
en- aid or comfort thereto the same shall
be condemned as enemies property, and
become the property of the United States,