The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-02-23

THE IMPREssMENT OF MEAT.
The following is the bill passed by Congress for
the impressment of meat for the army:
| pressnaent Of meat for the use of the arssy, an
der certain circumstances"
SECTION l. The Congress Of the Confederate
States OF America do enact, That whenever the
President shall declare that the public exlgencles
render 1t necessary, impressments OF meat Tor the
use OF the army, may be made from any supplies
that may exist in the country, under the express
condition that just compensation shall De Afforded
to the owner Of the meat taken or impressed, and
subject to the following restrictions and limita-
tions:
| SEC 2 The power to direct such impressment
shall be conferred upon the Secretary of War; but
h- shall not reduce the supplies of any person be-
low half of the quantity usually allowed for the
support of himself, his family and dependents for
the year. He shall exercise the said power byor.
ders directed to the officers or agents he may en-
poy, who shall have explicit Instructions to the
mode of its execution, and injunctions that the
same shah not be abused.
SEC g. That these orders shall direct that no.
ice shall be given to the owners of the meat need
ed, his balee other agent, declaring the quanti-
ty required, the price offered, the existence of a
necessity, and whether possession is to be taken of
the same Immediately, and with whom the risk of
the safe keeping is to be- pending the pegotiation,
and in what manner the compensation shall be set
tied, in the offer is not accepted-seryice Of
which notice shall be condition precedent to any
impressment or seizure by the impressing officer
Sec. 4. That upon the service Of this notice up
on the owner Of any meat liable to impressment,
the shall hold the same, subject to the claim
Of :he Confederate States and shall be entitled to
just compensation, according to- the provisions Of
this act and if the necessity is declared by the
impressing officer to be urgent, he shall deliver
the possession to the impressipg officer upon his
demand, who shall give receipt therefor, as pro-
vided in the sixth section of this act.
Sec. 5. That for the ascertainment of the guam
tity Of meat liable to impressmeDt under this act
and also for just compensation for the same, where
the owner and the inpressng officer cannot agree,
the impressing officer shall appoint one loyal and
dsnterested citizen of the county, district par
ish, in which the meat impressed shall be at the
time of inpressment and the owner of the meat
impressed, his agent other baee shall appoint
another, who shall, upon OATH ascertain the guam
tity liable to impressment, and the value of the
same at the date of the notice served upon the
party, which oath may be administered by the i'm
pressing officer, and which ascertainment Of the
quantity and value shall be conclusive evidence
thereof and if the assessors cannot agree, they
may associate with them third person, of like
qualification to make said assessment
D.
made, under this act, it shall be the duty of the
impressing officer to give an official certificate,
showing the quantity taken, the company, 5attal-
ion, reg iment other command, for whose use it
is required, the compensation to be paid, the cir
cumstances of necessity that existed, which certf,
cate shall be evidence of a claim against the Con
federate States and shall be promptly paid by the
discussing officer of the command for which the
meat was taken, or by the chief of the bureau
kav Nh 81 i Gov,
THE HABEAs CoRPUs.-We have undou bted
information of the passage Of bill by Congress to
suspend temporarily the privilege Of the Habeas
Corpus act.
We have for sometime foreseen that this would
become necessty-and in our private converse
tons We were free to speak of it, With the hope that
our opinion mig hit have avail to stop the
causes which were likely to bring it about.
But the suspension of the Habeas Corpus will
not produce any Inconvenience to good and loyal
peoule. The civil law will still have its force and
authority in all matters touching the rights and
persons of the citizens except when by reasonable
or seditious practices they choose to bring them
selves under military law.
But this suspension will have one good effect,
that ought to crafty every father, wife, child or
other person who has a son, husband, parent kim
dred or friend in the army. 1t will fill up the
ranks Of that arniy-it will send other men, who
have not done anything but yawn and stretch, to
he p the men who have done all the work-who
will from or share death with many gallant
hero 1t will shield the army from Judicial cks'
that knocked men out of the service and it will
do no harm to any but the evil disposed. -Rulctyh
Confederate. -.
CAPTURE OF NOTORIOUS BUFFALo.-No
event which has occurred during this war could
have given more satisfaction than will the one
which it is our pleasure to announce this morning.
The renegade and Buffalo, Capt Hoggard, who has
been SO long terror to Eastern Carolina, was cap
tured on Friday night last, and is now prisoner
in the Confederate lines. Hoggard has be.n dep
redatiDg on people of BERTHE, Gates, -Chowan and
counties contiguous, for some time past, at the
head of one hundred repegades who, like himself,
should have deemed it dear privilege to fight for
their native State. Having been considerably an
noyed by members of the 62d Georgia regiment,
Col Griffin, Hoggard has been lying in ambush
for Captains Bowers and Davis, of the above com
nand, and had but recently sent them message
that he would capture them at early day, lose
his life in the attempt. But sometimes would be
captors themselves captured, and such has been
the fate of the unfortunate Hoggard. Hearing
that Hoggard would visit his wife on Friday night
last, Capt Bowers disnlounted his command and
proceeded to the residence of Hoggard in Berthe
county, niue miles from Windsor. Arriving at
their destination unobserved by the enemy Hog
CARDS home speedily surrounded, and loud
rap at the door piyen HWho's there2" enouired a