Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-05-04
Rebel Secret Service bureau.


mond on its Occupation by our forces,
was bill. offered In secret session of the
rebei. congress last January, establish
ing "Secret Service Bureau" for the
examination of the "merit and practl-
cability of inventions, plans and secret
enterprises" the employment of secret
agents "either in the Confederate States,
or within the enemy's lines, or in any
foreign country" and authorizing the
chief officer "to organize such system
for the application Of new means Of
warfare approved and Of Secret Service
agencies, us may tend best to secure the
objects of the establishment Of the
Bureau"
The bill itself has not been published
in any newspaper south or north so far
as we have observed, but through the
courtesy of an officer who held a high
position in Richmond after it's capture,
we are enabled to lay before our readers
complete and exact copy of the docu-
ment 1t will be found Of much in
terest.
1t will be seen from perusal Of it,
that prior to the time of the action Of
the rebel Congress on this bill, there
were companies and parties irregulary
organized for the application of sub
merged and other defences, known as the
Torpedo Corps, and for the construction
and use of new warlike instruments,
and for Secret Serpice, who were to be in
Corporated into the organization con-
templated by this act" From knowl-
edge of this fact the perusal of the
bill copied below, and all the facts
that have been developed in relation to
the raids, the incendiary plots and plots
of assassination, one can hardly escape
the horrible conclusion that the Secret
Service" spoken of embraced the burn
ing of northern cities. the plumber and
murder of northern citizens, and even
the assassination of the chief officers
of our government by the "seCret
agents" scattered through Canada and
the loyal States. The conviction is
forced upon us that such 'new" and in
fernal "means Of warfare" were all as
systematically and deliberately con-
trived or approved by the rebel leaders
death, by starvation, exposure and
1endish Cruelties, Of thousands and
tens of thousands of our brave soldiers
whom they held as prisoners of war.
Such is the 'chiyalry" reared by slavery,
and it were better for the progress Of
humanity and true civilization that the
whole fair south should be inhabited by
the most barbarous tribes of untutored
savages, than that "cOnfederaCyn
should exist there under the despotic
control of men capable of approving
such unparalleled and internal atroci-
ties under the pretense of civilized war
fare.
The following is the bill referred to:
BILL
To provide for the establishment of q
Bureau of Secret Service, and formation
Of Polytechnic Corps of operators and
secret agents.
WhereaS, There is now no efficient sys-
tenn for the encouragement, develop
ment, or application of new inventions
and secret agencies for the defence of
the country; and whereas, it has been
shown that by individual. exertions and
private enterprise, many useful inven-
tions have been made which would be
greatly beneficial to the common de-
fence were they regularly and systemat-
ically developed and applied; and where
as, there is now no department author
lied, under existing laws, to experiment
upon and reduce to system the opera
ton of ew and destructive modes of
warfare, or for the efficient direction of
eCret agencies, and to provide for the
ERECTION and application Of the same.
Sec l. The Congress of the Confeder-
ate States Of America do enact, that
Bureau for the examination, experiment
and application of Warlike inventions,
and direction Of secret agencies, is here
by established, to consist of one Chief
of Bureau and Board of Examiners,
| to consist of three members to be com
posed of competent scientific or me-
chanical persons, whose attainments or
experience may qualify them for the du-
ty, who shall be appointed by the Presi-
dent, with the rank and pay, correspond
ing to similar grades of service in the
Engineer Bureau and Corps, which he
may determine.
Sec. 2. 1t shall be the duty Of the bu-
reau hereby organized to examine all in
| ventions, plans and enterprises, which
| may be of value in offensive or defensive
| warfare, and to cause to be tested, by
actual experiment, such as may require
it, and are sufficiently approved to war
rant the expenditure for such practical
test, and to provide for their efficient ap-
| plication; and for this purpose shall be
authorized to make acquisitions upon
the different departments and bureaux
of the government for such materials
shops and workmen as may be neces-
sary; Or when it shall be necessary,
| purchase the material or contract there
| for, or for the construction of any ap-
| naratuS or cODtriV1ncp that NAV he on