The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-03-23
MIR. STEVENS, cosE1scATrON BILL.

ern property, which THAD. STEVENS has introduce.
in Congress, and which has been postponed unit
next December: g-5:j 4Hu
Whereas, It is due to justice and as an exampl,
sS,,,7E 70 t9lure time, that some prompt punishment
shoqd the De inileted on the people who constituted
they declared an unjust war against the United
States foz tho purpose Of destroying republican
well as for the cruel ana barbarous manner iI H
which they conducted said war in violation of all
laws Of civilized warfare and also to compc
and expenditures caused by the said war. There.
fore, Wa "t 44
Be it enacted, &C., Tint all public lands belong
ing to the ten States that formed the government,
Of the so-called Confederate States Of An1erica
shall be forfeited by the said States, and become
forthwith Tl1 vested in the Omitted States:
ba Se II 1her 9Raossa se That th
property be.ongingt the bolligerent enemy, as is
deemod forfeited 6y the act Of July II, 1862, and
nold and appropriate the sanc as enemy q proper
ty and proceed to condemnation with that already
SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That in Lieu
seized as provided blythe Act of July II, 1862 two
commissioners or more. as may be by him deemed
eeS o b States s das
three persons each, one Of whom shall be al, officer
Of the army NJ two shall be civilians, neither Of
shall be appoint i, and the said Commission shall
adjudicate and condemn tho property aforesaid
under such forms and proceedings as shall be pre-
scribed by the Attorney General, whereupon the
title to said property shall become vested in the
United States. M Ns 1 -7
SEQ. 4. And be it further enacted, That out Of
the lands thus seized and contiscated, tho slaves
who have been liberated by the operations Of the
war and the amendment to tho Constitution or
States on the 4th Of March, 1861, or sinc,. shall
have distributed to them forty for each adult
male and to each person who is head OF . family
forty acres, to be held il fee simple but to be ma
iennhse for the next, ten years after they become
seized thereof For the purpose of distributing
and nllotting the said land tho Secretary OF War
as he-sshha1ld ldeem necessary, to con ist of three
members each, two q whom, at least shall not Be
Gtlzens OF the State FOR which they are appointed
Of $4,000 annually, and all necessary expenses.
Each Commission shall be allowed one clerk whose
salary shall be $1,000 per annum. The title to the
the liberated persons aforesaid, in trustees. who
shall be appointed by the Secretary of War and
shall receive such salary as he shal direct not c1-
the absolute title to the said homestead shall be
conveyed to the said owners, or to the heirs of
such as are then dead. =a5 ~ III; hss.@E E \. =
3sssted there shal be raised in the manner hero
stead, to be applied by the trustees hereinbefore
mentioned, toward the erection Of buildings on tho
sad homesteads ieI the use Of the said slaves and
priated as follows, $500 0O0oeo shall bo invest
ed in United States six per centum secnrities the
interest Of which shall be semi-annua1y added 10
the the pensions allowed by law 70 pensioners who
nave become so by reason Of the late war; $500.
tO, goo OF go much thereof as may be needed
snaA oe approprlated to pay damages done to loyai
c1tzens by the civil or military operations of the
government Of the lately so-calfed Confederate
States Of America. ~ ~ n u - - 'o
SEC. s. And be it further enacted, That the pro
pery OF no one shalf be seized whose whole estate
on the 4th OF March, 1865, was not worth more
than $1,000 To- be valued by the said Comrnission,
unless he shall have voluntarily becom, an oficarr
or employee in the military or civil service of the
Confederate States of Americ3 or in the civil or
military service OF some ono Of tho said States,
value Of 5000 in real personal property sha be
left or assigned to the delinquent f7T71- -
! SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the
commission shall put a just and impartial valua-
and when such valuation shall be completed in the
several States, all thes said Commissioners shall
meet in Washington and assess the $500 GOO. 600
atorasald as wei as the alloEar6er er fno h6lsfHas
sess9 ssized, and shall give. notice Of
cation, for sixty days, two daily newspapers in
Washington, and in the two daily newspapers IN
the capitals Of each Of the said Confederate States
SEC. .. And be it further enacted, That if the
owners Of the said seized and forfeited estates
shall within ninety days after the first of the said
provisions, pay into the Treasury of the United
States the sum assessed on their estates respec-,
appropriated to the liberated slaves shall be &c
leased and restored to their owners. i.,
SEQ 8. And be it further enacted That all land
estates and property Of whatever kind, which shall
shall be seld and converted into money n snch
time and manner as may be deemed by the said
y commissioners most advantageous to the United
states provided that no arabic land shall be sold
vided further that no longer credit shall be given
than three years. ,-'' -