The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-03-21

Quoted said war, in violation Of all laws of
civilized warfare; and also to compel them
to mako some compensation for the damage
and expenditures caused by the said war
therefore
Be It enacted, de-, That all public lands
belonging to the ten States that formed the
Government of the so-called Confederate
States Of America shall be forfeited Dy the
said States, and become forthwith vested
in the United States. ...--.---
SECTION 2. And be IL further enacted,
That the President shall forthwith cause
the seizure of such property belonging to
the bclligercnt enemy as is deemed for
feited by the act of July II, 1862, and hold
and appropriate the same as enemy's pro-
perty, aud proceed to condemnation with
that already seized.
SECTION 3. And be II further enacted,
That in lieu Of the proceeding to condemn
the property thus seized, as provided by
the act of July IL, 1862, two commissioners
or more, as may be by him deemed neces-
sary, may be appointed by the President
for each of the said Confederate States, to
consist Of three persons each, one Of whom
shall be an officer of the army and two
shall be civilians, neither Of whom shall be
citizen of the State for which ne shall be
| appointed, and the said commission shall
adjudicatc and condemn the property afore-
said under such forms and proceedings as
shall be prescribed by the Attorney Gene
| raj, whereRpon the title Of said property
shall become vested in the United States.
SECTION 4. And be ii further enacted,
That out Of the lands thus seized and con-
fiscated the slaves who have been libe-
rated by the operations Of the war and the
amendment to the Constitution or other
wise, who resided in the said Confederate
| States on the 4th Of March, 1861, or since,
| shall have distributed to them forty acres
for each adult male, and to each person
who is head Of family forty acres, to be
| held in fee simple, but to be inalienable for
| the next ten years after they become
| seized thereof. For the purpose of dis
| tributing and allotting the said land, the
Secretary of War shall appoint as many
| commissions in each State as he shall deem
necessary, to consist of three members
each, two of whom, at least, shall not be
citizens of the State for which they are
appointed. Each of said commissioners
shall receive a salary of $4,000 annually
aud all necessary expenses. Each COM
mission shall be allowed one clerk, whose
salary shall be $4,000 per annum. The
title to the homestead aforesaid shall be
vested for the use of the liberated per-
sons aforesaid in trustees, who shall be
appointed by the Secretary of War, and
shall receive such salary as he shall direct,
not exceeding $4,000 per annum. AT the
end of ten years the absolute title to the
said homestead shall be conveyed to the
said owners or to the heirs of such as are
then dead.
SECTIONS. And be it further enacted, That
out of the balance of the property thus
seized and confscated there shall be raised
N the manner hereinafter provided sum
equal to $50 for each homestead, to be APP
piled by the trustees, hereinbefore men
toned, toward the erection of buildings on
the said homesteads for the use of the said
slaves, and further sum of S500,000,000
which shall be appropriated as follows
viz, 5000, 900, 900 shall be invested in Uni
led States six per centum securities, the
interest of which shall be semi-annually
added to the pensions allowed by law to
pensioners who have become SO by reason
IF the late war; $3O0,000,000, or so much
thereof as may be needed, shall be appro-
priated to pay damages done to loyal citi-
zens by the civil or military operations of
the Government of the lately so-called
Confederate States Of America.
SECTION 6. And be 1t further enacted,
That the property of no one shall be seized
whose whole estate on the 4th of March,
1865, was not worth more than $4,000, to
be valued by the said commission, unless
he shall have voluntarily become an Of
ticer or employe in the military or civil
service of the confederate States of
America" or in the civil or military SER
vice of some one of the said States, and
in enforcing all the considerations the sum
or value of $4,000 in real or personal pro-
perty shall be left or assigned to the de-
linquent.
Section I. And be ii further enacted,
That the commission shall put just and
impartial valuation on all the property
thus seized and forfeited and when such
valuation shall be completed in the several
States, all the said commissioners shall
meet in Washington and assess the $780,
900 900 aforesaid, as well as the allowances
Tor the homestead buildings, pro rata on
each Of the properties or estates thus
seized, and shall give notice of such as
sessment and apportionment by the publ
cation for sixty days, in two daily news
papers in Washington and in two daily
newspapers in the capitals of each of the
said Confederate States.
SECTION s. And be it further enacted, That
if the owners of the said seized and for
feited 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 respectively,
all of their estates and lands not actually
appropriated to the liberated slaves shall
be released and restored to their owners.
SECTION Q. And be il. further enacted, That
all land, estates, and property of whatever
kind which shall not be redeemed as atore-
said in the ninety days shall be sold and
converted into money in such time and
manner as may be deemed by the said
commissioners most advantageous to the
United States: Provided, That no arabic
land shall be sold in larger tracts than five
hundred acres: And provided further, That
no longer credit shall be given than three
years.
FROM AccoMAo COUNTY, VA.-The fol-
lowing extract from private letter from