The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1867-03-29
CoNFIsCATI0N.
The FuIl Text of Thad. Stevens Fill
to Destroy the South.
A Heartless Scheme.

punishment should be inflicted on the peo-
pie who constituted the Confederate States
of America" both because they declared
an unjust war against the United States for
the purpose of destroying republican liber-
ty and permanently establishing slavery, as
well as for the cruel and barbarous man
ner in which they conducted said war, in
violation of all laws of civilized warfare
and also to compel them to make sonne COM
pensation for the damages and expenditures
caused by the said war: therefore,
Be it enacted, ETC., That all public lands
belonging to the ten States that formed the
Government of the so-called Confederate
States of America shall be forfeited by the
said States, and become forthwith vested
in the United States.
Sec. Q. And be it further enacted. That
the President shall forthwith cause the
seizure Of such property, belonging to the
beligerent enemy, as is deemed forfeited
by the act of July II, 1869, and hold and
appropriate the same as. enemy's property,
and proceed to condemnation with that al
ready seized.
Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That
in lieu of the proceeding to condemn the
property thus seized, as provided by the
act of July II, 1862, two commissions. or
more, as may be deemed by him necessary,
may be appointed by the President for
each of the said Confederate States, to con-
sist of three persons each, one of whom
shall be an officer of the army and two
shall be civilians, neither of whom shall
be. citizens of the State for which he shall
be appointed; and the said commission
shall adjudicate and condemn the property
aforesaid, under such forms and proceed
ings as shall be prescribed by the Attorney
General, wbereupon, the title to said pro-
perty shall become vested in the United
States.
Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That
out of the lands thus seized and confsca-
ted, the slaves who have been liberated by
the operations of the war and the amend
ment to the Constitution, or otherwise,
who resided in the said Confederate States
on the 4th Of March, 1861. or since, shall
have distributed to them 40 acres for each
adult male, and to each person who is head
of a family 40 acres, to be held in fee sim
pie, but to be iualienable for the next ten
years after they become seized thereof
For the purpose Of distributing and allot-
ting the said land. the Secretary of War
shall appoint as many commissions in each
State as he shall deem necessary, to con
sist 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
So, 600 annually, and all necessary expen-
| ses. Each commissioner shall be allowed
one clerk, whose salary shall be 1000 per
annum. The title to the homestead, afore-
said, shall be vested for the use of the lib
Grated persons aforesaid, in trustees, who
shall be appointed by the Secretary of War,
and shall receive such salary as he may d.
rect, not exceeding 1000 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.
Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That
out of the balance of the property thus
seized and confscated, there shall be raised,
in the manner hereinafter provided, sum
equal to $50 for each homestead, to be ap-
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 $500, 600, 900,
which shall be appropriated as follows,
viz: $500, 900, 900 shall be invested in
United States six per centum securities,
the interest of which shall be semi-annual-
ly added to the pension allowed by law to
pensioners who have become so by reason
of the late war SOC, 900, 900, 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 Con.
federate States of America.
Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, Thai
the property of no one shall be seized
whose whole estate on the 4th Of March
1865, was not worth more than $4,000, t.
be valued by the said commission, unless
he shall have voluntarily become an officer
or emplOye in the military or civil service
of the Confederate States ofAmerica, . o.
in the civil or military service of some on,
of the said States and in enforcing al
the confscations, the sum OF value o
5000 in real or personal property shall b.
left or assigned to the delinquent.
Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, Tha
the commissioner shall put just aud i'm
partial valuation on all the property thus
seized and forfeited, aud when such valu
atioP shall be completed 10 the severa
, States. all the said commissioners shall