Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-03-21
The ConfiscatiOn IsfII of Thad.
stevens-A NIOnstrOus Enactment


Stevens-A NIOnstrOus Enactment
Proposed.
The measure entitled "a bill relative to |
damages done to loyal men," introduced
into che House two or three days ago by
Mr.. Stevens is a confscation act of the |
most sweeping character. He will call it'll
up and support it In an elaborate speech, |
which he prepared more than month ago.
The following is the bill: ~ Ia TO- 80
/ WHEREAS, 1t is due to Justice, and as an
example to future times, that some proper
punishmentsh0uld be inflicted on the peo-
ple who constituted the Confederate States
of America, !" both because they, declaring
an unjust war against the United States for
the purpose OF destroying republican lib
erty and permanently establishing slavery,
as well as for. the cruel and barbarOus man.
ner in which they conducted said war, in
violation of all the laws Of civilized war;
fare, and also to compel them to make some
compensation for the damages and expendi-
lures caused by said war therefore, 20
Be it enacted By the Senate and House of
Representatives Of The United States Of Aneerf-
ca IN Congress dsSenb led, That all the public
lands belonging to the ten States that form
ed the Government of the so-called "Con-'
ltfederate States of America shall be for
IIfeited by said States aud become forthwith
vested in the United States. !'2ili]- ''r's ! y
/ SEC. 2. ATld be 1t further enacted, That the
President shall forthwith proceed to cause
the seizure of such of the property belong
ling to the belligerent enemy as is deemed
forfeited by the act of the 18th of July, An
no Domini, eighteen hundred and sixty
two, and hold and appropriate the same as
enetny's property. and to proceed to con-
lldemnation with. that already seized. q. g"
i SEC. 8. -Ard be it further enacted, That in
Iilieu of the proceeding to- condemn the
property thus seized, as enemy's property,
as is provided by the act of July seventeen,
| Ammo Donaini, eighteen hundred and sixty
two, two commissions or more, as by him
may be deemed necessary, shall be ap
| pointed by the President for each of the said
I''Contederate StateS," to consist Of three per-
sons each, one of whom shall be an officer
of the late or-present army, and two shall
be civilians, neither of whom shall be citi-
liens of the State for which he shall be ap-
pointed :; and that the said commissions
shall proceed to adjudicate and condemn
IIhe property aforesaid, under sueh forms
and proceedings as shall be prescribed by
the Attorney General of the United States /;
whereupon the title to said property shall
become vested in the United States. go d
SEC. 4. And be 1t further enacted, That out
of the lands thus seized and confiscated.
1.-The slaves who have been liberated by the
Operations of the war and the amendment
to the Constitution, or otherwise, who re-
Isided in said Confederate States" on the
I,fourth day of March A. d, eighteen hun
distributed to them as follows namely !:
To each male person who is the head of a
lifamily, forty acres; to each adult male,
whether the head of a family or not, forty
Iiacres; to each widow who is the head of a
family, forty acres; to be held by them in
l.fee simple, but to be inalienable for the
lInext ten years after they become seized
thereof. For the purpose of distributing
and alloting said land the Secretary of War
lishall appoint as many commissions in each
Estate as he shall deem necessary, to con-
Isist of three members each, two of whom
Lat leastIshall not be citizens of the State
for which they are appointed. Each Of said
commissioners shall receive salary OF
three thousand dollars annually, and all his
necessary expenses. Each commission shall
be aIlo wed one clerk, whose salary shall be
1.-TWO thousand dollars per annum. The title
to the homestead aforesaid shall be vested
in trustees for the use of the liberated per-
sons aforesaid; trustees shall be appointed
by the Secretary of War, and shall receive
such salary as he shall direct, not exceed
ing three thousand dollars per annum. Al
the end of ten years the absolute title tC
said homesteads shall be conveyed to saiC
owners, or to the heirs of such as are theI
Idead.- lUaE. ~ % '99-1".f z All III
i SEC. 5.YiAyad be IT. farther enacted, 'Tha
out of the balance Of the property thu
seized and confiscated, there shall be raised
in the manner hereinafter provided, sun
leQual to fifty dollars for each homestead, tC
be eapplied by the trustees, hereinafter men.
toned. toward the erection of buildings OF
said homesteads for the use of said slaves
and the further sum of five hundred mil
lions of dollars, which shall be appropriated
as follows, to-wit: Two hundred millions
shall be invested in United States six PEI
centum securities, and the interest thereo
shall be semi-annually added TO the pen
sions allowed by law to pensioners wht
have become so by reason of the late war
three hundred millions, or so much thereO
as may be needed, shall be appropriated Il
pay damages done to loyal citizens by tn,
civil or military operations of the Govern
lnent lately called the Confederate State
| of American .aHi.d5f A-C@a5 t- = '.1..
SEO. 6. And be it further enacted, That ii
order that just stdiscrimination may be made
the property Of no one shall be seizeC
whose whole estate on the fourth day o
March, Ammo Domini eighteen hundret
and siXty-five, was not worth more thar
five hundred dollars, to be valued by th
said commission, unless he shall have vol
UNFAIRLY become an officer or enspLoye in tn,
military or civil service of the "COnfeder
ate States of America or in the civil O.
military service of some one of said States
and in enforcing all confiscations, the sun
or Value'of five thousand dollars in real Oh
personal property shall beleft or assignee
to the delinquent. ~! "i1
SEC. z. -And be 1t further enacted, That tn
commission shall put just and impartia
valuation on all the property thus seiz
and forfeited, and when such valuation
shall be completed in the several States, al
the said commissioners shall meet in tn
city Of Washington, and assess the fiv
hundred millions aforesaid, as well as tn
allowances for homestead buildings, pr
rata, on each of the properties or estate
thus seized, and shall give notice OF sucl
assessment and apportionment by publica
tion for sixty days in two daily newspa
pers in the city of Washington. and in tw
daily newspapers in the capitals of each G
the said s. Confederate States"
SEC. 8. And be 1t further enacted. That
the owners of said seized and forfeited es
tates shall, within ninety days after th
first of said publications, pay into til
: Treasury of the United States the sum as
sessed on their estates respectively, all O
their estates and lands not actually Sppro
priated to the liberated slaves, shall be re
leased and restored to their owners.
:! SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That a.
the land, estates and property of whateve
kind, which shall not be redeemed as afore
said, within ninety days, shall be sold an
converted into money, in such time and man
ner as may be deemed by the said commits
? sioners most advantageous to the Unite
States Provided, That no arabic land sha
be sold in larger tracts than five hundre
acres: And prOUided further, That no long6
credit shall be given than three years.
.'aioS17 ,S How Absurd!