Year: 1861

AN ACT to perpetuate testimony in cases of

 Slaves abducted or harbored by the enemy, and

 of other property seized, wasted or destroyed by

 them.

 SEC. l. The Congress ofthe Confederate States of Amtrica do enact, That when any slave or slaves owned by q citizen of the Confederate States. or an inhabtant ther of, shall be, or may have been abducted or harbOred by the enemy, or by any per son or persons acting under the authority, color of authority of the United States government, or engaged in the mi itary naval service thereof during the existing war, 1t shall be lawful for the owner or his attorney to appear before any judge of the Confederate States, or commissioner of any court thereof, any notary public, Tn case of there being no such officer within the county, city Or corporation, where the proceedings are institu ted, before any justice of the peace or alderman, consentng to act in the premises, and adduce proof oral or written of the fact of such owner ship and abduction or harborng If the owner of such slave or slaves is laborng under the legal dis ability of infancy, insanity or coverture, the evil dence tending to establish such ownership, and ab duction or harboring, may be adduced by the pro- per legal representative of the owner. In all cases such owner, attorney or representative shall make affidavit of the loss. Such affi layit shall not be taken as evidence of the fact of loss, unless it shall appear to the satisfaction of the officer taking the same that no other and better evidence can be obtaLed which fact shall distinctly appear in the certificate Of such Oflicef; ana It small of the judicial officer taking cognizance of the case to reduce to writing the oral evidence, and to retain the written evidence in support of the aleg ed ownership and loss, and within thirty days after the hearing. to transmit the to the Secretary of State of the Confederate States, to be filed and preserved among the archives of the State Depart ment, accompanied by certificate from the said judicial officer, autheDticating the report made by him. And the said judicial officer shall also state in his certificate authorization, whether, in his opinion, the evidence so heard and trans mittcd is, or is not entitled to credit. It shall be the dugv of the Secretary of State to receive and file in his department, the report transmitted !, and to furnish to the owners, attorney or represen- tative duly certified copy thereof, whenever the same shall be demanded.

 SEc 3. And De tt Jurther enacted, That when ever any property, other than slaves, real perso- nal, belonging to any citizen of the Confederate States, or any inhabtant thereof, shall be seized, wasted or destroyed by the enemy, during the ex- istng war, or by any person or persons acting un- der the authority color of authority of the United States government, or engaged in the military or naval service thereof, the mode of taking and pre- serving proof thereof, shall conform in all respects to that prescribed in the above section, and have like effect

 SEC. B. And be t further enacted, That the pro- visions of this act shall not be construed as imply

 ing that the Confederate States in any way lia- bic to make compensation for any of the property to which it refers.

 Approved August 30, 1861.