Year: 1861

distribution thereof.

 SECTION 1. The Congress of the Conjederate States oy America do enact That all prizes ot vessels and nroperty captured by private armed ships, inpursu ,nce of the act passed by Congress recognizing the existence of war between the United States and the Confederates States, and concerning letters of ,naroue nrizes and prize goods, which may be con demned in any court of the Confederate States, shall be sold at public auction by the marshal ot the district in which the same shall be condemned, within sixty days after the condemnation thereof sufficient notice of the time and place and condi ton of sale being first given-on such day or days on such terms of credit, and in such lots or propor tions as may be gnated by the owner or owners, or agents of the owner or owners, of the prlVatecr which may have captured the same: PrO1ided, That the term of such credit shall not exceed ninety days And the said marshal is hereby directed to take and receive from the purchaser or purchasers of such prize vessel and property, the money there for or his, her or their prOmissory notes with en- dorsers, to be approved by the owner or owners of the pryateer, to the amount of the purchase, paya- ble according to the terms thereof.

 SEC. ,. That upon all duties, costs and charges being paid according to law the said marshal shall on demand, deliver and pay over to the owner or owners of the priyateer, to the agent of such owner or owners of the privateer which may have captured such prize vessel and property, just and equal proportion of the funds received on account of the sale thereof, and of the promissory notes

 

 owner or owners may be entitled, according to the articles of agreement between the said owner or owners and the officers and crew of the said priya teer; and just and equal proportion of the pro ceeds of the sale as aforesad shall, on demand, be also paid by the said marshal to the officers and of the said prvateer, or to their agent agents And if there be no written agreement, it shall be the duty of the marshal to pay over, in manner as afOresad one moiety of the proceeds of the sale of such prize vessel and property to the owner or owners of the privateer which may have captured the same, and the other moety of the said proceeds to the agent or agents of the officers and crew of the said prvateer, to be distributed cording to law, or to any agreement by them made: PrOpided, The said officers and crew, or their agent or agents, shall have first refunded to the owner or owners, or to the agent of the owEer or owners of the privateer aforesaid, the full amount of advances which shall have been made by the owner or owners of the privaeer to the officers and crew thereof.

 SEC 3. That for the selling prize property and receiving and paving over the proceeds aforesaid, the marshal shall be entitled to a commission of one per cent and no more, first deducting all duties, costs and charges which may have accrued on said property: ProUided, That on no case of cOndemna- ton and sale of any one prize vessel and cargo shall the commissions of the marshal exceed two hundred and fifty dollars.

 SEC i. That it shall be the duty of the marshal, within fifteen days after any sale of prize property, tO file n the Otlce of the clerk Of the district court of the district wherein such sale may be made, a inst and true account of the sales of such prize pro- perty and of all duties and charges thereon togeth. CT with statement thereto annexed of the proms- sory notes taken on account thereof, which account shall be verified by the oath of the said marshal; and if the said marshal shall wlfully neglect CT fuse to file such account, he shall forfeit and pay the sum of five hundred dollars for each omission or refusal as aforesad to be recovered in an action of debt by any person interested ill such sale, and suing for the said penalty, on account of the party or parties interested in the prize vessel or property sold as aforesaid, in any court having cognizance thereof.

 SEC ,. That the owner or owners of any private armed vessel or vessels, or their agent or agents, ,nay at any time before libel shall be filed against any captured vessel or her cargo, remove the same from any port into which such prize vessel pro- perty may be first brought, to any other port in the Confederate States to be designated at the time of the removal as aforesaid, subject to the same re- strictons and complying with the same regulations with respect to the payment of duties which are provided by law inreation to other vessels arriving in port with cargoes subject to the payment of du- tics: Prooded, That before such removal the said captured property shall not have been attached at inc suit of any adverse claimant or claim against the same have been interposed in behalf of the Confederate States.

 PPPRovED May l4, 1861.