Year: 1866

| An Act 1Of the Release OF certain PERSONS nclQ


Service or Labor in the District of Columbia.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep
| resentatives of the United States of America in
Congress assembled, That all persons held to
service labor within the District of Columbia
by reason OF African descent are hereby diScharg


ed and freed of and from all claim to such service
or labor; and from and after the passage of this
act neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, ex
cept for crime, whereof the party shall be duly


convicted, shall hereafter exist in said District.
SEC. ?. And be it further enacted, Thata per-
sons loyal to the United States, holding claims to


service o. labor against persons discharged there
from by this act, may, within ninety days from
the passage thereof bnt not thereafter present
to the commissioners hereinafter mentioned their
respective statements or petitions in writing,
verified by oath affirmation, setting forth the
| names, ages, and personal description OF such
persons, the manner in which said petitioners
quired such clam and any facts touching the
value thereof, and declaring his allegiance to the


Government of the United States, and that he


has not borne arms against the United States dur
ing the present rebellion, nor in any way given


aid or comfort thereto: Provided, That the oath


of the party to the petition shall not be evidence


of the facts therein stated.


Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the


President of the United States, with the advice
and consent of the Senate, shall appoint three


commissioners, residents of the District of
Columbia, any two of whom shall have power to
act, who shall receive the petitions above men
toned and who shall investigate and determine
the validity and value of the claims therein pre-
sented, as aforesaid and appraise and apportion
under the proviso hereto annexed, the value in


money of the several claims by them found to be


valid: Provided, however, That the entire sum


SO appraised and appOrtioned shall not exceed in
the aggregate an amount equal to three hundred


dollars for each person shown to have been so


held by lawful claim: And provided, further,


That no claim shall be allowed for any slave or
sla, brought into said District after the passage
of this act, nor for any slave claimed by any per-
son who has borne arms against the Government
of the United States in the present rebellion, or
in any way given aid or comfort thereto or which
originates in or by Yrtne of any transfer hereto
fore made, which shall hereafter be made by
any person who has in any manner aided or sus-
tanned the rebellion against the Government of
the United States.


SEC. 4. And he it further enacted, That said
commissioners shall, within nine months from
the passage of this act, make u full and final re-
port of their proceedings, findings and apprase-
ment, and shall deliver the same to the Secretary
and taken to be conclusive in all respects except
hereinafter proviCed; and the Secretary of the
Treasury shall, with like exception, cause the
amounts so apportioned to said claims to be paid
from the Treasury of the United States to the
parties found by said report to be entitled thereto
aforesaid, and the same shall be received in
full and complete compensation: Provided, That
in cases where petitions may be filed presenting
conflicting claims, or setting up liens, said COM
missioners shall specify in said report and pay
ment shall not be made according to the award
of said commissioners until period of sixty days
shall have elapsed, during which time any petit
toner claiming an interest in the particular
amount may file bill in equity in the Circuit
Court of the District of Columbia, making all
other claimants defendants thereto, setting forth
the proceedings in such case before said commits
sioners and their action therein, and praying that
the party to whom payment has been awarded
may be enjoined from receiving the same; and if
said court shall grant such provisional order,
copy thereof may, on motion Of said complainant,
be served upon the Secretary of the Treasury,
who shall thereupon cause the said amount of
money to be paid into said court, subject to its
orders and final decree, which payment shall be
in full and complete compensation, as in other
cases.


Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That said
commissioners shall hold their sessions in the
city of Washington at such place and times as the
President of the United States may direct, of
which they shall give due and public notice
the attendance of witnesses, and to receive testi
mony and enforce its production as in civil cases
before courts of justice without the exclusion of
any witness on account of color; and they may
summon before them the persons making claim
to service or labor, and examine hem under oath
and they may also, for purposes of identification
and appraisement, call before them the persons