Part VII-STATUTES OF THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD. CONFEDERATE STATUTES.-CIVIL WAR. [Printed from "The Statutes at Large of the Provisional Government of the Confederate States of America, from the institution of the government, February 8, 1861, to its termination, February 18, 1862, inclusive," etc., edited by James M. Matthews, Attorney at Law, and Law Clerk in the Department of Justice, printed by R. M. Smith Printer to Congress, Richmond, 1864; "Public Laws of the Confederate States of America, passed at the First Session of the First Congress; 1862," edited by James M. Matthews, Attorney at Law, and Law Clerk in the Department of Justice, printed by R. M. Smith, Printer to Congress, Richmond, 1862; "Public Laws of the Confederate States of America, passed at the 2nd Session of the 1st Congress; 1862," edited by James M. Matthews, Attorney at Law, and Law Clerk in the Department of Justice, printed by R. M. Smith, Printer to Congress, Richmond, 1862; "Public Laws of the Confederate States of America passed at the 3rd Session of the 1st Congress; 1863," edited by James M. Matthews, Attorney at Law, and Law Clerk in the Department of Justice, printed by R. M. Smith, Printer to Congress, Richmond, 1863: Public Laws of the Confederate States of America, passed at the 4th Session of the 1st Congress, 1863-4," edited by James M. Matthews, Attorney at Law, and Law Clerk in the Department of Justice, printed by R. M. Smith, Printer to Congress, Richmond, 1864; "Public Laws of the Confederate States of America, passed at the 1st Session of the 2nd Congress, 1864," edited by James M. Matthews, Attorney at Law, and Law Clerk in the Department of Justice, printed by R. M. Smith, Printer to Congress, Richmond, 1864.] ACTS PASSED BY THE GRESS, CONFEDERATE PROVISIONAL CON- May 11, 1861. President authorized to take the control of telegraph lines. agents to super tions. CHAP. IX.-An Act relative to telegraph lines of the Confederate States. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That during the existing war, the President be and he is hereby authorized and empowered to take such control of such of the lines of telegraph in the Confederate States, and of such of the offices connected therewith, as will enable him effectually to supervise the communications passing through the same, to the end that no communications shall be conveyed of the military operations of the government to endanger the success of such operations, nor any communication calculated to injure the cause of the Confederate States, or to give aid and comfort to their enemies. To appoint SEC. 2. The President shall appoint trustworthy agents vise communica- in such offices, and at such points on the various lines as he may think fit, whose duty it shall be to supervise all communications sent or passing through said lines, and to prevent the transmission of any communication deemed to be detrimental to the public service. 1026 take possession of the lines. SEC. 3. In case the owners and managers of said lines when he may shall refuse to permit such supervision, or shall fail or refuse to keep up and continue the business on said lines, the President is hereby empowered to take possession of the same for the purposes aforesaid. tions to the agents SEC. 4. The President shall from time to time issue. To issue instrucinstructions to the agents so appointed, and to the oper- and operators of ators of the various lines, to regulate the transmission of communications touching the operations of the government, or calculated to affect the public welfare. May employ the agents of the gov SEC. 5. That the President, at his discretion, may em-operators as ploy the operators of the lines as the agents of the governmant. ernment, so that in this as in all other respects, there may be as little interference with the business and management of such lines as may be compatible with the public interest. SEC. 6. That the compensation of the agents appointed of agents to be under this act, where such agents are not officers of the paid out of the company, and the expense attending the execution of the provisions of this act, shall be paid out of the treasury. Compensation treasury. Communica SEC. 7. That no communications in cypher, nor enig-tions in cypher matical, or other doubtful communication, shall be trans-communications. and enigmatical mitted, unless the person sending the same shall be known to the agent of the government to be trustworthy, nor until the real purport of such communication shall be explained to such agent. and connection of SEC. 8. That the President is hereby authorized, when- Extension and ever it may be found necessary or advisable for the suc- lines. cessful prosecution of the war, to extend existing lines of telegraph, or make connections between the same, the expense of contracting such additional lines to be paid out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. SEC. 9. That all present and future officers of the telegraph lines engaged in receiving and transmitting intelligence within the Confederate States shall, as soon as practicable after the passage of this act or after their appointment, take and subscribe before any judicial officer of any one of the Confederate States, the following oath: "I, A B, do solemnly swear that I will support and Oath required maintain the Constitution of the Confederate States of America, and will not, knowingly, directly or indirectly, transmit through the telegraph any communication or information calculated to injure the cause of the Confederate States, or to give aid or comfort to their enemies." of officers. Communica tions. subject to indictment. tions touching Sec. 10. That if any person shall knowingly send or military opera- transmit any message or communication touching the military operations of the government, without the same being first submitted to the inspection of the agent of Party sending, the government, or any message calculated to aid and promote the cause of the enemies of the Confederate States, he shall be subject to indictment in the district Fine and im-court of the Confederate States, and on conviction shall be fined in a sum not less than five hundred dollars, and imprisoned for a term not less than one year. APPROVED May 11, 1861. prisonment. May 21, 1861. Compensation to agents of tele charged by the special duties. [P. 124.] CHAP. XXXVI.-An act to amend an act relative to telegraphic lines of the Confederate States approved May, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one The Congress of the Confederate States of America do graph companies enact, That the sixth section of the "act relative to President with telegraph-lines of the Confederate States," be and the same is hereby so amended as to authorize the President to allow such compensation as may be reasonable and proper, in addition to what may be allowed by the telegraph companies, to such of the agents of said companies as he may charge with special and important duties, where such agents are deemed trustworthy and acceptable both to him and the companies concerned. APPROVED May 21, 1861. May 21, 1861. Export of cot ton except through the sea [P. 152.] CHAP. LV.-An act to prohibit the exportation of cotton from the Confederate States, except through the seaports of said States; and to punish persons offending therein. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do ports of the C. S., enact, That from and after the first day of June next, prohibited. and during the existence of the blockade of any of the ports of the Confederate States of America by the government of the United States, it shall not be lawful for any person to export any raw cotton or cotton yarn from the Confederate States of America, except through the seaports of the said Confederate States; and it shall shals and revenue be the duty of all the marshals and revenue officers of the said Confederate States, to prevent all violations of this act. Duty of mar officers. lating this act. SEC. 2. If any person shall violate, or attempt to Penalty for vioviolate or evade the provisions of the foregoing section, he shall forfeit all the cotton or cotton yarn thus attempted to be illegally exported, for the use of the Confederate States; and in addition thereto he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be fined in a sum not exceeding five thousand dollars, or else imprisoned in some public jail or penitentiary for a period not exceeding six months, at the discretion of the court, after conviction upon trial by a court of competent jurisdiction. SEC. 3. Any person informing as to a violation or attempt to violate the provisions of this act, shall be entitled to one-half the proceeds of the articles forfeited by reason of his information. Informer enti proceeds of arti tled to one-half cles forfeited. Justice may is sue warrant for ton. SEC. 4. Any justice of the peace, on information under oath from any person, of a violation or attempt to violate the seizure of cotthis act, may issue his warrant and cause the cotton or cotton yarn specified in the affidavit to be seized and retained until an investigation can be had before the courts of the Confederate States. &c., used in vio forfeited. SEC. 5. Every steamboat or railroad car which shall Steamboats, be used with the consent of the owner or person having lating this act. the same in charge, for the purpose of violating this act, shall be forfeited in like manner to the use of the Confederate States. But nothing in this act shall be so Exportation of construed as to prohibit exportation of cotton to Mexico cotton to Mexico through its co-terminous frontier. APPROVED May 21, 1861. allowed. ACTS PASSED BY CONFEDERATE PROVISIONAL CONGRESS, THIRD SESSION. CHAP. IX.-An Act to extend the provisions of an act entitled "An August 2, 1861. act to prohibit the exportation of cotton from the Confederate States, except through the seaports of said States, and to punish persons offending therein," approved May twenty-one, eighteen hundred and sixty-one. 1861, May 21, ch. 55, extended to other The Congress of the Confederate States of America do Act of enact, That the provisions of the above recited act be, prohibiting exand the same are hereby extended, and made applicable ton, except, &c. to the exportation of tobacco, sugar, rice, molasses, articles. syrup and naval stores, from the Confederate States, from and after the tenth day of August next. Approved August 2, 1861. [p. 176.] Aug. 16, 1861. Act of May 21, 1861, prohibiting except, &c., to effect. CHAP. XXII.—An Act to amend the law in relation to the export of tobacco, and other commodities. The Congress of the Confederate States of America export of cotton, do enact, That the act passed at the present session take immediate entitled "An Act to extend the provisions of an act entitled 'An act to prohibit the exportation of cotton from the Confederate States except through the seaports of said States, and to punish persons offending therein,' approved May twenty-one, Anno Domini, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, shall go into effect immediately after the approval of this act. Approved August 16, 1861. to complete the tion between Sel ACTS OF CONFEDERATE PROVISIONAL CONGRESS, FIFTH SESSION. [p. 276.] CHAP. LXXXII.-An Act to provide for the connection of the railroad from Selma, in Alabama, to Meridian, in Mississippi. WHEREAS, The President in his message of the 17th of December, has expressed the opinion that the completion of the Mississippi and Alabama River Railroad, so as to connect Selma, in Alabama, with Meridian, Mississippi, is indispensable for the successful prosecution of the war, in which opinion Congress fully concurs; Now, therefore, Advancement The Congress of the Confederate States of America do railroad connec- enact, That the President be, and he is hereby, authorized ma, Alabama, and to advance to the President and Directors of the Alabama Meridian, Mississippi. and Mississippi River Railroad Company, the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, for the purpose of completing the railroad connection between Selma, in Alabama, and Meridian, in Mississippi, upon such terms and conditions as he may deem best to secure the early completion of said railroad connection, and to secure the return of the money so advanced. APPROVED February 15, 1862. |