Mr. Simpson's amendment to impressment bill. A bill to provide for furnishing domestic supplies to the government

«,«^. ^ [House of KKPRKSKfiTATivKs.]

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, June 7th, 1864.— Ordered
to be printed.

IIR. SIMPSON'S AMENDMENT TO IMPRESSMENT BILL.

A B 1 1. 1..

To provide for furnishing domestic puppliea to the Government.

f Skction 1. The Congress of the Confejhrate^ States of America

•■% do enact, That private property sh^ll not be impressed for the

5 public use, except as hereinafter provided, and in all other cases

4 the Government shall be furnished ^vith ull necessary supplies

5 by purchase ; and for this purpose there shall be established in

6 each State a department known as the Purchasing Department,

7 This department in each State shall consist of one chief officer.

8 with the pay and allowances of a major of infantry, with as many

9 subordinate officers as may be necessary, not, however, exceeding
10 one for each county or district, with the pay and allowances of a
tl captain of infantry ; and as many clerks and agents as the neces-
12 sities of the department may fequire, with the pay and allow-
IS ances of privates of infantry, with commutation of quarters.

1 Sec. 2. The officers in this departmeot shall be OTcr th© age

2 of forty-five years ; shall be resident freeholders of the district

3 or county for which the/ may be appointed, with the exception

4 of the chief officer who shall be a resident freeholder of th«
6 State anil they shall be appointed by the Secretaiy of War. The

6 clerks and agents shall be appointed by the subordinate officer*,

7 with the concurrence of the chief officer in each State, and shall

8 be appointed from those, who are either over conscript age, or

9 have been dechired by a medical board as unfit for field service.

1 Sec. 3. These departn.ents shall be authorized and charged

2 with the duty of purchasing at the gold value thereof, from pro-

3 ducers, the ejitire surplus, in each State, of all such articles as

4 may be needed by the Government — under instructions from th«

5 Quartermaster and Commissary Generals — to be paid for in cer-
•6 tificates, which, upon their face the Government shall promise to

7 redeem in gold, six months after the ratification of peace ; and

8 which certificates shall be receivable in payment of all public

9 dues, at a gold standard, compared with treasury notes; and
11) these departments sbnl) be authorized, under rules fo be pre-

11 scribed by the Secretary of War, to resell to the families of sol-

12 diers and to all other persons desiring to purchase for their own

13 consumption, so much of the produce purchased by them as the

14 Government may need for itSi^ own use, at original cost, with a

15 sufficient per cent, added to cover waste — to be paid for in the

16 certificates aforesaid.^^r in tiea»urj notes, »t the uijirket value of

17 the property, therein.

1 Sf.c 4. Tliat each ofiicer appointed under tliis act, e^hall. be-

3 fore entering upon hip dutic8, give bond with good and sufficient

3 security, comiitioned for tlie fnithful performance of his /luty,

4 and that h<- will not, directly or indirectly, be engaged in the

5 purchase or sale, on private account, either for himself or any

6 other person, of any articles of the character to be purchased by

7 him on (ToveruincnY account.

I Sec. 6. That any officer or agent connected ^ith said <'.epHrt-

i uient who shall be, guilty of ^-iolating the requiren,euts 8et forth

iJ in the previous section, ex<'(pt such as may be autlftirized to

4 purchase for their own consumption — as other ritizens—in

.5* addition to being liable on iheir bond shall, upon coiivietion

G before any eourt of the Confederate States having competent

7 jurisdiction, be lined by said court in a sum not exceeding

8 dollars, and be imprisoned for a term of years

9 not less than years, nor more than years.
1 Sec 6. These departments shall be authorized to impress all

»3 supplies of food or forage, or other products which the Govern-

3 ment may require, in the following cases, viz:

4 First. In all cases where such articles are in second hands,
o and held for resale and not for consumption. Second. In all cases
6 of surplus in the hands of producers, where the bolder and the

4

7 (jrovernmeut agent or officers cannot agree as to the gold price —

8 or where, from any other course, the holders refuses to sell to

9 the Government — and in such cases the question of surplus and
lii j<rice, which .-hull be estimated :U rlio <■"]'! sr:in'i^i!'1, ?hull be

11 determined by throe disintercsi icinagc,

12 to be chosen one by the producer, one by the ofiioer, an,d the

13 third by these two, who shall act under oatji to do jusiice both

14 to the (Jovt.j'iinieiit and to the producer; and ihir"' ■ '■ ■ •'

15 where the neet-srities of the army, or any potu;; ■ .,: :j

16 require u-more {(rouipt and speedy supjl

17 by puroh:ise — v.hich necessity sh^ll be dcterni;;ieu hy ihc ^^ciu'rui
1 S Qomm;indi!i;;r the .li^partment — and wh^ so required, under epocial
10 onieis from the general commanding the department, particu-

20 larlj^ describiti^ wbut articles are urgently need ;ier

21 officer in oach Siute, either throu^rh hinii-cif or i>y .•;

22 and diitiict oiiicfcrs,.may impress such articles as may thus be

23 ' required, but in every such else a sufficient supply for the sup-
id port of the liokler and his family, and to c:vry on his ordinary
25 avocation, f-.hail he left, and the gold value bhnl! be paid in the
2() cortificates arr-rt.-i^iiil ; said price, and v/hat is sufficient for family

27 support, to bo determined by the appraisers -aforesaid,' as in

28 secti,on aliove.

1 i^hx. 7. The Secretary of the Treasury shall be authorized to

2 issue certificates herein required to be used in the purcHaae cQT

3 property to the amount of millions,

4 ot such denominations and with such authentications as may be

5 necessary, and he shall not be authorized to issue treasury notes,

6 except to the amount of one hundred millions, tintil the meeting

7 of the next Congress. ^'('INf'SwiilW^