March 15, 1861. The President to appoint an attorney Key West, Florida. CHAP. XLVII-An Act to amend an act entitled "An act to establish a Court of Admiralty and Maritime Jurisdiction at Key West, in the State of Florida." The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That and marshal for the so much of an act entitled An act to establish a Court of Admiralty Court of Admiralty at and Maritime Jurisdiction at Key West, in the State of Florida," as provides for the appointment of a district attorney and marshal of said court by the judge thereof, be and the same is hereby repealed; and it is hereby made the duty of the President of the Confederate States to appoint for said court a fit person, learned in the law, to act as attorney for the Confederate States in all crimes and offences against their laws, and in all other matters touching their interest. The President shall also appoint a marshal for said court; and said attorney and marshal shall receive such pay in every respect, and perform such services respectively as are provided for and required of attorneys and marshals by an act entitled "An act to establish the Judicial Courts of the Confederate States of America." APPROVED March 15, 1861. March 15, 1861. The President to tor of the Treasury. CHAP XLVIII.-An Act to appoint a Second Auditor of the Treasury. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That appoint Second Audi- there shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Congress, an additional officer for the Treasury Department, to be called the Second Auditor of the Treasury, who shall be charged with the auditing of accounts for the War Department, and who shall receive for his services a salary of three thousand dollars per annum. APPROVED March 15, 1861. March 15, 1861. The Postmaster to renew, provision CHAP XLIX.-An Act vesting certain Powers in the Postmaster General. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That General authorized in the event of a discontinuance of the postal service in any of the ally, the contracts Confederate States, as now carried on by the government of the under which the pos- United States, before the Postmaster General of this Confederacy performed, and to shall have prepared the new service, under the provisions of the act postmasters and already passed by this Congress, it shall be lawful for the said Post tal service is Dow continue in office the other officers. And to advertise tracts for carrying the mail. master General to renew, provisionally, the contracts under which the service is now performed, and to continue in office the several postmasters and other officers now employed in such postal service, until he is prepared to replace said service and said officers by new contracts and appointments. SEC. 2. That the Postmaster General, at a time to be fixed by him, and enter into con- is hereby authorized to advertise and enter into contracts for carrying the mail with due celerity, certainty and security, on the post routes within the Confederate States, other than railroads and steamboats, in accordance with the acts passed by this Congress. SEC. 3. That after such contracts shall have been entered into, on Conveyance of mails, except by his and after a day to be designated by the proclamation of the Postmaster authority, prohibited. General, all conveyance of mails within the limits of the Confederate States, except by authority of the Postmaster General, is hereby prohibited. To issue circular in ters and other officers under the appoint SEC. 4. Be it further enacted, That the Postmaster General have power to issue circular instructions to the several postmasters and structions to postmasother officers still performing service under the appointment of the performing service United States, in order to enforce the rendition of the proper accounts ment of the U. S. and payment of the moneys collected by them per account of the United States, until the Postmaster General shall have issued his proclamation announcing that the former service is discontinued and is replaced by the new service organized under the authority of this government. companies to carry matter. SEC. 5. That it shall be lawful for the Postmaster General to allow May allow express express and other chartered companies to carry letters and all mail and other chartered matter of every description, whether the same be enclosed in stamped letters and other mail envelopes or pre-paid by stamps or money; but if the same be prepaid in money, the money shall be paid to some postmaster, who shall stamp the same paid, and shall account to the Post-Office Department for the same, in the same manner as for letters sent by the mail; but Regulations concerning the pre-payif prepaid by stamps, then the express or other company receiving ment of postage on such letters for delivery shall obliterate such stamps, under the penalty letters, etc., sent by of five hundred dollars for each failure, to be recovered by action of debt in any court having jurisdiction thereof, in the name of the Postmaster General, for the use of the Confederate States; but if said letters or mail matter shall be received by such express or other company, not for delivery, but to be mailed, then the matter so carried shall be pre-paid at the same rate that the existing law requires it to be paid from the point where it may be received by such company to the point of its destination, and the postmaster, where such company may mail the same, shall deface the stamps upon the same. compani: s. Oath required of SEC. 6. Be it further enacted, That each agent of any company who may carry letters under the provisions of this act, shall be required to agent of the company. take an oath that he will faithfully comply with the law of the Confederate States relating to the carrying of letters or other mail matter and obliterating postage stamps, which oath may be administered by any justice of the peace, and shall be in writing, and signed by such agent or messenger, and filed in the Post-Office Department. APPROVED March 15, 1861. CHAP. L.-An Act to amend the Laws relative to the Compensation of the Attorneys of the March 15, 1961. neys of the C. S. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That Fees allowed attor in addition to the compensation now allowed by law to the attorneys of the Confederate States, there shall be hereafter allowed to them for their services to the Confederate States the following fees: For drafting the declaration writ, information or other pleadings necessary to bring the cause to an issue, ten dollars; for arguing questions of law arising on the pleadings or demurrer, ten dollars-but not more than one such fee shall be allowed in any cause; for drawing indictments on criminal informations, five dollars; for collecting and paying over to the Confederate States, moneys, a commission of one per cent. on the amount collected and paid, whether the same have been collected on execution or otherwise; for attendance on a reference from the court to a master or commissioner, five dollars a day; for examining a land title and written opinion thereon, twenty dollars; for making abstract of title when required, twenty dollars; for examining and making report on any question or subject, when thereto required by the Presi When act takes ef fect. dent or any head of department, thirty dollars; fer services in any suit in a State court in which it may be necessary to appear in behalf of the Confederate States, twenty dollars; for services in any case arising under the extradition treaties of the Confederate States, twentyfive dollars. SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That this act take effect and be in force from and after the passage thereof. APPROVED March 15, 1861. March 15, 1861. Appropriation. For Custom-House, at Charleston. For Custom-House, at New Orleans. CHAP. LI.-An Act making appropriations for the Custom-Houses at New Orleans, and The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That the following sums be and they are hereby appropriated for the objects hereafter expressed, for the year ending February the fourth, eighteen hundred and sixty-two: Custom-House, Charleston, South Carolina. For preserving unfinished work upon the Charleston custom-house, the sum of five thousand dollars. Custom-House, New Orleans.-For roof, and preserving unfinished work upon the custom-house at New Orleans, the sum of ten thousand dollars. For fitting up suitable rooms for the accommodation of the courts, and clerk's office at New Orleans, the sum of fifteen thousand dollars. APPROVED March 15, 1861. March 15, 1861. Bureau of Indian affairs, established. Commissioner of In CHAP. LIL-An Act to establish the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That an additional bureau in the War Department be and the same is hereby established, to be known as the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and charged with the management of our relations with the Indian tribes. SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That the President, by and with the dian affairs and clerk. advice and consent of the Congress, may appoint a Commissioner of Indian Affairs and one clerk, to take charge of the business of the bureau hereby established, the salary of the commissioner to be twenty-five hundred dollars per annum, and the salary of the clerk fifteen hundred dollars per annum. Their salaries. APPROVED March 15, 1861. March 15, 1961. The duty on commodities bona fide CHAP. LIII.-An Act to exempt from Duty certain articles of Merchandise therein named. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That purchased or con- the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized and empowered to tracted for on or be- remit the duty in all cases where commodities were bona fide pur1861, within the late chased or contracted for on or before the 18th day of February last, fore the 15th Feb, U. S.-remitted. within the late United States, where the importer has not been able to comply with the provisions of the act to define more accurately the exemption of certain goods from duty, which required that the goods, wares and merchandise should have been actually laden on board of the exporting vessel or conveyance destined for any port in this Con federacy on or before the fifteenth day of March in the present year: Provided, Such testimony is furnished the Secretary of the Treasury by the importer that it was impossible to comply with the provisions of said act, and also the demand and collection of said duty has operated injuriously to him or them beyond the commercial effect upon articles of consumption by the imposition of duties. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That all books, pamphlets and tracts and other publications printed and published by any church or benevolent society, whose organization extends to and embraces citizens of the Confederate States, shall be free and exempt from duty. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That all facts herein required to exist in order to entitle a party to the benefits of this act, shall be established to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Treasury, in a manner to be prescribed by him. APPROVED March 15, 1861. CHAP. LIV.-An Act to fix the Duties on Articles therein named, March 15, 1861. Ad valorem duty The [Congress of the] Confederate States of America do enact, That imposed on certain an ad valorem duty of fifteen per cent. shall be imposed on the follow- articles imported ing named articles imported from abroad into the Confederate States of America, in lieu of the duties now imposed by law, to wit: Coal, cheese, iron in blooms, pigs, bars, bolts and slabs, and on all iron in a less manufactured state; also on railroad rails, spikes, fishing plates, and chairs used in the construction of railroads; paper of all sorts and all manufactures of; wood, unmanufactured, of all sorts. APPROVED March 15, 1861. CHAP. LV.—An Act making appropriations for the support of the Navy for the year ending fourth February, eighteen hundred and sixty-two. March 15, 1861. the Navy for the year The Congress of the Confederate States [of America] do enact, That Appropriations for the following sums be and the same are hereby appropriated for the ob- ending the 4th Feb., jects hereinafter expressed, for the year ending the fourth day of Feb-1562. ruary, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, namely: For officers on duty 1st. For the pay of officers of the navy on duty and off duty, based upon the presumption that all the grades authorized by the act of and off duty. eighteen hundred and sixty-one will be filled, one hundred and thirtyone thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars. 2d. For the pay of officers, non-commissioned, officers, musicians For marine corps. and privates of the marine corps, one hundred and seventy-five thousand five hundred and twelve dollars. 3d. For provisions and clothing and contingencies in paymaster's department, one hundred and thirty-three thousand eight hundred and sixty dollars. 4th. For the pay of warrant and petty officers, and of five hundred seamen, ordinary seamen, landsmen and boys, and engineer's department, one hundred and sixty-eight thousand dollars. 5th. For expenditures which will be required for coal for the use of steamers, two hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars. 6th. For the probable cost of ten steam gunboats for coast defences of the Confederate States, to be built or purchased, as may be most convenient, one million one hundred thousand dollars. For provisions and clothing and contin gencies in paymas. ter's departinent. For warrant and petty officers, ses men, etc, and engineer's department. For coal for steam ers. For steam gun boats. For steam sloop Fulton. For pay of officers 7th. For the probable cost of completing and equipping the steam sloop Fulton, now at the Pensacola navy yard, twenty-five thousand dollars. 8th. For the pay of officers and others at the navy yard, Pensacola, vy Yard, Pensacola, fifty-four thousand three hundred and sixty-three dollars. and others at the Na For clerks at the Navy Department. 9th. For compensation of four clerks on duty at the Navy Department, as per act of eleventh of March, at fifteen hundred dollars each, six thousand dollars. APPROVED March 15, 1861. March 15, 1861. Merchandise im ported may be enter of duty. CHAP. LVI-An Act to authorize the transit of Merchandise through the Confederate States. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That ed and have trans t goods, wares and merchandise imported from any foreign country through the C. S. free into the Confederate States, destined for any foreign country, may be entered and have transit through the Confederate States free of duty, subject to such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury from time to time shall make; and the said Secretary of Treasury shall have power to make such regulations as he may deem expedient for the safey of the revenue and for the public convenience, which regulations may be enforced in the manner prescribed by law as to other regulations in relation to the revenue. APPROVED March 15, 1861. March 15, 1861. The 3d section of the act of Feb. 18th. CHAP. LVII-An Act to repeal the Third Section of "An Act to exempt from Duty certain commodities therein named, and for other purposes." The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That 1861, exempting cer- the third section of an act passed February eighteenth, eighteen huntain commodities dred and sixty-one, entitled "An act to exempt from duty certain comfrom duty, repealed. modities therein named and for other purposes," be and the same is hereby repealed; and that the tariff laws shall apply to the State of Tariff laws to apply Texas from the date of her admission into this Confederacy in the same manner as the same apply to the other States. to the State of Texas. APPROVED March 15, 1861. March 16, 1861. The President an ootamissioned officers CHAP LVIII-An Act to provide for the Organization of the Navy. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That thorized to appoint the President be authorized to appoint, in the manner prescribed by of the Navy, law, the following commissioned officers of the navy, viz: four captains, four commanders, thirty lieutenants, five surgeons, five assistant surgeons, six paymasters and two chief engineers, and to employ as many masters, midshipmen, engineers, naval constructors, boatswains, sers, midshipmen, gunners, carpenters, sailmakers and other warrant and petty officers and seamen as he may deem necessary, not to exceed in the aggregate three thousand. etc. and to employ mas Annual pay of SEC. 2. The annual pay of said officers shall be as follows, viz: naval officers: of Captains; [Captains.]-Captains, when commanding squadrons, five thousand dollars. All other captains on duty at sea, four thousand two hundred dollars. |