neb 
 
 HOUSE OF REPRESEtf*A¥tt >er 24th, I86S —Read 
 
 upon th and ordered to be 
 
 prim 
 
 Mr. Perkins, from the Commi ■ on " ireign Affairs.] 
 
 A. BILL 
 
 To be entitled An Act to establish a Bureau of Foreign Supplies. 
 
 1 tion 1 . The Congress of the Confederate States of America do 
 
 2 enact, That, for the purpose of exporting cotton and other pro- 
 
 3 duce to supply, by import, the military and other necessities of 
 A the Government, during the continuance of the war Avith the 
 
 5 United States, an independent bureau of the War Department be 
 
 6 established, to be entitled the Bureau of Foreign Supplies. 
 
 1 Sec. 2. Be it forth . That the said bureau shall 1 c 
 
 2 charged with the purchase of cotton and other produce for expoi t f 
 
 3 and with all the duties and expenditures connected with the im- 
 1 port of munitions of war, and such other supplies as may be 
 5 required by the several departments of the Governments. 
 
 1 Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, That all steamers now owned by 
 
 2 any of the departments of the Government, and used to supply 
 
2 
 
 3 their necessities from abroad, and all contracts for the increase 
 
 4 of the number of such steamers and vessels, be and are hereby 
 
 5 transferred to said bureau. 
 
 1 Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, That the chief of the said bureau 
 
 2 shall, under the Secretary of War, have full power to purchase 
 
 3 and contract for such steamers and vessels, to be owned wholly 
 
 4 or in part by the Government, as may be necessary for the dis- 
 
 5 charge of the duties imposed upon the bureau, and to attain the 
 G general objests of its establishment, as set forth in the first sec- 
 7 tion of this act. 
 
 1 Sec 5. Be it further enacted, That all permits or licenses for 
 
 2 , the exportation of cotton or other domestic produce on private 
 
 3 account, that may be authorized bj the act of Congress entitled 
 
 4 " An Act," &c , shall be issued from this bureau, under such 
 
 5 regulations as may be prescribed in the said act, or under any 
 
 6 authority granted therein to the President, the Secretary of War, 
 
 7 or other Department, and under such conditions as may be effec- 
 
 8 tual to secure the fulfilment of the objects of the present act: 
 
 9 Provided, That nothing in the present act shall be construed to 
 
 10 affect the export of cotton or other produce under the control of 
 
 11 the Treasury or other Department, to secure any of the bonds 
 
 12 or obligations of the Confederate States. 
 
 1 Sec 6. Be it farther enacted, That the said bureau shall devote 
 
 I to the wants of the several departments of the Government, such 
 
com- 
 
 3 
 
 3 proportion of the exporting and importing facilities at 
 
 4 mand, as may from time to time be fixed by the President. 
 
 1 Sec. 7. Be it further enacted, That the said bureau shall consist 
 
 2 of one colonel, and such subordinate officers as may be necessary, 
 
 3 said agents to be appointed and to have their compensation fixed 
 
 4 by the Secretary of War.