«,«^. ^ [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 jy .•; 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^