CR. ii>i iw& ao 4zp Duke University Libraries A bill requirin Conf Pam #270 DTTD27t]tiM. [House of Representatives, No. 341.] HOUSE OF REPRESENTIVE3, January 20, 1865.— Read first nnd second timeR and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. March 2, 1865. — Reported back with amendment, laid on the table and ordered to be printed. [By Mr. Herbert. A. BILL Requiring suit to be brought against persons connected with the Cotton Bureau and Cotton Office in Texas. 1 Whereas, It is represented that certain persons conducting 2 or connected with the business of a cotton bureau and a cotton 3 ofiice, 80 called in the State of Texas, claiming to act under au- 4 thority derived from thisgovern-nent, or from the general com- 5 manding the Trans-Mississippi Military Department, or from 6 some other officer of the government, have, by themselves or 7 their agents, purchased or obtained large amounts of cotton 8 under color of such authority, and by the use of the money, prop- 9 erty, transportation and name of the government made great 10 gains, and have illegally exacted and procured from sundry per- 1 1 sons large amounts of cotton and large sums of money, by 12 threatening impressments, and by selling permits of exporta- 13 tion, and by other improper means : 1 Ihe Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, 2 That it shall be the duty of the District Attorney of the Con- 2 Sf federate States, for the western district of Texas, if it shall ap- 4 pear that a case has arisen to which the judicial power of the 5 Confederate States extends, to institute a suit or suits in tiie 6 Confederate District Court for that district against such parties 7 as he may deem proper, who have been connected with any 8 such business or transactions; which suit or suits may be in the 9 nature of an information in the name of the Attorney General, 10 or bill in equity in the name of the Confederate States, or any 11 other appropriate proceeding, either in behalf of the Confed- 12 erate States alone, or in behalf of the Confederate States and 13 such persons as shall come in and prove their claims in such 14 form and on such terms as the Court shall prescribe ; and in 15 such suit or suits the Court shall render judgment or decree IG against any parties who may appear to be liable, according to 17 the principles of law or equity, in favor of the Confederate 18 States or any party who shall come in as aforesaid, for all mon- 19 eys, property, profits and damages to which the Confederate 20 States or any party coming in as aforesaid, shall appear to be 21 entitled, by reason of any thing done or omitted in the transac- 22 actions, business or affairs of the said cotton bureau or cotton 23 office, or by any officer, ag^'-nt or other person when acting by 24 virtue or under color or pretext of any authority claimed as 25 aforesaid, including all property and moneys illegally exacted, 26 obtained, received or detained, and all property, monyes, gains 3 27 and profits acquired, converted, appropriated or held contrary 28 to law or equitj, whether in the name of the Confederate States 29 or of said cotton bureau or cotton office, or otherwise. 1 Sec. 2. Neither this Act nor any suit lirought in pursuance of •2 it shall (except as to claims adjudicated or pending for adjudi- 3 cation in any such suit) preclude any party from bringing any 4 other suit or action. 1 Sec. 3. Ihe District Attorney for prosecuting any suit here- 2 by authorized to be brought, shall be entitled to a commission 3 of per centum of the money recovered therein 4 and collected for the Confederate States. 4 1 '/. Digitized by the Internet Arciiive in 2010 with funding from Duke University Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/billrequiringsuiOOconf pH8.5