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provisions of this act: And provided, further, That no moneys shall be paid to the widow, or children, or any heirs of any deceased soldier on account of bounty, back pay or pension, who have in any way been engaged in or who have aided or abetted the existing rebellion in the United States; but the right of such disloyal widow or children, heir or heirs of such soldier, shall be vested in the loyal heir or heirs of the deceased, if any there be.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That pensions which may be granted, in pursnance of the provisions of this act, to persons who may have been, or shall be, employed in the military or naval service of the United States, shall commence on the day of the discharge of such persons in all cases in which the application for such provisions is filed within one year after the date of said discharge; and in cases in which the application is not filed during said year, pensions granted to persons employed as aforesaid shall commence on the day of the filing of the application.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the fees of agents and attorneys, for making out and causing to be executed the papers necessary to establish a claim for a pension, bounty, and other allowance, before the Pension Office under this act, shall not exceed the following rates: For making out and causing to be duly executed a declaration by the applicant, with the necessary affidavits, and forwarding the same to the Pension Office, with the requisite correspondence, five dollars. In cases wherein additional testimony is required, by the Commissioner of Pensions, for each affidavit so required and executed and forwarded, (except the affidavits of surgeons, for which such agents and attorneys shall not be entitled to any fees,) one dollar and fifty cents.

SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That any agent or attorney who shall, directly or indirectly demand or receive any greater compensation for his services under this act than is prescribed in the preceding section of this act, or who shall contract or agree to prosecute any claim for a pension, bounty, or other allowance under this act on the condition that he shall receive a per centum upon, or any portion of the amount of such claim, or who shall wrongfully withhold from a pensioner or other claimant the whole or any part of the pension or claim allowed and due to such pensioner or claimant, shall be deemed guilty of a high misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall, for every such offence, be fined not exceeding three hundred dollars, or imprisoned at hard labor not exceeding two years, or both, according to the circumstances and aggravations of the offence.

SEO. 8. And be it further enacted, That the Commissioner of Pensions be, and he is hereby, empowered to appoint, at his discretion, civil surgeons, to make the biennial examinations of pensioners which are or may be required to be made by law, and to examine applicants for invalid pensions, where he shall deem an examination by a surgeon to be appointed by him necessary; and the fees for each of such examinations, and the requisite certificate thereof, shall be one dollar and fifty cents, which fees shall be paid to the surgeon by the person examined, for which he shall take a receipt, and forward the same to the Pension Office; and upon the allowance of the claim of the person examined, the Commissioner of pensioners shall furnish to such person an order on the pension agent of his State for the amount of the surgeon's fees.

SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That the Commissioner of Pensions, on ap plication made to him in person or by letter by any claimants or applicants for pension, bounty, or other allowance required by law to be adjusted and paid by the Pension Office, shall furnish such claimants, free of all expense or charge to them, all such printed instructions and forms as may be necessary in estab lishing and obtaining said claim; and in case such claim is prosecuted by an agent or attorney of such claimant or applicant, on the issue of a certificate of pension or the granting of a bounty or allowance, the Commissioner of Pensions shall forthwith notify the applicant or claimant that such certificate has been issued or allowance made, and the amount thereof.

SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That. the pilots, engineers, sailors, and crews upon the gunboats and war vessels of the United States, who have not been regularly mustered into the service of the United States, shall be entitled to the same bounty allowed to persons of corresponding rank in the naval service, provided they continue in service till the close of the present war; and all persons serving as aforesaid, who have been or may be wounded or incapacitated for service, shall be entitled to receive for such disability the pension allowed by the provisions of this act, to those of like rank, and each and every such porson shall receive pay according to corresponding rank in the naval service: Provided, That no person receiving pension or bounty under the provisions of this act shall receive either pension or bounty for any other service in the pres

ent war.

SEC. 11. And be it further enacted, That the widows and heirs of all persons described in the last preceding section who have been or may be employed as aforesaid, or who have been or may be killed in battle, or of those who have died or shall die of wounds received while so employed, shall be paid the bounty and pension allowed by the provisions of this act, according to rank, as provided in the last preceding section.

SEC. 12. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Interior be and he is hereby authorized to appoint a special agent for the Pension Office, to assist in the detection of frauds against the pension laws, to cause persons committing such frauds to be prosecuted, and to discharge such other duties as said Secretary may require him to perform; which said agent shall receive for his services an annual salary of twelve hundred dollars, and his actual travelling expenses, incurred in the discharge of his duties, shall be paid by the Government.

SEC. 13. And be it further enacted, That all acts and parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions of this act be and the same are hereby repealed. Approved July 14, 1862.

III.-PUBLIC RESOLUTION-No. 61.

A RESOLUTION to regulate the compensation for paying pensions. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That agents for paying pensions shall receive two per centum on all disbursements made by them to pensioners of the United States: Provided, That the aggregate compensation to any one agent, paying both army and navy pensions, shall not exceed two thousand dollars per annum.

Approved July 17, 1862.

IV.--PUBLIC-No. 148.

AN ACT to prevent members of Congress and officers of the Government of the United States from taking consideration for procuring contracts, office, or place, from the United States, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That any member of Congress or any officer of the Government of the United States who shall, directly or indirectly, take, receive, or agree to receive, any money, property, or other valuable consideration whatsoever, from any person or persons for procuring, or aiding to procure, any contract, office, or place, from the Government of the United States or any Department thereof, or from any officer of the United States, for any person or persons whatsoever, or for giving any such contract, office, or place to any person whomsoever, and the person or persons who shall directly or indirectly offer or agree to give, or give, or bestow any money, property, or other valuable consideration whatsoever, or the procuring or aiding to procure any contract, office, or place, as aforesaid, and any member of Congress who shall di

rectly or indirectly take, receive, or agree to receive, any money, property, or other valuable consideration whatsoever after his election as such member, for his attention to, services, action, vote, or decision on any question, matter, cause, or proceeding which may then be pending, or may by law or under the Constitution of the United States be brought before him in his official capacity, or in his place of trust and profit as such member of Congress, shall, for every such offence, be liable to indictment as for a misdemeanor in any court of the United States having jurisdiction thereof, and on conviction thereof shall pay a fine of not exceeding ten thousand dollars, and suffer imprisonment in the penitentiary not exceeding two years, at the discretion of the court trying the same; and any such contract or agreement, as aforesaid, may, at the option of the President of the United States, be declared absolutely null and void; and any member of Congress or officer of the United States convicted, as aforesaid, shall, morcover, be disqualified from holding any office of honor, profit, or trust under the Government of the United States.

Approved July 16, 1862.

V.-PUBLIC-No. 152. [Extract.]

Relative rank between Officers of the Army and the Navy.

AN ACT to establish and equalize the grades of line officers of the United States Navy.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the active list of line officers of the United States Navy shall be divided into nine grades, taking rank according to the date of their commissions in each grade, as follows, viz:

First Rear Admirals.

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SEC. 13. And be it further enacted, That the relative rank between officers of the navy and army shall be as follows, lineal rank only to be considered: Rear admirals with major generals.

Commodores with brigadier generals.

Captains with colonels.

Commanders with lieutenant colonels.

Lieutenant commanders with majors.

Lieutenants with captains.

Masters with first lieutenants.
Ensigns with second lieutenants.

*

*

*

Approved July 16, 1862.

VI.-PUBLIC-No. 159.

AN ACT prohibiting the confinement of persons in the military service of the United States in the penitentiary of the District of Columbia, except as a punishment for certain crimes, and to discharge therefrom certain convicts by sentence of courts-martial, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That hereafter no person in the military service of the United States, convicted and sentenced by a court-martial, shall be punished by confinement in the penitentiary of the District of Columbia, unless

the offence of which such person may be convicted would by some statute of the United States or at common law, as the same exists in the said District, subject such convict to said punishment.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That all such persons in the military service, as aforesaid, who have heretofore been, or may hereafter be, convicted and sentenced by a court-martial for any offence which, if tried before the criminal court of said District, would not subject such person to imprisonment in said penitentiary, and who are now or may hereafter be confined therein, shall be discharged from said imprisonment, upon such terms and conditions of further punishment as the President of the United States may, in his discretion, impose as a commutation of said sentence.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That upon the application of any citizen of the United States, supported by his oath, alleging that a person or persons in the military service, as aforesaid, are confined in said penitentiary under the sentence of a court-martial for any offence not punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary by the authority of the criminal court aforesaid, it shall be the duty of the judge of said court, or, in case of his absence or inability, of one of the judges of the circuit court of said District, if upon an inspection of the record of proceedings of said court-martial, he shall find the facts to be as alleged in said application, immediately to issue the writ of habeas corpus to bring before him the said convict; and if, upon an investigation of the case, it shall be the opinion of such judge that the case of such convict is within the provisions of the previous sections of this act, he shall order such convict to be confined in the common jail of said District, until the decision of the President of the United States as to the commutation aforesaid shall be filed in said court, and then such convict shall be disposed of and suffer such punishment as by said commutation of his said sentence may be imposed.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That no person convicted upon the deci sion of a court-martial shall be confined in any penitentiary in the United States, except under the conditions of this act.

Approved July 16, 1862.

VII.-BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

A Proclamation.

In pursuance of the sixth section of the act of Congress entitled "An act to suppress insurrection, to punish treason and rebellion, to seize and confiscate the property of rebels, and for other purposes, approved July 17, 1862, and which act, and the joint resolution explanatory thereof, are herewith published, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do hereby proclaim to and warn all persons within the contemplation of said sixth section to cease participating in, aiding, countenancing, or abetting the existing rebellion, or any rebellion, against the Government of the United States, and to return to their proper allegiance to the United States, on pain of the forfeitures and seizures as within and by said sixth section provided.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, and of the Inde[L. S.] pendence of the United States the eighty-seventh.

By the President:

WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.

PUBLIC-No. 160.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

AN ACT to suppress insurrection, to punish treason and rebellion, to seize and confiscate the property of rebels, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That every person who shall hereafter commit the crime of treason against the United States, and shall be adjudged guilty thereof, shall suffer death, and all his slaves, if any, shall be declared and made free; or, at the discretion of the court, he shall be imprisoned for not less than five years and fined not less than ten thousand dollars, and all his slaves, if any, shall be declared and made free; said fine shall be levied and collected on any or all of the property, real and personal, excluding slaves, of which the said person so convicted was the owner at the time of committing the said crime, any sale or conveyance to the contrary notwithstanding.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That if any person shall hereafter incite, set on foot, assist, or engage in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States, or the laws thereof, or shall give aid or comfort thereto, or shall engage in, or give aid and comfort to, any such existing rebellion or insurrection, and be convicted thereof, such person shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years, or by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars, and by the liberation of all his slaves, if any he have; or by both of said punishments, at the discretion of the court.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That every person guilty of either of the offences described in this act shall be forever incapable and disqualified to hold any office under the United States.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That this act shall not be construed in any way to affect or alter the prosecution, conviction, or punishment of any person or persons guilty of treason against the United States before the passage of this act, unless such person is convicted under this act.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That, to insure the speedy termination of the present rebellion, it shall be the duty of the President of the United States to cause the seizure of all the estate and property, money, stocks, credits and effects of the persons hereinafter named in this section, and to apply and use the same and the proceeds thereof for the support of the Army of the United States; that is to say:

First. Of any person hereafter acting as an officer of the army or navy of the rebels in arms against the Government of the United States.

Secondly. Of any person hereafter acting as President, Vice President, member of Congress, judge of any court, cabinet officer, foreign minister, commissioner or consul of the so-called Confederate States of America.

Thirdly. Of any person acting as Governor of a State, member of a convention or legislature, or judge of any court of any of the so-called Confederate States of America.

Fourthly. Of any person who, having held an office of honor, trust, or profit. in the United States, shall hereafter hold an office in the so-called Confederate States of America.

Fifthly. Of any person hereafter holding any office or agency under the government of the so-called Confederate States of America, or under any of the several States of the said Confederacy, or the laws thereof, whether such office or agency be national, state, or municipal in its name or character: Provided, That the persons thirdly, fourthly, and fifthly above described shall have accepted their appointment or election since the date of the pretended ordinance of secession of the State, or shall have taken an oath of allegiance to, or to support the Constitution of, the so-called Confederate States.

Sixthly. Of any person who, owning property in any loyal State or Territory of the United States, or in the District of Columbia, shall hereafter assist and give aid and comfort to such rebellion; and all sales, transfers, or conveyances of any such property shall be null and void; and it shall be a sufficient bar to any suit brought by such person for the possession or use of such property, or any of it, to allege and prove that he is one of the persons described in this section.

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