THE LAWS OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES. PUBLIC ACTS OF THE PROVISIONAL CONGRESS OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES. Passed at the first session of the Provisional Congress, which was begun and held at the City of Montgomery, on Monday, February 4, 1861, and continued to March 16, 1861. JEFFERSON DAVIS, President. ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS, Vice President of the Confederate States. HOWELL COBB, President of the Congress. STATUTE I. CHAPTER I.-An Act to continue in force certain laws of the United States of America. Be it enacted by the Confederate States of America in Congress assembled, That all the laws of the United States of America in force and in use in the Confederate States of America on the first day of November last, and not inconsistent with the Constitution of the Confederate States, be and the same are hereby continued in force until altered or repealed by the Congress. ADOPTED February 9, 1861. February 9, 1861. Certain laws of the tinued in force. United States con CHAP. II-An Act to continue in office the Officers connected with the Collection of the Cus- February 14, 1861. toms in the Confederate States of America. Be it enacted by the Confederate States of America in Congress assembled, That the several officers who, at the time of the adoption of the Constitution of the Provisional Government of these states, held and exercised any office connected with the collection of the customs, duties and imposts in the several states of this Confederacy, or as assistant treasurers entrusted with keeping the moneys arising therefrom, are hereby appointed to the several offices which at the said date they respectively held; and they shall have the same powers, be subject to the same duties, and be entitled to the same salaries, fees and emoluments as are set forth and provided in and by the laws of the United States of America, until the first day of April next: Provided, That the maximum of compensation which each collector shall receive from all sources shall not exceed the rate of five thousand dollars per annum. Custom House offitreasurers, continued cers and assistant in office. See resolution of Feb. 14, 1861. etc. Their salaries, fees, To execute bond. And take certain oaths. Where bond to be filed. SEC. 2. Each collector so appointed shall, within two weeks from the date of this act, execute to the Confederate States of America a bond in the same amount and subject to a like condition with his last bond to the United States of America, with sureties to be approved by a judge of any superior or circuit court of the state where such collector is located. And each of the other officers shall, within one week after the collector shall have entered upon the discharge of his duties, execute to the Confederate States of America a bond in the same amount and subject to the like condition with his last bond to the United States of America, (in case he was required to execute a bond,) with sureties to be approved by the collector of the port where such office is located. SEC. 3. The said several officers shall take an oath before a magistrate, well and faithfully to discharge the duties of his office, and to support the constitution of the Provisional Government of the Confederate States of America; which said oath shall be endorsed upon the bond; and the bond shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of the Treasury, or in such other place as he may direct. ADOPTED February 14, 1861. February 18, 1861. Articles exempt from duty. Goods imported late U. S. not a mem CHAP. III.—An Act to exempt from duty certain commodities therein named, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Confederate States of America in Congress assembled, That the following articles shall be exempt from duty and admitted free into said states, to wit: Bacon, pork, hams, lard, beef, fish of all kinds, wheat and flour of wheat and flour of all other grains, Indian corn and meal, barley and barley flour, rye and rye flour, oats and oat meal, gunpowder and all the materials of which it is made, lead in all forms, arms of every description, and munitions of war and military accoutrements, percussion caps, living animals of all kinds; also all agricultural products in their natural state. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That all goods, wares and merfrom any one of the chandise imported from any one of the late United States of America, ber of the C. S. ex not being now a member of this Confederacy, into this Confederacy, before the fourth day of March next, which may have been bona fide purchased heretofore, or within ten days after the passage of this act, shall be exempt and free from duty. empt from duty. State of Texas ex empted from operaon of the tariff. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the State of Texas be and is hereby exempted from the operation of the tariff laws heretofore passed and adopted by this Congress. ADOPTED February 18, 1861. February 20, 1861. Contracts for the purchase, manufac arms, authorized. CHAP. IV.-An Act to provide Munitions of War, and for other purposes. SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Confederate States of America in ture and alteration of Congress assembled, That the President, or the Secretary of War, under his direction, is hereby authorized and empowered to make contracts for the purchase and manufacture of heavy ordnance and small arms; and of machinery for the manufacture or alteration of small arms and Agents and artisans munitions of war, and to employ the necessary agents and artisans for may be employed. these purposes; and to make contracts for the establishment of powder mills and the manufacture of powder; and the President is authorized to make contracts provided for in this act, in such manner and on such terms as in his judgment the public exigencies may require. APPROVED February 20, 1861. CHAP. V. An Act to authorize the President to appoint a Private Secretary. Be it enacted by the Confederate States of America in Congress assembled, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the President of the Confederate States of America be and he is hereby authorized to appoint a private secretary, through whom he may communicate with Congress, and who shall discharge such duties as may be assigned him by the President, and shall receive such compensation for his services as shall be fixed by law. APPROVED February 20, 1861. February 20, 1961. President autho vate Secretary. rized to appoint a pri His compensation. See Acts March 7, 1861, and May 21, 1861. CHAP. VI.-An Act to determine the Salaries of the Vice President and of the Heads of Departments. February 21, 1861. of the Departments. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That Salaries of the Vice the annual compensation of the Vice President, and of the Secretaries President and Heads of State, of the Treasury, of War, of the Navy, the Postmaster General, and the Attorney General, shall be at the rate of six thousand dollars, payable quarterly in advance. APPROVED February 21, 1861. CHAP. VII.-An Act to organize the Department of State. February 21, 1861. State Department Duties of Secretary The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That there shall be an executive department, to be denominated organized. the Department of State; and there shall be a principal officer therein, to be called the Secretary of State, who shall perform and execute such duties as shall from time to time be enjoined on or entrusted to him by the President of the Confederate States, agreeably to the Con- of State. stitution, relative to correspondences, commissions or instructions to or with public ministers or consuls from the Confederate States, or to negotiations with public ministers from foreign states or princes, or to memorials or other applications from foreign public ministers and other foreigners, or to such other matters respecting foreign affairs as the President of the Confederate States shall assign to the said department; and, furthermore, the said principal officer shall conduct the business of the said department in such manner as the President of the Confederate States shall from time to time order or instruct. Said Secretary shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Congress, and shall receive a compensation to be ascer- ed; his compensation. tained and regulated by law. By whom appoint This clause repealed. SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, It shall be the duty of the Secretary To keep and preof State to keep and preserve all bills and resolutions of the Congress serve the laws. having been approved or signed by the President, or otherwise become laws; and he shall carefully preserve the originals, and shall, as soon see Act of Aug. 5, as conveniently may be after he shall receive the same, cause every 1861. Sections 1, 2, such law, order and resolution to be published, in at least three public And publish the newspapers published within the Confederate States, and shall also same. cause two printed copies, duly authenticated. to be sent to the executive authority of each state. It shall be the duty of the secretary to 8. the seal of the C. S. To keep and affix keep the great seal of the Confederate States, and to make out and record and affix said seal to all civil commissions to officers of the Confederate States to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice of the Congress, or by the President alone: Provided, That said seal shall not be affixed to any commission before it is signed by the President, nor to any other instrument or act without the special warrant of the President therefor. The said secretary shall also cause a To cause a seal to seal of office to be made for said department, of such device as the partment; authentica President shall approve; and all copies of records and papers in said tion of records under office, authenticated under the said seal, shall be evidence equally as the original record or paper. be made for his De said seal. Clerks in State Department; their com of office. SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, That there shall be in the said departpensation, and oath ment a chief clerk, to be appointed by the secretary, and such other clerks as from time to time may be found necessary and authorized by the Congress, who shall receive a compensation for their services to be fixed by law and the Secretary of State, and every other person to be appointed or employed in said department, shall, before he enters on the execution of his office or employment, take an oath or affirmation well and faithfully to execute the trust committed to him. Fees of office. SEC. 4. Be it further enacted, There shall be paid to the secretary, for the use of the Confederate States, the following fees of office, by the persons requiring the services to be performed, except when they are performed for any officer of the Confederate States in a matter relating to the duties of his office, to-wit: For making out and authenticating copies of records, ten cents for each hundred words; for authenticating a copy of a record or paper, under the seal of office, one dollar. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, This act shall be in force and take effect from and after its passage. APPROVED February 21, 1861. February 21, 1861. Treasury Department established. partment. CHAP. VIII.-An Act to establish the Treasury Department. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That there shall be an executive department known as the Department of Officers in said De- Treasury, in which shall be the following officers, namely: A Secretary of the Treasury, to be deemed the head of the department; a Comptroller, an Auditor, a Register, a Treasurer, and an Assistant to the Secretary of the Treasury, which assistant shall be appointed by the said Secretary; all of which officers shall receive such salaries, respectively, as may be provided by law. Duties of Secretary of the Treasury. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to superintend the collection of the public revenae; to digest and prepare plans for the improvement and management thereof, and for the support of the public credit; to prepare and report estimates of the public revenue and the public expenditures; to decide on the forms of keeping and stating accounts and making returns, and to grant, under the limitations herein established or to be hereafter provided, all warrants for moneys to be paid into the Treasury, and all warrants for moneys to be issued from the Treasury, in pursuance of appropriations by law; to execute such services relative to the sale of the public property belonging to the Confederate States as by law may be required of him; to make reports and give information to the Congress or the President-in person or in writing, as may be required concerning all matters referred to him by the Congress or the President, respectively, and which shall appertain to his office; and |