Washington, DC, 1997.
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Section 1.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of Alabama, in General Assembly convened, That to provide for the public safety, by quelling insurrection, preventing or repelling invasion, the Governor is invested with full power and authority to impress the labor of all male slaves between the ages of eighteen and fifty years, or so many thereof as he may deem necessary, with the use of tools and implements, wagons, teams and harness, which may be necessary to render the labor of the slaves so impressed effective; with subsistence for the same; also timber, cut and growing, and lumber, as well as arms and ammunition, and ordnance stores, and subsistence for State troops actually in service: also steamboats and other water craft; but unless, in the opinion of the Governor, the necessity is pressing, or the danger imminent, no slave shall be impressed from any slaveholder, company, partnership, corporation or joint owner, owning or having in possession less than ten slaves; and no slaveholder, company, partnership, corporation or joint owner, whose slaves are subject to impressment under this Act, in any one year from its passage, shall be required to furnish a greater amount of slave labor than in the aggregate is equivalent to sixty days labor for each slave so subject, unless, in the opinion of the Governor, a longer service is necessary, and in estimating the amount of such labor, credit shall be given for the labor of any slaves previously furnished, under the order or requisition of the Governor, which may be proved by affidavit.
Sec. 2.
Be it further enacted, That in all cases of impressment of slaves under the preceding section, the owners of every thirty slaves impressed may select a white man to attend on such slaves, to perform such duties connected with their labor, police, security, comfort and health, as the Governor may direct, who shall receive two dollars for each day's service.
Sec. 3.
And be it further enacted, That the authority conferred upon the Governor under this Act may be exercised and enforced by the military power of the State, under his orders, or by special agents, appointed by him and acting under his direction.
That any person in charge or possession of slaves, or any other property subject to impressment under this Act, who shall resist any officer impressing said slaves, or other property, or who shall fail or refuse to deliver the same on demand to such officer or agent, or who shall remove or conceal the same with the intent to avoid impressment, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction, shall be fined not less than Three Hundred Dollars, and imprisoned not less than three months; and it is hereby made the duty of the officer or agent to return such persons to the Clerk of the next Circuit Court of the county in which the offense is committed, whose duty it shall be to report the same for prosecution to the Solicitor, before the adjournment of the Grand Jury.
Sec. 4.
And be it further enacted, That the Governor shall, in the first instance, assess a just compensation for the labor of any slaves, the use of implements, tools, teams, wagons or harness, steamboats or other water craft, and for any other property impressed under this Act, which, if satisfactory, shall be paid by warrant on the State Treasurer, as provided for under Clause 3, Section 3, of an Act entitled “ An Act making appropriations for the military defense of the State,” approved 6th February, 1861; but if not satisfactory, the owner shall, within sixty days therefrom, file his dissent in the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of the county of his residence, and such Court shall judicially ascertain a just compensation for the labor of the slaves, the use of the tools, implements, wagons, teams, harness, steamboats or other water craft, and the value of any other description of property impressed from the person so dissenting, and if such compensation exceeds the amount assessed by the Governor, judgement shall be rendered in favor of the owner, or his personal representatives, against the State, which shall be paid as other judgments against the State; but if the compensation so ascertained shall not exceed the amount assessed by the Governor, judgment shall be rendered in favor of the State, against the owner or his personal representatives, for all the costs of the proceeding. And it shall be the duty of the Solicitor to act as counsel for the State, who shall, in case judgment is rendered in its favor, be entitled to receive from the owner or his representatives the sum of ten dollars, which shall be taxed in the bill of costs, but nothing contained in this section shall affect the right of the owner or his representatives to obtain the compensation assessed by the Governor, in case that upon his dissent judgment shall be rendered in favor of the State.
Sec 5.
And be it further enacted, That from the decision of the Circuit Court, the State shall have the right to appeal, as provided for in Section 3017 of the Code and the owner or his representatives as in other cases.
Sec 6.
And be it further enacted, That the sum of One Million Dollars is appropriated to carry out the provisions of this Act.