Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 12.djvu/785

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Lots to be sold at public sale or private entry.
Proviso.
to be held subject to sale at private entry according to such regulations as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe: Provided, That no lot shall be disposed of at public sale or private entry for less than the appraised value thereof: And provided, further, That said sales shall be conducted by the register and receiver of the land-office in the district in which said reservations may be situated, in accordance with the laws and rules and instructions of the department regulating the sales of public lands.

Approved, March 3, 1863.




March 3, 1863

Chap. ⅬⅩⅩⅩⅠ.—An Act relating to Habeas Corpus, and regulating Judicial Proceedings in Certain Cases.


Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,The President may suspend the writ of habeas corpus during the rebellion. That, during the present rebellion, the President of the United States, whenever, in his judgment, the public safety may require it, is authorized to suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in any case throughout the United States, or any part thereof. Effect of the suspension.And whenever and wherever the said privilege shall be suspended, as aforesaid, no military or other officer shall be compelled, in answer to any writ of habeas corpus, to return the body of any person or persons detained by him by authority of the President; but upon the certificate, under oath, of the officer having charge of any one so detained that such person is detained by him as a prisoner under authority of the President, further proceedings under the writ of habeas corpus shall be suspended by the judge or court having issued the said writ, so long as said suspension by the President shall remain in force, and said rebellion continue.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted,List of state or political prisoners to be furnished to the judges of the United States courts. That the Secretary of State and the Secretary of War be, and they are hereby, directed, as soon as may be practicable, to furnish to the judges of the circuit and district courts of the United States and of the District of Columbia a list of the names of all persons, citizens of states in which the administration of the laws has continued unimpaired in the said Federal courts, who are now, or may hereafter be, held as prisoners of the United States, by order or authority of the President of the United States or either of said Secretaries, in any fort, arsenal, or other place, as state or political prisoners, or otherwise than as prisoners of war; the said list to contain the names of all those who reside in the respective jurisdictions of said judges, or who may be deemed by the said Secretaries, or either of them, to have violated any law of the United States in any of said jurisdictions, and also the date of each arrest; the Secretary of State to furnish a list of such persons as are imprisoned by the order or authority of the President, acting through the State Department, and the Secretary of War a list of such as are imprisoned by the order or authority of the President, acting through the Department of War. When such prisoners are to be discharged.And in all cases where a grand jury, having attended any of said courts having jurisdiction in the premises, after the passage of this act, and after the furnishing of said list, as aforesaid, has terminated its session without finding an indictment or presentment, or other proceeding against any such person, it shall be the duty of the judge of said court forthwith to make an order that any such prisoner desiring a discharge from said imprisonment be brought before him to be discharged; and every officer of the United States having custody of such prisoner is hereby directed immediately to obey and execute said judge’s order; Penalty for refusing to obey order of the court.and in case he shall delay or refuse so to do, he shall be subject to indictment for a misdemeanor, and be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars and imprisonment in the common jail for a period not less than six months, in the discretion of the court: Provided, however, Oath of allegiance to be taken before discharge.That no person shall be discharged by virtue of the provisions of this act until after he or she shall have taken an oath of allegiance