ORDER

OF THE

SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.

NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, March 31, 1863.

For the purpose of more effectually preventing all commercial intercourse with insurrectionary States, except such as shall be authorized in pursuance of law, and of securing consistent, uniform, and efficient action in conducting such intercourse as shall be so authorized, and for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of an act of Congress entitled "An act to provide for the collection of abandoned property and for the prevention of frauds in insurrectionary States,” approved March 12, 1863, it is hereby ordered—

I.

That no officer of the navy of the United States, nor other person connected therewith, shall authorize or have any interest in the transportation of any goods, wares, or merchandise (except supplies belonging to or contracted for by the United States, designed for the military or naval forces thereof, and moving under military or naval orders, and except also sutlers' supplies and other things necessary for the use and comfort of the naval forces of the United States, and moving under permits of the authorized officers of the Treasury Department) into any State declared by the President to be in insurrection; nor authorize nor have any interest in the purchase or sale therein of any goods or chattels, wares or merchandise, cotton, to bacco, or other products of the soil thereof; nor the transportation of the same, except as aforesaid, therefrom or therein; nor shall any such officer or person authorize, prohibit, or in any manner interfere with any such purchase or sale or transportation which shall be conducted under the regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury, unless under some imperative military necessity in the place or section where the same shall be conducted, or unless requested by an agent or some other authorized officer of the Treasury Department, in which case all officers of the navy of the United States and other persons connected there with will render such aid in carrying out the provisions of the said act and of the law, and in enforcing due observance of the said regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury as can be given without manifest injury to the public service.

II.

It is further ordered that every officer, sailor, or marine in the naval service of the United States who shall receive or have under his control any property which shall have been abandoned by the owner or owners, or captured in any district declared to be in insurrection against the United States, including all property seized in any such district, under naval orders, excepting only such as shall be required for the use of the naval forces of the United States, and as is excluded by the act of March 12, 1863, shall promptly turn over all such property to the agent appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury to receive the same, who shall give receipts therefor, if desired.

And every such officer, sailor, or marine shall also turn over to such agent in like manner all receipts, bills of lading, and other papers, documents, and vouchers showing title to such property, or the right to the possession, control, or direction thereof; and he shall make such order, indorsement, or writing as he has power to make to enable such agent to take possession of such property, or the proceeds thereof. Arms, munitions of war, forage, horses, mules, wagons, beef cattle, and supplies which are necessary in naval operations, shall be turned over to the proper officers for the use of the navy. All other property abandoned, captured, or seized, as aforesaid, shall be delivered to the said agent of the Treasury Department.

The officer receiving or turning over such property shall give the usual and necessary invoices, receipts or vouchers therefor, and shall make regular returns thereof as prescribed by the navy regulations. The receipts of the agents of the Treasury Department shall be vouchers for all property delivered to them. And whenever called upon by the said agent of the Treasury Department authorized to receive such abandoned, or captured, or seized property, as aforesaid. or the proceeds thereof, all persons employed in the naval service of the United States will give him full information in regard thereto, and if requested by him so to do, they shall give him duplicates or copies of the reports and returns thereof, and of the receipts, invoices, and vouchers therefor.

And every officer of the navy of the United States hereafter receiving abandoned, or captured, or seized property in any insurrectionary State as aforesaid, or the proceeds thereof, or under whose order it may be applied to the use of the naval forces as aforesaid, shall, upon request of an agent appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury as aforesaid, render a written report, with invoices thereof, to said agent, in which he will specify the arms, supplies, or other munitions of war retained for use of the naval forces, as aforesaid, and also, separately, the property turned over to said agent, or which may have been sold or otherwise disposed of. And in case a sale of any such property shall be made under his authority, or under the authority of any one subject to his order, he will so state, and will describe the property so sold, and will state when and where, and by and to whom sold, and the amount received therefor, and what disposition was made of the proceeds.

And all officers of the navy of the United States will, at all times, render to the agents appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury all such aid as may be necessary to enable them to take possession of any abandoned, or captured, or seized property aforesaid, and in transporting the same, so far as can be done without manifest injury to the public service.

All expenses of transporting property herein referred to will be reported by the officers who furnish the transportation to the agent of the Treasury Department, and also, through the proper channels, to the Navy Department at Washington, in order that the expenses may be reimbursed from the proceeds of sales of such transported property.

III.

All naval officers in command of squadrons, vessels, or stations will, upon receipt of this order, revoke all existing orders throughout their respective commands conflicting or inconsistent herewith, or which permit, or prohibit, or in any manner interfere with any trade or transportation conducted under the regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury not understood as applying to any lawful maritime prize by the naval forces of the United States; and their attention is par ticularly directed to said regulations, prescribed March 31, 1863, and they will respectively make such orders as will insure strict observ. ance of this order throughout their respective commands.

GIDEON WELLES,
Secretary of the Navy.

NAVY DEPARTMENT,

September 11, 1863.

The attention of all officers, sailors and marines of the Navy of the United States, is especially directed to the Revised Regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury, approved by the President, dated September 11, 1863, and superseding the Regulation of March 31, 1863; and they will in all respects observe the order of this Department, dated March 31, 1863, with regard to said Revised Regulations, as if the same had been originally promulgated with reference to them.