Thursday, November 19.
Privateer Prize Law.
The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill in addition to the act concerning prizes and prize goods.
Mr. Bassett, as chairman of the committee who reported the bill, explained its provisions, and enforced the necessity of its adoption. He took occasion to advert to the numerous captures made by our private armed vessels, and their utility as a system of annoyance to the enemy. In every case in which they had come in conflict, they had acquitted themselves in a manner that redounded to their credit.
After some further conversation on the details of the bill, the following section was, on motion of Mr. Bacon, substituted for the fourth section of the bill:
"Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That in cases of sale of prize property by the marshal of any district, or wherever the proceeds thereof has been or shall be deposited with the clerk of any district court, pursuant to the orders of said court upon condemnation, the same shall, by the said marshal or clerk respectively, at the request of the owners of the private armed vessel by which the capture shall have been made, or of their agents, be paid over to them, to be by them distributed agreeably to the provisions of law: Provided, That all fees, costs, and charges, arising on condemnation, be first paid, and all duties accruing on such prize property, as also the two per cent. fund accruing on such proceeds, be first paid, or secured to be paid, to the collector of the district into which such prize may be brought for condemnation, and that the marshal and clerk shall be allowed for their services respectively, in selling, receiving, and paying over as aforesaid, a commission of one per cent. and no more, on the net proceeds of such prize property, after deducting the duties, the two per cent. and charges aforesaid: Provided, also, That such commission shall not exceed, upon any property included in one condemnation, the sum of one thousand dollars."
The bill as thus amended was then ordered to be engrossed for a third reading.
Retaliation.
The engrossed bill "vesting the power of retaliation in the President of the United States in certain cases," was read a third time.
A debate of more than an hour took place on the question of its passage, which was finally determined in the negative, by yeas and nays—51 to 61.