S. Cooper, Apru 16, 1864

No. 43. Richmond, Apru 16, 1864. I. By the provisions of an act of Congress entitled ”An act to impose regulations upon the foreign commerce of the Confederate States to provide for the common defense,” approved 17th of February, 1864, the exportation of cotton, tobacco, military and naval stores, sugar, molasses, and rice from the Confederate States, except under such uniform regulations as might be made by the President, was prohibited; and the President was authorized to employ any portion of the military and naval forces of the Confederacy in order to prevent the 20 R R—SERIES IV, VOL III departure of any vessels or vehicles that might be employed in carrying on a commerce in these articles contrary to law. II. The commanding generals of departments and districts will issue orders and instructions to their officers that whenever it shall reasonably appear that any vessel or vehicle has been laden, in whole or in part, with any of the said articles for exportation or conveyance beyond the limits of the Confederacy, or to any place within the Confederacy not under the control of their civil or military authorities, and whenever there is reason to believe that any of the articles aforesaid have been so laden, or have been collected at any place of deposit with a view to exportation or conveyance beyond the limits or lines aforesaid, to seize and detain the same, with the vehicles, teams, and slaves employed, that investigation may be had according to the conditions of the act aforesaid and these orders, unless the owner or his agent or bailee has a permit from a collector of the revenue, or from an Officer of this Department who may be authorized to grant such licenses. III. The conditions upon which the trade by sea or overland to Mexico can be carried on have been determined by the regulations of the President, and any exportation or attempt to export any of the articles aforesaid contrary to those regulations will authorize the detention of the vessel or other instruments of transport. IV. When a deposit of the prohibited articles is made at a point from which easy access to the lines of the enemy can be obtained, or are on a vehicle apparently on the way to their lines, or in the vicinity thereof, or when the owner is not a permanent resident of the place where the articles are found and from which they can easily be transported beyond the lines, or is a suspicious person, detention of the articles and vehicles for inquiry will be made. V. All vehicles, animals, slaves, or other means of transportation, and all cotton or other articles that may be seized, whether by the officers of the revenue or by military authorities, for any violation of law or of these regulations, shall be, without any waste, spoliation, impressment, or injury of any kind, forthwith conveyed and delivered to the nearest marshal or deputy marshal of the Confederate States, and a detailed receipt taken from him, setting forth a full description of the property seized and delivered to him for safe custody. And it shall be the duty of said marshal or deputy marshal to keep the property so surrendered in safe custody until the further order of the judge or a commissioner of a district court of the Confederate States having jurisdiction of the subject-matter; and the said marshal or deputy marshal shall forthwith, upon the receipt by him of the property seized, give information to the collector of the district, or to the district attorney, or to both if practicable, of all the facts in relation to the seizure of the property and its delivery to him for safe-keeping. VI. No military authority shall presume, under any circumstances, to seize property while being carried under the provisions of the law and of these regulations, for any other cause than a violation of said provisions; nor, in case of seizure, to dispose of the property seized in any other manner than that prescribed in the foregoing regulation. But in case where there is great risk of the property falling into the hands of the enemy, it shall be competent for the proper military authorities to require the licensed carrier to suspend his trip till the danger be passed, or to pursue a different route from that originally designated, or even, in cases of imminent danger, to abandon the trip. CONFEDERATE AUTHORITIES. ad VII. Information will be given from time to time from this Department to the commanding generals of the conditions on which transportation by land be made. By order:

S. COOPER,