vacant; and for every such failure or refusal it shall be the duty of the Commonwealth's attorneyt for the circuit court of such county or corporation to cause the offender or offenders to be forthwith indicted for the same in said court.

8. Under any requisition made upon any county or corporation, it shall be lawful for any number of persons who may be required to furnish not less than thirty nor more than forty slaves, to place such slaves in charge of an agent or overseer, not liable to military duty, selected by such owners, who shall deliver them to the Confederate authorities at the place where the labor is to be performed, at the expense of the Confederate States; and such agent or overseer, if a fit and proper person, shall be employed by the Confederate Government as the agent or overseer in charg ering their service of sixty days; and such agent or oversser shall not be discharged by any officer of the Confederate Government, except for good cause, to be approved by the Secretary of War: Provided, That if the requisition on any county or corporation shal amount to only twenty slaves, and less than thirty, in such case an overseer or manager, not liable to military duty, may be selected, as aforesaid.

9. The owners of slave may furnish them subsistence and provisions, and in such event shal be allowed commutation in money, in lieu of rations, equal to the commutation allowed soldiers in the service. Transportation therefor shall be furnished by the Governor, and he shal amke such arrangements with the authorities of the Confederate States as may be necessary to secure the benefit thereof to said slaves.

10. All slaves sent voluntarily by their owners to the Confederate authorities, and accepted by them, shall stand on the same footing as if sent under th eproceedings required by this act.

11. This act shall be communicated forthwith by the Governor to the President of the Confederate States, and shall be regarded as an act regulating the mode in which, and the terms upon which, slaves in this State shall be impressed by the Confederate authorities, under the act of Congress, entitled "An act to regulate impressments," approved March 26, 1863, to the extent provided for in this act. Any call for slaves hereafter made by the President on the Governor shall be regarded as an assent to, and acceptance of, all the provisions of this act by the Confederate States.

12. Be it further enacted, That the act, passed March 13, 1863, entitled "An act to amend and re-enact 'An act further to provide for the public defense,' passed October 3, 1862," and the acts amendatory thereof, and al other acts or parts of acts inconsistent with the provissions of this act, be, and the same are hereby, repealed.

13. This act shal be in force from its passage.

A copy from the rolls.

Test.

WM. F. GORDON, Jr.,

Clerk House of Delegates and Keeper of Records.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
March 15, 1865.

Hon. J. C. BRECKINRIDGE,

Secretary of War, Richmond, Va.:

SIR: I have received a copy of the act to authorize the consolidation of companies, battalions, and regiments, approved 23d of February,