ments, if the same can be done, as will provide such amount of clothing, shoes, provisions, and blankets as may be necessary to render comfortable the soldiers in Federal prisons from this State, either by making a contract with some responsible persons to deliver the same to the prisoners or to the authorized agent of the State, or by purchasing and exporting cotton or other Southern commodities and investing the proceeds in such articles as may be needed for the purposes of this act; and in determining whether the clothing and other articles shall be procured by contract for their delivery, or by purchasing and exporting cotton or other Southern commodities, due regard shall be had to the immediate wants of the soldiers, in view of the rigor of the winter season in the climate we here the soldiers are imprisoned.

SEC. III. Be it further enacted, That the Governor be, and is hereby, directed to appoint an agent for the State to receive and distribute the clothing and other articles to be procured under this act; and if cotton or other Southern commodities should be exported, to superintend the purchase, expiration, and sale of the same, and the investment of the proceeds thereof, as contemplated by this act: Provided, That before said agent shall enter upon the duties of his agency he shall be required to enter into bond, with good security, to be approved by the Governor, in the penal sum of five hundred thousand dollars, conditioned that he will faithfully and impartially discharge all the duties imposed upon him by this act, and that he will make due returns of all transactions connected with his agency, and in good faith account to the State for all the money or effects which may go into his hands, and return to the State any surplus which may remain after providing the soldiers with clothing, shoes, provisions, and blankets, and the amount of money to each, as hereinafter provided.

SEC. IV. Be it further enacted, That if there shall be any surplus of the funds had, after providing clothing, shoes, provisions, and blankets, it shall be the duty of the agent to distribute to each solder twenty dollars, or in that proportion of the surplus should it be insufficient to enable the agent to distribute twenty dollars to each, for which a receipt shall be taken from each soldier and be accepted as a voucher in the settlement between the agent and the State.

SEC. V. Be it further enacted, That should the Governor deem it best for said agent to proceed immediately to the United States for the purpose of ascertaining the locality and wants of the imprisoned soldiers, he shall be authorized to appoint another agent to superintend the purchase and exportation of cotton or other Southern commodities, if that plan should be adopted; and such agent shall be entitled to receive for his services the amount of his actual expenses and ten dollars per day for time actually employed, to be paid out of the Treasury upon the warrant of the Governor; and such agent shall be required to enter into bond with good security, to be approved by the Governor, in such sum as the Governor may deem proper to protect the State, conditions that he will faithfully discharge the duties herein imposed and account to the State for all money or other effects which may go into his hands.

SEC. VI. Be it further enacted, That said agent provided for by the third section of this act shall be entitled to receive for his services such amount as will defray his necessary and unavoidable expenses in carrying this act into effect and three thousand dollars per annum, or at that rate for the time he may be employed in the service of the State, to be paid in treasury notes of this State or of the Confederate States.