Title 50War and National DefenseRelease 119-73

§208 Licensing or permitting commercial intercourse with State or region in insurrection

Title 50 › Chapter CHAPTER 13— - INSURRECTION › § 208

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The President may allow trade with parts of a state declared in insurrection to supply loyal people who live inside areas held by U.S. troops. He can also let people there sell products they made themselves or with paid workers (including freedmen) to markets in loyal states, under rules announced by the local commanding general. Goods may only go to or from places and in monthly amounts agreed in writing by the commanding general and an officer chosen by the Secretary of the Treasury. The President decides what is traded, who may trade, and for how long, and any licensed trade must follow rules set by the Secretary of the Treasury.

Full Legal Text

Title 50, §208

War and National Defense — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The President may, in his discretion, license and permit commercial intercourse with any part of such State or section, the inhabitants of which are so declared in a state of insurrection, so far as may be necessary to authorize supplying the necessities of loyal persons residing in insurrectionary States, within the lines of actual occupation by the military forces of the United States, as indicated by published order of the commanding general of the department or district so occupied; and, also, so far as may be necessary to authorize persons residing within such lines to bring or send to market in the loyal States any products which they shall have produced with their own labor or the labor of freedmen, or others employed and paid by them, pursuant to rules relating thereto, which may be established under proper authority. And no goods, wares, or merchandise shall be taken into a State declared in insurrection, or transported therein, except to and from such places and to such monthly amounts as shall have been previously agreed upon, in writing, by the commanding general of the department in which such places are situated, and an officer designated by the Secretary of the Treasury for that purpose. Such commercial intercourse shall be in such articles and for such time and by such persons as the President, in his discretion, may think most conducive to the public interest; and, so far as by him licensed, shall be conducted and carried on only in pursuance of rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification R.S. § 5304 derived from acts
July 13, 1861, ch. 3, § 5, 12 Stat. 257;
July 2, 1864, ch. 225, § 9, 13 Stat. 377.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

50 U.S.C. § 208

Title 50War and National Defense

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73