Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-05-18
The Legislature.

The Legislature.
The Legislature of this State will assemble in
this City to-day, the 17th, in adjourned session.
We presume the session will be short one.
The main questions which will most probably
engage the attention Of the body will be that Of
finance, ha6eas corpus and the making adequate
provision for the families of soldiers and of the in
digent who are now in want These are all impor-
tant measures and We trust they will be SO dispo->
sed Of as to give satisfaction to the people Of the
State
We publish below, to refresh the minds. of our
readers on the subject the act of the Confederate
Congress suspending the privilege of the writ Of
ha6eas corpus We verify believe, with Mr.. Vice
President Stephens, that this act was unnecessary
that it is unconstitutional and that it was passed
to control certain elections and expected Assem-.
blages in North-earolina-to put muzzle upon
certain presses and q bit in the mouth Of certain
speakers in that State" This being the fact it is
especially incumbent on our Legislature to protest
against the act and to demand its repeal and it is
to be regretted that Gov. Vance did not at once
convene the Legislature, so that this protest and
demand might have been made at the time the
Georgia Legislature acted on the subject The
protest Of this State would have carried with it
much more moral weight if it had been made
promptly; and this would have been done but for
the fact that Gov Vance substantially endorsed the
suspension of the writ in his Wilkesborough speech
and but for the further fact that he was not dis
posed at that time to trust the peoples represents.
tives. What he will say now remains to be seen.
1t will be seen that the law suspending the writ
provides that persons arrested by the military shall
have speedy trial. 1t makes no difference that
the law, in comforting judicial powers on the Pres
dent plainly violates the Constitution; it is the a,o
until set aside by competent tribunal, or repealed
and it is the duty Of the Commissi 'ner, Mr. Bragg
to grant speedy hearing to those who are now
confined under suspension of the writ. Will his
organ, the Contederate-the organ of the "patriots
and property holders for whom Mr.. Bragg, as he
states in his interesting secret circular holds the
bag,"-will that Journal inform the public why it
is Mr.. Bragg does not perform his duty?
Bill to suspend the prioilege of the writ Of Ha6sas
Corpus IN certain cases.
Whereas, the Constitution of the Confederate
States of America provides in Article /, Section 0,
Paragraph 8, that the privilege of the writ of habeas
corpus shall not be suspended unless when in case
Of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may re-
quire it and whereas the power of suspending the
privilege OF said writ as recognized in said Article
l, is vested solely in the Congress- which is the
exclusive judge of the necessity Of such suspension
and Whereas in the opinion Of the Congress- the
public safety requires the suspension Of said wri,
in the existing case of the invasion of these States
and whereas, the President has asked for the sus.
pension of the writ of ha6eas corpus and informed
Congress of conditions of public danger which
render the suspension of the writ measure proper
for the public defence against invasion and insur
| rection now, therefore;
The Congress of the Confederate States of Amer.
! ica do enact, That during the present invasion oil
the Confederate States, the privilege of the writ
habsas corpus be, and the same is hereby, suspend
| ed but such suspension shall apply only to the
cases of persons arrested or detained by order o.
I the President, Secretary of War, or the General
| Officer commanding the Trans Mississippi Military
| Department. BY the authority, and under the con
troll of the President 1t is hereby declared tina
the purpose of Congress in the passage Of this &C
is to provide efectually for the public safety
by suspendlng the writ of habeas corpus in the fol
| lowing cases and no other:
| l. Of treason, or reasonable efforts or combina
tons to subvert the government of the Confederate
States.
| II. OF conspiracies to overthrow the government
or conspracies to resist the lawful authority of th
| Confederate States.
III. OF combining to assist the enemy, or Of com
municating intelligence to the enemy, or giving hiu
| aid and comfort.
Nv. Of conspiracies, preparations and attempts Il
incte servile insurrection.
| V. OF assertions, or encouraging assertions, O
harboring deserters and Of attempts to avoid mill
| 11 Of in Of
wrong and oppression by any subordinate Office
upon any party who does not legally owe military
service, his superior officer shall grant prompt relic
to the oppressed party, and the subordinate shall
be dismissed from Office.
VI Of spies and other emissares of the enemy.
| VII OF holding correspondence or intercourse
with the enemy, without necessity, and without thu
permission of the Confederate States.
VIII. Of unlawful trading with the enemy, ant
other offences against the laws OF the Confederate
States enacted to promote their success in the war
*. Of conspiracies, or attempts to liberate prs
oners of war held by the Confederate States.
| X. OF conspiracles, or attempts or preparations
| to aid the enemy.
| XII. OF persons advising or melting others t.
abandon the Confederate cause, or to resist thu
Confederate States, or to adhere to the enemy.
XII. Of unlawfully burning, destroying or inju
ring, attempting to burn, destroy or injure any
bridge or railroad, or telegraphc line Of commpni
cation, or property, with the intent of aiding thu
enemy. -.
| XIII. Of reasonable designs to impair the mill
tary power of the government by destroying, or at
tempting to destroy, the vessels or arms, or mum
nitions Of war, or arsenals founderies, workshops
or other property of the Confederate States
Sec. O. The President shall cause proper officers
to investigate the cases of all persons arrested o.
detained, in order that they may be discharged i
| he