Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-03-01

I
ent upon the Government for suoport. -
| within the meaning OF the act who, being
able to find employment, could Wy proper
industry and exertion avoid such des,itution.
I suffering or depe pepdeDce. .,...t-.. -..
SIC. 4. And be Il Jurthey. enacted, That
the President is hereby authorized to re
serve from sale or from settlement. under
the homestead or pre- eWption lava, aud TO
set apart for the use Of freedmen and loyal
refugees. male or female. unoccupied public
lands in Florida, Mississippi, Alabama,
Louisiana, and Arkansas, not exceeding in
all three millions Of acres of good land and
the Commissioner, under the direction Of
the President, shall cause the same from
time TO time to be allotted and assigned, in
parcels not exceeding forty acres each, to
the loyal refugees and freedmen, and who
shall be protected in the use and enjoyment
thereof for such term Of time and at such
annual rent as may be agreed on between
the Commissioner and such. refugees or
freedmen. The rental shall be based upon
valuation Of the land. to he asccrtsined in
such manner ~ the Commissioner may. un.
der the direction Of the President, by regu.
lation prescribe. At the end Of such term,
or sooner, if the Commissioner shall assent
thereto, the occupants Of any parcels 80 as
signed, their heirs and assigns, may pnr-
chase the land and receive a title thereto
from the United States 10 fee, upon paying
therefor the value of the land ascertained as
Aforesaid.
SIC. 5. And be Il htrther enacted. That
the occupants Of l"nd under Maj Geo.
Sherman's special field order, dated at Sa
vapnsh, January sixteen, eighteen hundred
and sixty FIVE, are hereby confirmed in their
possession for the period Of three years
from the date Of said order, and no person
shall be disturbed in or ousted from said
possession during said three years, unles. q
settlement shall be made with said occupant,
10y the former owner, satisfactory to the
Commissioner Of the Freedmen's Bureau:
Prortded, That whenever the owners of
lands occupied under General Sherman's :
field order shall make application for restor-
alton of said lands, the Commissioner il
hereby authorized, upon the agreement and
with the written consent of said occupants,
to procure OF her lands for them by rent or
purchase. not exceeding forty acres for each
occupant, or to set apart for them, out of
the public lands assigned for that purpose
in section four Of this bill forty acres each.
upon the terms and conditions named in
said section.
SEC 6. And be It further enacted, That
the Com missioner shall, under the direction
Of the President, procure in the name Of
the United States, by grant or purchase.
such lands within the districts aforesaid as
may be required for refugees and freedmen
dependent or the Government for support;
and he shall provide or cause to be erected
suitable buildings for asylums and schools.
But no such purchase shall be made, nor
contract Ter the same entered into, nor
other expense incurred, until after appro-
priations shall have been provided by Con-
gress tor such purposes. And no payments
shall be made for lands purchased under
this section, except for ssyiums aud schools,
from any moneys not specifically appropri
ated therefor. And the Commissioner shall
cause such lands from time to time to be
valued. allotted, assigned and sold in man
ner and form provided 10 the fourth. section
of this act, at q price not less than Tie cost
thereof TO the United States.
SEC. 7. Andbe Il further enacted, That
whenever in any State or district in which
the ordinary course of judicial proceedings
has been interrupted by the rebellion and
wherein, in consequence of any State or local
law, ordinance, police or other regulation,
custom or prejudice, any Of the civil rights
including the right to make and enforce
contracts, to sue, be parties, and give eyi-
dence, to inherit, purchase, slease, sell, hold
and convey real and personal property, and
to have full ana equal benefit Of all laws
and proceedings for security Of person and
estate, including the constitutional right of
bearing arms, are refused or denied to ne.
groe. mulatees, freedmen, refugees, or any
nfh har Of nr
any previous condition of slavery or inyo-
untary servitude. or wherein they or any of
them are subjected to any other or d tferent
punishment, pains, orpenslties, for the com
mission of any act or offence, than are pre-.
scribed for white persons committing like
acts or offences, it shall be the duty of the
President OF the United States, through
the Commissioner, to extend military pro-
lection and jurisdiction over cases affecting
such persons as aiscriminated against.
SEC. g. And be IL further enacted, That
any person who, under color of any State or
local law, ordinances, police or other feguls
ton or custom, shall, In other State or Dis
trict In which the ordinary course of Judicial
proceedings has been interrupted by the re
belion, and in which the privilege Of the
writ of habeas corpus was suspended on the
FIRST day Of February, eighteen hundred and
sixty-six, subject, or cause TO be subjected,
any negro, mulatto, freedman, refugee, or
other person, on account of race or color, OF
any previous condition of slavery or involun
tary servitude, or for any other cause, TO the
deprivation OF any civil right secured to
white persons, or to any othsr or different
punishment than white persons are subject
10 for the commission Of Ike acts or often
cess shall be deemed guilty Of misdemean
or, and be punished by fine not exceeding
one thousand dollars. or Imprisonment moi
exceeding one year. or both: aud il shall be
the duty of the officers and agents of thi,
Bureau to take jurisdiction Of, and heal
and determine all offences committed against
the provisions of this section, and also of al
eases affecting negroes, mulattoes, freed
men, refugees, or other persons who are dis
criminated against in any ol the rarticular'
mentioned in the preceding section of thi,
act, under such rnles and refr1atians as tn,
President Of the United Saatcs, through tht
war department, shall prescribe The iuris
diction conferred By this and the preceding
section on the officers snd agents Of thi:
Bureau shall cease and determine whenever
the Discrimination on account Of which it is
conferred ceases. and in no event to be ex
crcised in any State in which the ordinar,
course Of judicial proceedings has not bee,
! ~ A. .nhaIl;nn mar - m,