Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-05-04
REcrosTRUcTs,os.

Rebellion DIsfranchised Until 1870.
Leading Rebels Not to Hold once.
WASHINGTON, April 2s, 1866.
The Reconstruction Committee, pursuant
to adjournment, held very important meet
1 ing to day at the Capitol, during which they
/ definitely agreed on plan to be submitted
/ to Congress atid the country for the recon
struction Of the Southern States 10 the
] Union. The committee were IN session TOUR
hours and had an exciting time. Each
/ separate proposition that was made was yo-
ted on and declared agreed to by a majority
vote The question of requiring negro slltf-
rage of the South within the next ten years
was lost Thad. Stevens even opposing It.
That having been disposed of the issue OF
basis of representation next elected a pro-
| longed discussion and it was finally deter
mined that a constitutional amendment
should be proposed, declaring that all males
| above the age of twenty one, who were not
| allowed to vote by the States, should not be
counted in the basis Of representation. II
will be noticed that the practical effect of
this amendment will be to leave the number
of Southern representatives just about where
it is now inasmuch as all the colored people
of the South except the males over twenty
one will be counted in the representative
population.
Mr. Bingham, of Ohio, then insisted that
| the present Civil Rights bill was unconstltu-
tional and that an Amendment TO the Con
stitutIon, guaranteeing civil rights to per
sons in all of the States would be agreed TO
The Committee adopted the proposition.
1t was then resolved that all who partic-
pated in the rebellion should be dlstran-
chised from voting for Federal officers, and
that the rebel debt should be repudiated.
These several propositions were then EN-
bodied in onalamendment, which
viii be duly reported to the House on Mon
day There was considerable satisfaction
expressed in the Committee that they had
come to conclusion.
The following is understood to be the con-
| stitutlonal amendment proposed
ARTICLE-SECTION |. No State shau
make or enforce any law which shall abrldge
the privileges or immunities of citizens OF
| the United States, nor shall any State de-
prive any person of life, liberty or property
| without due process flaw, nor deny to any
person within its jurisdiction the equal pro-
| lection of the laws.
SECTION 2-Representatiyes shall be ap-
pointed among the several States which may
| be included within this Union, according to
| their respective numbers, counting the
whole number of persons IN each State, ex-
Guiding Indians not taxed But whenever,
in any State, the elective franchise shall be
denied to any portion of its male citizens
| not less than twenty-one years OF age, or In
any way abridged, except for participation
in rebellion or other crime, the basis OF rep
| resentation in such State shall be reduced IN
the proportion which the number of such
male citizens, shall bear to the whole num-
Der of male citizens not less than twenty-one
years of age.
SECTION 3.-Until the 4th day Of July
1870, all persons who voluntarily adhered
to the late insurrection, giving it aid and
comfort, shall be excluded from the right to
vote for members of Congress, and for cleo
tors for President and Vice President of the
United States
SECTION 4.-Neither the United States
nor any State shall assume to pay any debt
or obligation already incurred, or which
may hereafter be incurred in aid of insur-
rection or war against the United States or
any claims for compensation for loss OF IN
voluntary service or labor.
SECTION s. Congre shall have pow
er to enforce, by appropriate legislation,
the provisions of this article.
A bill to provide for the restoration Of the
ical rights, by admitting delegations to Con
gress, and second bill debarring leading
rebels from holding Office is also reported,
including the following clauses:
First. The President and Vice President
of the Confederate States, so-called and
heads Of Departments thereof
Second. Those who in other countries ae-
ted as agents of the Confederate States.
| - ..G IL
| United States, officers of the army and navy
| Of the United States, and all persons edu
Gated in the military or naval academy of
| the United States, Judges of the courts of
| the United States. and members of either
| house of the 36th Congress of the United
| States, who gave aid or comfort to the late
| rebellion
Fourth. Those who acted as officers of
| the Confederate States, SO called, above the
rank of Colonel in the army or master in
/ the navy, or any one who, as Governor OF
any of the Confederate States, gave aid or
comfort to the late rebellion.
| Fifth, Those who have treated officers or
soldiers, or sailors of the army or navy of
the United States, captured during the late
war, otherwise than lawfully as prisoners of
war.
1t is understood that the vote lpon them
was twelve, against three. As il is known
that Senator johnson, and Representatives
Grider and Rogers, only voted in the mega
tive, the affirmative must be Senators Fes-
sender, Grimes, Harris, Howard and Rep
resentatives Stevens and Washburne, of
Illinois; Morrill,, Bingham, Conkling, Bout
well and Blow.
| SECOND DISPATCH.
| WASHINGTON Cry. April 26
The report Of the Reconstruction Commit
tee will be reported to both Houses of Con
gress tomorrow. tits intended to press it
to an early vote, Thoughts reasonable amount
of debate win be allowed. Should it be
passed by the requisite two thirds vote, a
resolution will be presented requesting the
| Governors to convene the State Legislatures
in extrs session for the purpose of ratifying
| the amendment.
| ADemocratic member of the Committee,
yesterday Submitted The plan as agreed on,
to the President Mr.. johnson thought
there was practical abandonment of the
negro suffrage issue, while on the other hand
| it virtually assumed the unconstitutionality
/ ofthe civil rights bill. by Droposinp to incor-