The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-05-01

toned among the several States which NAV b
included within this Union according to thei
respective numbers, counting the whole mum
Der of persons in each State, excluding the In
dians not taxed but whenever, in any State
the elective franchise shall be denied to an
portion of its male citizens not less than TWEEN
ty-one years of age, or in any way abridged
except for participation in rebellion or othe
crime, the basis Of representation in sucl
State shall be reduced in the proportion whicl
the number of such male citizens shall bear t.
the whole number of male citizens not less thai
81 years of age.
Section 3. Until the fourth day of July
1870, all persons who voluntarily adhered K
the late insurrection, giving it aid and com
tort, shall be excluded from the right to VOTE
for members of Congress and for electors fol
President and Vice-President of the United
States.
"Section 4. Neither the United States mol
any State shall assume or pay any debt or OBJ.
legation already incurred, or which may here
after be incurred in aid of insurrection or oil
war against the United States, or any claim
tor compensation for loss of involuntary SER
vice or labor.
"Section 5. The Congress shall have power
to enforce by appropriate legislation the pro-
visions of this article"
The second part is entitled "a bill to provide
for the restoration of the States lately in in
surrection to their full political rights" and is
aSfollows:
Whereas, it is expedient that the States
lately in insurrection should, at the earliest
day consistent with the future peace and safe
ty OF the Union, be restored to full participa-
tion in all political rights, and
"Whereas, the Congress did, by joint reso-
luton, propose for ratification to the legisla-
lures ofthe several States, as an amendment
to the Constitution of the United States. an
article in the following words, to wit:
ISee article as above. i
'NOso, therefore, be it enacted, &C., That
whenever the above recited amendment shall
have become part of the Constitution, and
any State lately in insurrection shall have
ratified the same and shall have modified its
Constitution and laws in conformity there
with, senators and representatives from such
State, if found duly elected andqualifed, may,
after having taken the requisite oath OF office,
be admitted to Congress as SUCH "a
Section 2. Apd be it further enacted, that
when any State lately in insurrection shall
have ratified the foregoing amendment to the
Constitution, any part of the direct tax under
the act of August 5, 1861, which may remain
due and unpaid in such State, may be asslim-
ed and paid in such State, and the payment
thereof, upon proper assurances from such
State, to be given to the Secretary of the
Treasury OF the United States, may be post
poned Tor period not exceeding ten years
from and after the passage of this act"
The third and concluding part is entitled
"A bill declaring certain persons ineligible to
office under the government of the United
States" " and IS as fOllows: a5f a
81 "Be it enacted, &C., That no person shall
be eligible to any Office under the government
of the United States who is included in any
of the folwing classes, namely:
"First. The President and Vice-Presidept
of the Confederate States of America.
SO called, and the heads of departments there
of.
''Second. Those who in other countries
acted as agents of the Confederate. States of
America, SO called.
"Third. Heads of departments Of the Unit
ed States, officers of the army and navy of the
United States, and all persons educated at the
military or naval academy of the United
States, judges of the courts of the United
States, and members of either house of the
thirty-sixth Congress of the United States,
who gave aid or comfort to the rebellion.
"Foulth. Those who acted as officers of
the Confederate States of America, SO called,
above the grade of colonel in the army or
master in the navy. and any one who, as gov
ernor OF either of the so-called Confederate
lion.
,o,.i; Fifth. Those who have treated officsTs.pr
sOidlers, OF sauOrs OF une army or navy OF the
United States, captured during the late war,
otherwise than lawfully as prisoners of war;"
1t is matter of general knowledge that the
committee, week ago, was strongly inclined
to report a scheme involving o guarantee of
equality in political rights at the expiration of
brief term Of years. Two facts conspired
to change this determination; first, the passage
of the Colorado bill by the Senate, and sec
ond, the result of various State delegation
caucuses. 1t was held by some members of
the committee that principle that was ig-
nOred with regard to Colorado could not be
well applied to Virginia and the other lately
rebellious States. The republican representa-
tives Of New York, Ohio, and Indiana, and
perhaps one or two other States, in their
meetings took strong grounds against the in
reference by Congress with suffrage in the
States. 1t was, therefore, on these accounts,
deemed inexpedient to make guarantee of
this kind a condition precedent to admission.