The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-02-18
MILITARY GOVERNMENTS In THE
SOUTHERN STATES.

10 O SoPJ VI LILO olA toeA AAoAAA
the Joint Committee on Reconstruction by Hon.
THADDEus STEVENS, as it passed the House Of Re-
representatives. on Wednesday:
hill TO PROVIDE FOB THE MORE EFFICIENT GOV
ERNMENT OF THE NsURRECTIoNARY STATES
Whereas the pretended State Governments of the
late so-caed Confederate States of Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, mississippi
Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Texas and Arkansas,
were set UP without the authority Of Congress- and
without the sanction Of the people: and whereas
said pretended governments afford no adequate
protection for lie or property, but countenance
and encourage lawlessness and crime; and whereas
| it is necessary that peace and good order shouid
be enforced in said socalled States until loyal a-d
| Republican State governments Gun be legally es-
| tabished therefore,
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives of the United States Of America in Con-
gress assembled, That said late so-called Con-
federate States shall be divided into military dis
tricts and made subject to the military authority
Of the United States as hereinafter prescribed and
for that purpose Virginia shall constitute the first
district; North Carolina and South Carolina the
second district; Georgia, Alabama and Floridq the
third dlstrlct Mississippi and Arkansas the fourth
district, and Louisiana and Texas the fifth
district.
SEQ. g. And be it further enacted, That it shall
be the duty Of the General of the army to assign to
the command Of each Of said districts officer OF
the army, not below The rank of Brigadier-G Gene
raj, and to detail sufficient military force to en-
able such officer to perform his duties and enforce
his authority in the district to which he is as
signed.
be the duty Of each officer assigned as aforesaid to
protect all persons in their rights Of person and
property, to suppress insurrection, disorder and
violence, and to punish, or cause to be punished,
all disturbers OF the public peace and criminals,
and to this end he may allow local civil tribunals
to take jurisdiction OF and to try offenders, or
when in his judgment it may be necessary for the
trial Of offenders, he shall have power to organize
military commissions or tribunals for that purpose
anything in the Constitution and laws OF any OF the
30 called Confederate States to the contrary not
withstanding; and all Legislative or judicial pro
ceedings or processes to prevent or control the
proceedings OF said military tribunals, and all in
reference by said pretended State Governments
with the exercise Of military authority under this
Act. shall be void and Of no effect.
SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That courts
and Judicial officers Of the United States shall not
issue wits Of ha6eas corpus in behalf OF persons
in military custody, except in cases in which the
person is reid to answer for crime OF crimes ex-
olusively within the jurisdiction of the courts Of
the United States within the said military district,
and indictable therein, or unless some commits
stoned officer on duty in the district wherein the
person is detained shall endorse upon said petition
a statement certifying upon honour that he has
knowledge or information as to the cause and cir
cumstances Of the alleged detention, and thathe be-
ieves the same to be wrongful; and further, that
in good faith and in furtheranoe of justice, and
not to hinder OF delay the punishment Of crime:
All persons put under military arrest by virtue of
this act, shall be tried without unnecessary de.
lay, and no cruel or unusual punishment shall
be inflicted.
SEC. S. And be it further enacted, That no sem
tence Of any military commission or tribunal
hereby authorized, affecting the life or liberty Of
any person, shall be executed until it is approved
by the officer, i'm command Of the DISTRICT and the
1Al.> ~ fla
army shall not beafected by this act except in so
far as they conflict with it's provisions.