Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-07-10

of these nominations every year with great
regularity, but really the farce must begin,
we should think, to have a touch of solemnity-
The candidates are much in the condition
of the poor frogs that the boys pelted with
stones; it was fun for the boys but death to
the frogs
CoNGREss.-Nearly every Republican MEM
Der Of both Houses of Congress, was present
when the roll was called last Wednesday.
| Those who were absent were unavoidably de-
tanned. Several bills explanatory of the
reconstruction act were introduced and re-
ferred. The credentials of the members of
Congress recently elected in Kentucky were
presented, and all but were referred to
the committee on elections, to enquire re-
specting the regularity of the elections and
the loyalty of the members. The credentials
of VIM. Ill. Barnam, of Connecticut. whose
scat is contested, were also referred to the
same committee. Among these was one in
troduced by Senator Edmunds, which, how
ever, applies only to the matter of registra-
ton, leaving the original law respecting the
civil government it now stands.
The House, Friday, passed, by a vote in
which Democrats only appeared in the mega
tive, resolutions of thanks to Generals Sher-
idan, Pope, Sickles and Schofeld for their
ton act. The Senate, after acrimonious
debate, passed resolution to consider no
business, except such as related to recon
struction, Senators Buckalow, Drake, Fow-
Ter, Howe, Ross, Sumner, Thayer, Upton
and Wade voting against it,
The bill agreed upon by the House com
mittee reconstruction, in amendment of
the act of last session. is as follows
An act supplementary to an act to provide
for the more efficient government of the
rebel states, passed March ,, 1867, and the
act supplementary thereto, passed March
%, 1867.
| Be II enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives, of The United States of Amer
ica IN Congress assembled That it is hereby
declared to have been the true intent and
meaning of the acts of March ID and March
23d, 1867, to which this act is a supplement-
that governments then existing in the rebel
states of Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama.
were illegal and void, and that thereafter
said governments were to he continued sub
ject in all respects to the military command
ers of the respective districts and to the
authority of Congress only.
SEC. 2. And be II further enacted. That said
acts, to which this is a supplement, shall be
construed to authorize the officer assigned to
the command of any military district under
said acts whenever he shall deem it neces-
rba of 4
under said acts, to remove or suspend from
Office any municipal or state officer, or person
exercising authority under by virtue of
any so-calied state government existing in
his district. aed to appoint another person
instead of the officer or person 50 removed,
if he shall deem proper so to do, and To
thorize the officer assigned to the command
of any military district under said acts,
whenever he may deem it necessary as afore-
said, To prohibit, suspend or set aside, any
act proceeding of any such state or MUM
cipal government, or any act or thing done
under or by virtue of its authority ii being
the intention of said act that during it's con-
tinuance, said so-called state governments of
the rebel states shall be allowed to continue
only as subordinate to, and subject to the
control of the officers signed to the military
districts aforesaid respectively, and to Con
gress ; and all acts heretofore done by any
deemed valid.
SEC. 3. And be II further enacted, That the
boards of registration of the several military
districts, established by the acts TO which
this is additional, shall admit to registration
only such persons as they deem entitled to
be registered by the acts aforesaid. They
shall not regard the taking of the oath pre-
scribed in the act of March %, 1867 conclu-
sive evidence of the right of the person TAX
- no hat a,
and may receive such evidence under oath,
relating thereto, they may deem proper,
either from the person applying to be regis
tered or others, and either of the members of
said boards hereby authorized to admin
lister oaths affirmations, and examine wit
nesses touching the right of any person to
be registered may, strike from the list Of
voters the name of any one already men,
toned who. in their Judgment, improperly
took the oath prescribed in the act to which
this is additional, was not entitled by said
acts to be registered, and shall not be bound
OF governed in their action by any opinion of
any officer of the United States Government.
Record evidence shall not be required by said
boards to prove participation in the rebellion,
but parole evidence of fact of such participa-
ton shall be deemed by said board sufficient
to effect the disfranchisement provided for by
the acts to which this is additional.
SEC. 4. And be i, further enacted That no
civil court of the United States, shall have
jurisdiction of any action or proceeding, civ
il, or criminal, against any such District
Commander, or any officer or person acting
by his authority, for or on account of any
act done by him in his official capacity under
this act, or under the act to which it is sup
Elementary, to wit, the act named in the first
section of this act, and the act of March ODD,
1867, supplementary thereto
A~,I l.. NJ
District Commander shall be relieved from
the command assigned to him under the afore-
vised and consented to his removal, or unless
ired or dismissed from the army. unless he
shall consent to be so relieved.
The following is synopsis of the Recon-
struction bill reported to the Senate from the
Judiciary Committee
The first section declares the true intent
and meaning of the reconstruction acts, was
and is that the military authority of the u
s., in said rebel states was and is paramount
to any civil government existing therein :;
makes all such civil government subordinate
to such military authority and prohibits
them from interfering in any way with the
exercise of such military authority.
Section second provides that the command
er Of any District named in said acts shall
have power, subject to the approval Of the
General Of the Armies of the United States,
whenever in the opinion of such commander
the proper administration of said act shall
require 1t, to suspend or remove from Office
or from the performance of official duties and
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