Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-07-12

acre by placing them closer In the drill
He had made the experiment and was salts
fed that it was by far the best plan.
Several other interesting topics were
treated, but as we do not claim to have
done Justice to those already mentioned,
we will 90 no further with this excellent
discourse. What pity that our people
cannot oftener be entertained with such
addresses How much better it would be
for them than the political broth they are
so often dosed with SPECTATOR.
Reconstruction "So-CaIled."
The following is the bill of Wilson, Of
Massachusetts, introduced in the Senate on
Wednesday, a brief synopsis of which an
ppared in our columns yesterday morning =
A BILL in addition to the act passed March
2. 1867, "to provide for the more eff
cient government of the rebel States,
and the act supplementary thereto, passed
March %, 1867.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, That all
Offices held under the pretended authority
of any of the rebel State governments of
Virginia. North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana,
Arkansas, Texas and Florida, be, and the
same are hereby, declared to be vacated at
the expiration of twenty days from the
passage of this act and the Commanding
Generals Of the several military districts,
established by the acts to which this is an
addition, shall be, and they are hereby, au-
thorized and empowered to continue IN Of
fec any person who, before the expiration
of the said thirty days, may have been dis
charging the duties of such office, or the
said Commanding Generals may respec-
lively, in their discretion, direct other per
sons to perform the duties OF any of the
said Offices or the Commanding Generals
respectively, may, if in their Judgment the
purposes of the acts aforesaid can be best
secured thereby, order elections to be held
by the people for the election of suitable
persons to fill the same ; and the elections
hereby authorized shall be held according
to, and in conformity with, the terms and
conditions provided for in the acts to which
this act is III addition.
Section =. And be it further enacted,
That the Boards of Registration in the sew
eral military districts, established by the
acts to which this is in addition, shall have
the power to refuse to admit to register any
persons applying to be registered who they
may have just grounds to believe may be
seeking to evade the requirements OF the
acts aforesaid and to this end they shall
have power to examine all applicants for
registration, and also to receive such testi-
mony as may exist in regard to the quallh-
cations of all persons applying to be regis
tered and at any time within twenty days
after the completion Of the registration
they shall be, and are hereby empowered,
upon the production of proof sufficient to
satisfy them that the name of any person
who has been registered has been wrong
fully or by false representations Or fraudu-
lently inserted upon the lists of reglstra
ton, to erase the name of such person from
such list
Edmonds, of Vermont, introduced bill
explanatory of the act to provide for the
more efficient government of the rebel
States, passed March 2, 1867. 1t sets forth
that the true meaning Of that act was that
the military authority of the United States
in said rebel States was and is paramount
to any civil government existing therein;
makes all such civil governments subordi-
nate to such military authority, and pro-
hibits them from interfering in any way
with the exercise of such military authority;
The commander of any district is empower
ed Subject to the approval of the General
Of the armies Of the United States), to suS
pend or remove from office any official or
person holding Office in such district, under
any power, election, appointment or au-
thOritY derived from, or granted by, or
claimed under any State Or the government
thereof, or any municipal or other division
thereof.
From the Rale Oh Sentinel.
Supreme Court of North CarOllna-ImpOr-
tant Opinion by the Chief Justice.
We are indebted to the Clerk of the Su-
preme Court for the following able and
incl cd lI,N Inc
tice Pearson, bearing upon the validity of
contracts founded on Confederate currency
in this State during the war.
PHILLIPS VS.. HOOKER.
The right of the plaintiff to relief does
not rest alone, upon the ordinance of the
Convention Or the act of the Legislature i
but upon the broad ground that the courts
are bound to administer Justice and enforce
the execution of contracts.
In 1862, the defendant agrees to sell to
the plaintiff house and lot, and received
81, 800 in Confederate treasury notes, as the
consideration, and put hun in possession.
The contract had no special political sig
niticance, and there is no averment that it
was entered into with an intent to give aid
to the rebellion SO, it is to be taken as a
dealing in the ordinary transaction of bust
ness. The plaintiff bought the house and
lot because it suited him. The defendant
took the Confederate notes because she
needed funds.
1t is said every dealing in Confederate
treasury notes gave them credit and circn-
lation, and consequently aided the rebel
lion; SO every such dealing was illegal, and
not fit to be enforced by the courts, with
out reference to the intent of the parties
The proposition is general, every man and
woman who, in the ordinary course of bust
ness, received q Confederate note, did an
illegal act, tainted with treason, it embraces
all contracts, as we'll contracts executed as
executory, for, if true as to one, it is also
true as to the other, and it aims blow at
all dealings among our people during the
war, and upheaves the foundations of soci-
ETY.. [ do not believe the proposition can
be maintained by any authority or any
principle of law.
l. 1t may be conceded that if, at the out
break of an instruction, parties to con-
tracts, eChb rieO Of aiding tie cause, by
giving credit and circulation to its paper,
receive it as money in their dealing, such
contracts are illegal.
But that is not the case under considera-