Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-07-08
The New Reconstruction Bill

to the House to-day by Hon. Thaddeus
Stevens chairman of the committee. WASH
ington Chronicle.
An Act supplementary to al act entitled An
act to provide for the more ethclent govern
luent of the rebel States, passed March
., 1867, and the act supplementary thereto
passed March 23d: 1867
Be Il euucte11 &C., That it is hereby declared
to have been the true intent and meaning OF
the acts of March I'd and March .-,33d, 1867, 10
which this act is supplement, that the gov,
eru1ncnts then existing III the rebel States OF
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, Mississippi Alabama, LOUISIANA,
Florida, Texas, and Arkansas were l!lcga! aiid
void: and that thereafter said governments
were to be continued, subject IN al! respects to
the military commanders OF the respective dis
tricts and to the authority of Congress only.
SEC. . That the said acts to which this Is
supplement, shall be construed to authorize
the officer assigned to the command OF any
military district under SAID acts, whenever he
| shall deem it necessary to the dnc perform
ance OF his dutias under said act, to remove or
suspend from Office any municipal Of Hial:
officer, nr person exercising authority under Or
| by virtue of any sO,caIled State government
| existing in his distrio', and to appoint another
| person ia the atead Of the officer Or prIaon :"
| removed, II be shall deem proper 80 10 DO, and
| to authorize The officer assigned to the COLE
lila I'd Of any military district under .id a2t=,
whaneveI he may deem it hecta=aTy, AZ
aforesaid, to prohibit, suspend OF SGT aside ln}
| ict OF proceedings Of any such state Q! mimi
| cipal government, OF any act 81 th!hE zone
under or bY virtue ct it's authority; it, beng the
! intention CT said act that during zig continuance
| IA nj
rebel States shall be allowed to continue only
as subordinate to and subject IL The control Of,
| the officers ASSIGNED 10 the military districts
atoI4saids, respectively, and 10 Congress; and
ali acts heretofore done b. any such officer iii
| accordance herewith shall he deemed valld.
SEQ. 8 That the boards Of registration Of he
several military districta established BY The acts
to which this IL additional, shall admit 10 regis
| tration only s,lch persons a. they deem entitled
| 10 be REGISTERED by the acts aforesaid They
shall not regard the taking the oath prescribed
in the act Of March %, 1867, conclusive cyi-
drnce If The right Of The person taking 1t 10 be
registered, but prima facia only, and may r'-
cci1e such evidence under oath relating thereto
IS they may deem proper, either from The per.
| sou appyinp 10 be registered OF Others and
| either Of he members OF Aald boards II hereby
| authorized 10 administer Oaiia nr itfllillalonS
and examine Witnesses touching ihj night Of
! any ptraOn to lr registered. sad tolld@ 81
| REGISTRATION may strike from the II9t OF voters
! the name Of any 0nr already registered Who, IN
! their Judgment improperly took The cath PIE
sctibed in the acts 10 which TINS /" additional,
or was not entitled by said acts 10 he regriar-
ed and shall not br bound or governed III their
action by any opinion OF any officer OF tie
| United States Government tec0rd evidence
shall not be required By SAID boards to prove
participation in the rebellion, but parole avl-
dence of the fac Of such participation Shall be
deemed by SAID boards sufficient 10 efuct the
diStranchisemcnl provided for hy the acts to
which this is additional
SEC T. That no civil court Of the United
States, or Of any State, shall have jurisdiction
OF any action or proceeding, civil or crlmna
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 othcIaI
capacity under this act, Or under the acts to
which it is supplementary, to wit: the act
named in the first section OF this act a"d The
act OF March %, 1867, supplementary thereto
SEC. 5 That no district commander shall be
relieved from the command assigned to him
under the aforesaid acts, unless the Senate
| shall have first advised and consented to his
removal or unless by sentence OF cOuytmaita,
|
army; Or unless be shall consent 10 be 50 re-
| eved.
Defence OF SURRATT. The line OF defence
il the case Of Surratt, is indicated in the open
inv .1drass 70 ~, i,,r,, IN tho case IN behalf of
l,a ''0'-''' " M NJ, r. p.oa1o', g. ,ro,.;
the aseoSc'' 0y M. a. - 80 "u'''' 49, Il'
Gus to the examination OF the Witnesses 1or 'iie
defence Several of the witnesses icr the
prosecution, Mr. Bradley sad, had sworn
falsely, and their crcdibilty would be mreach-
ed, and their statements contradictcd, whilst
some would bcshown to be infamous characters:
'The defence would prove that j ohm SurraIt
was in Canada in 1862 aud went thence to
Europe and after two years he is found IN the
| Papal service. 1t is claimed that be received
500 600 from the Confederate government,
and vet hc is so Door that he is compelled 10
seek service as a private soldier At the end