The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-07-20

= biii 70 Enable the Inhabitants
late Rebel states to Form Gus Of the
ernments. STATE Gov.
Hon. Thaddeus Stevens. of penn,-,
introduced the following bill in the lama
yesterday. 1t was referred to the Gus IOuse
tee on Reconstruction 'uiinit-
BE it enacted By the Senate o,,z
I,epresea'o!a0es OF the United Stots sse q
1 am'o, so~ M congress assembled, That y
governments and pretended govern ar all
within that portion of the TERRITORY n nsis
lately claimed to belong to the Co1f.S winch
states OF America, and which the ITT nisee
states OF America have conquered ~ onited
the territory lately called the State W " WIZ WI
GINA, (here follows names of all tSo VI VII
ern States, designated as Virginia is on OSu.h-
Dill then proceeds as follows , are bo.' Tue
declared null and void and of no effeo hereby
er than that which they shall derive f 1en-
the action of Congress. The mnn;a nom
corporations and offices existing de fans s,P e
local purposes shall be continued nnt;I I " LOT
gress, OF those authorized by CONGRESS SoH,
determine their existence. 0'' SHALL
Sec. 2. Ind be 1T further enneted MI
until the said territory shall be nron an"s
with proper constitutions and reupIarIp, ai reg
mitted into the Union as new STATES Il s. au,
be governed as follows: Three comr,; ~ saall
ers, civilians, shall be chosen by the i o;ne
ton of the Senate and House of Re1ras ns ac
tives for each of the divisions now caIIas
military districts, two of whom shall ha ny:
mated by the House and one by the Sana ,n,-
who shall be called commissioners If ro"Nt'
struction. They shall discharge all tho dn.;
which, by the act of March 2, 1867 anJ J'; ;.s
supplement of March %, 1867, are NOW ,N AZ r.S
joined upon the military commanders ou-
cept so far as is altered by this act and th VA
shall proceed to correct and complete the
registration already in progress, with all co cr0
venient speed. When the registration rO' !.
completed they shall take the same act;n 70
with regard to the formation of the conStitu
ton as is now prescribed to the military con,
manders in the acts aforesaid, and wheneva,
any portion of said territory shall Larn
been formed into proper State, and ito
constitution submitted to Congress and an
proved by it, it shall be admitted int
the Union and declared capable of renre,
sentation in the Congress of the United
States. The military commanders and all in
military authority arc hereby relieved from
any duty within said Territory, except fine
preservation of the peace, which they shall
enforce upon the demand of the commits.
sioners of reconstruction, or any of them
The admission of new States into the Union
and the reconstruction of old ones is the sole
duty and work of Congress, and neither the
President nor any head of Department, no.
the judiciary, nor the military, have an,
right to interfere In such matters unless re
CURED by the Congress of the United States
The opinion of the Attorney General upol
any point connected with the admission O
new States or the reconstruction of destroye,
ones, is unauthorized, and ought not to
obtruded upon Government, lest there ma
be misunderstanding with regard to VIII
are entitled to exercise the elective franchis
both in the election of delegates to form
convention, and in the confirmation or rejec
ton of any constitution they may form it
declared that all such persons who volunta
rily engaged in the late rebellion shall be ex
Guided from registration, and such fact ma
be proved by paroled evidence, and for tina
purpose the commissioners of reconstruction
or either of them, shall have power to cal
witnesses, administer oaths, ask questions
and conduct the examination in such man
ner as may be necessary to ascertain til
truth. Any false swearing under this Law
shall be deemed felony and punished as suct
The residence required in said acts must
continuous, Immediately preceding the ele'
ton at which the vote is offered. No pei
son who during the time of the rebellion
held any judicial or executive office undo
the Government called the Confederat
States of America, or under either of sal
States, shall be registered, nor military of
GERS who, during the existence of the Co
eminent ofthe Confederate States, held offict
either in it's army, Or in the army or militi
of either of said States and nothing in tn
act shall be held to admit to registration an
of the classes excluded by the act to whic
this is a supplement.
Sec. 3. And be 1t further enacted, Tha
the Commission of Reconstruction, eac
within its own jurisdiction, shall have flu
power to remove any municipal officer, @
magistrate, or State judge, and, if it see
proper, to Eli the vacancy by new appoint
ment whenever it shall deem the public gOo'
shall require it. From the acts and doing
of the respective boards and commissions
there shall be no appeal except to Congress
SEC. 4. And be 1t further enacted, That 81
much of the act of March 2, 1857, and it
supplement of March 80, 1867, as is not al
tered by this act, shall remain IN full force ant
virtue.
Added to the bill, but with out any word
of enactment, is paragraph in these words
If the commissioners of the State OF Tex
as and the State of Louisiana shall adjudg
that the interests of the country require tn
division of Texas into two States, they sha
proceed to run and mark the division lint
and prepare them for admission into tn
Union as herein prescribed"