Litchfield enquirer., 1867-07-11
Congress.

The following bill explanatory of the Reconstruction act was reported to the House on Monday by the committee to whom the matter had been referred:
 An Act supplementary to az Act entitled an Act to provide for the efficient government of the Rebel States, passed March 2. 1867, and the Act supplementary thereto, passed March g, 1S67
 Be d enacted by tue Senate and House of Repre- sentdtices 0f tue Cnued States of America, n Con- greSs assembled: That it is hereby declared to have been the true intent and meaning of the Acts of March and March 23, 1867, to which this act is supplement, that governments lthen existing in the Rebel States of Virginia, North Carolina South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi Alabama, Louisiana Florida, Texas, and Arkansas, Were illegal and void, and that thereafter said governments were to be contn"ed subject in all respects to the mill tary commanders of the respective districts and to the authority of Congress only.
 SEC. }. And be fu1flter enacted, That 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 1t necessary to the due performance of his duties under said acts, to remove suspend from office any municipal or State officer, or per son exercising authority under or by virtue of any so-called State Government existing ln his district and to appoint another person instead of the off cer or person removed if he shall deem proper So to do and to authorize the officer assigned to the command of any military district under said acts, whenever he may deem it necessary as afore-
 
 proceeding of any such State or municipal govern ment, or any act or thing done under or by virtue of its authority it being the intention of said act that during its continuance, said so-caled State to continue only subordinate to, and subject to the control of the officers assig igned to the military districts aforesaid respectively. and to Congress and all accts heretofore done by any such officer in accordance herewith shall be deemed valid.
 SEC. ,. ind be Jtuther enacted, That the boards of registration of the several military districts es- tablshed by the acts to which this IS additional, shall admit to registration only such persons as they deem entitled 10 be registered by the acts aforesaid. They shall not regard the taking of the oath prescribed in the aet of March 23 ls67, con elusive evidence of the right of the person ta- king II to be registered, but primo fucie only and may receive such evidence under oath, relating thereto, as they may deem proper, either from the person applying to be registered or others, and el ther of the members of said boards are hereby authorized to administer oaths and aihrnlatlons and examine witnesses touching the right of any person to be registered. Said boards of registra- tn may strike from the list of voters the of at,S one alruady mentioned, who, in their judg- tieut, improperly took the oath prescribed in the act, to which this is additional, or was not entitled by sad acts to be registered, and shall not be bo0na or governed ln their action by any opinion uf aity officer of the United States Government. Record evileuce shall not be required by said boards to prove participation ill the Rehelhon but parole evidence of fact of such participation shall bo deemed by said boards sufficient to effect the GtSlrancnSeGlelt provided DN the acts tO winch this Is additional.
 SEC l. lnd bt 4 further eauctea That no civil court of the United States, or of any State, shall have jurisdiction of any action or proceeding, civ Il or criminal, against any such District Command er, or any officer or person acting by his authorl- ty, for account of any act done by him i'll his official capacity under this act, under the acts to which 1t Is supplementary to wit, the act named in the first section of this act and the act of March 3, 1867, supplementary thereto.
 SEC. ,. Aud De t fultter endcted That no Dis trict Commander shall be relieved from the con- mand assigned to him under the aforesaid acts un- less the Senate shall have first advised and ccn- sented to his removal, unless by sentence of court-martal he shall be cashiered or dismissed from the army, or unless he shall consent to be so relieved.
 It will be noticed that the only new fea- ture of importance is the section depriving the President of his power to remove Dis trict commanders without consent of the Senate The Senate committee has pro- posed bill still less radical in it's provi- sions; so that the country must now see that no substantial change from the mode of reconstruction heretofore settled upon, is contemplated by Congress at its extra session. Nothing in fact is done but to counteract the civil effect of Stansbury s flaw picking.
 The impeachment question will not be touched till Congress reassembles and un- less the President delays his envi, table veto it will probably adjourn next week.