Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-07-25

Votes for ID.
The new Reconstruction Bill, as agreed |
upon by the Conference Committee, pass |
ed through both Houses of Congress on
the 18th inst, and is now q law. The |
vota in the Senate stood: Yeas 81, Nays |
q. Senator Reverdy Johnson (of Md |
voted with the majority. The vote in
the House stood: Yeas Ill, Nays %; II
strics party vote.
The following is u copy of the bill, as
passed:
SECTION 1. That it is hereby declared ,
to have been the true intent and mean
ing of the act of the second day Of March,
1867, entitled an act to provide for the |
more efficient government of the Rebel |
States, thereto passed the 23d of March,
1867, that the Governments then exist
ing i'm the Rebel States of Virginia, !,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, /
Mississippi, Alabama, louisiana Flori- |
da, Texas, and Arkansas were not legal |
State Governments, and that thereafter
said Governments, if continued subject |
in all respects to the military colnman- |
ders of the respective districts and to the /
paramount authority of Congress
SEC. 2. That the commander of any
district named in said act shall have
power subject to the disapproval of the
General of the a rmy of the United States,
and to have effect till disapproved, whom
ever, in the opinion of such commander,
the proper administration of said act
shall require it to suspend orremove from
Office, or from the performance of official
duties and the exercise of official powers,
any officer or person holding or exercis-
ing, or protesting to hold or exercise, any
eli vii or military Office or duty in such
district, under any power, election, APP
pointment, or authority, derived from,
or granted by or claimed under any so
called State or tine Government thereof,
or municipal or other division thereof;
and upon such suspension or removal,
such commander, subject to the disap-
prOval of the General as aforesaid, shall
have power to provide from time to time
for tile performance of the said duties of
such officer or person so suspended or re-
moved by the detail of some competent
officer or soldier of the army, or by the
appointment of some other person to
perform the same, and to fill the vacan-
cies occasioned by death, resignation, or
otherwise.
SEC 3. That the General of the Army
of the United States be invested with all
the powers of suspension, removal, ap-
pointment, and detail granted in the pre-
ceding section to district commanders.
SEC. t. That the acts of the officers of
said districts, persons exercising the
functions of civil officers, and appointing
others in their stead, are hereby confirm
ed, provided that any person heretofore
or hereafter appointed by any district
commander to exercise the functions of
any civil office may be removed, either
by the military officer In command of the
district, or by the General of the Army,
and it shall be the duty of such COM
manders to remove from office as afore-
said, all persons who are dislOyal to the
Government of the United States, or who
use their official influence in any man
ner to hinder, delay, prevent, or obstruct
the due and properadministraton of this
act and the acts to which it is supple
mcntary.
SEC. 5. That the Board of Registra-
tion, provided for in thea entitled "An
act supplementary to an act entitled an
act to provide for the more efficient gov
ernment of the Rebel States" passed
March 9, 1865, and to facilitate rcgiStra-
ton, passed March %, 1867, shall have
power, and il shall be their duty, before
allowing the registration of any person,
To ascertain upon such facts or infOrma-
,ion as they can obtain, whether such
person isentitled to be registered under
said act, and the oath required by said
act shall not be conclusive on such qucs-
ton and no person shall he Registered
unless such Board shall decide that he Is
entitled thereto; and such Board shall
also have power TO examine, under the
oath to he administered by any member
of such Board, any one touching the
qualification Of any person claiming re-
gstratloh but in every case OF refusal
by the Board to register an applicant,
and in every case of striking his name
from the list, IA hereinafter prescribed,
the Board shall make note or memo
randum, which shall be returned with
the registration list to the Commanding
General, for the ground of such refusal
or striking from the list, Prorided, That
noperson shall be bedisqualified as a mem
bor of any Board of Registration by rea-
son of race or color.
SEC. O. That the true intent and mean
ing of the oath prescribed In said sup
Elementary act Is, among other things,
that no person who has been member
OF the Legislature of any state, or who
has held any executive or judicial office
in any State, whether no has taken an
oath TO support the Constitution of the
United States or not, and whether he was
holding such Office at the commencement
Of the Rebellion, or had held 1t before
and who has afterward engaged In re-
bellion againstthe United States, or given
aid and comfort to the enemies thereof
In entitled to be registered or vote and
any State" in said oath mentioned, shal
he construed TO Include all civil officers
created by law for the administration o
any general law OF u State or for the
administration of Justice.
SEC. 7. And be It further enacted
that the time for completing the orlgina
registration provided for In said act, may
In the discretion Of the commander o
any district be extended TO the lst da,
of October, 1867; and the Boards of Regis
tration shall have power, and IL shall b,
their duty, commencing II days prior t
any election under said act, and upoi
reasonable public notice Of the time an'
place thereof, to revise for q period O
1--WE days the registration lists, and, upoi
being satisfied that any person, not en-
titled thereto, has been registered, 4
strike the name of such person from tn
list; and such person shall not he allow
ed to vote. And such Board shall, alsc
during the same period, add TO such reg
istry the names Of all persons who, a
that time, possess the qualifications r,
ouircd by said act, who have been alread